Gold Coast City Council considers intersection safety lights to stop smartphone users from being hit by trams

THE Gold Coast could become the first Australian city to trial in-ground traffic lights to keep smartphone-focused pedestrians safe along the light rail route.

The Gold Coast City Council is considering putting LED lights into the ground at busy pedestrian locations like the German city of Ausburg (Pictured).

THE Gold Coast City Council is considering spending ratepayers’ money to trial ­in-ground traffic lights to save the lives of smartphone zombies.

Concerns over near-misses on the Glitter Strip’s roads and at crossings along the light rail corridors have inspired the council to think outside the box to improve safety.

Inspired by a German city, councillors want to install rows of lights on the kerbing at some of the Gold Coast’s busiest intersections which would shine green and blink when it is safer to cross the road.

In what would be a first for Australia, the lights would work in tandem with existing traffic signals and are one of a range of new pedestrian safety solutions being considered.

Broadbeach Councillor Paul Taylor wants the council to follow a German city to install LED lights at pedestrian crossing. Photo: Jerad Williams

Broadbeach councillor Paul Taylor has backed the idea and will meet senior council bur­eaucrats to investigate adapting the concept for the Gold Coast, particularly along the busy coastal strip.

Cr Taylor said pedestrian safely was paramount and that the German concept was worthy of investigation as city leaders prepared to review the council Budget tomorrow.

Budget talks begin next week and Mr Taylor is hopeful of securing funding to investigate or trial the technology.

“It would be great for this city because there are so many people stuck into their phones and looking down that we have had some real near-misses at traffic lights,” he said.

“The Gold Coast is re-establishing itself as a technology and innovation hub and if we did this it would help solidify it.”

One of the city’s busiest intersections along the light rail at Cavill Ave and Surfers Paradise Boulevard. Picture by Scott Fletcher

The German city of Augsburg introduced the LED lights in response to the death of a girl who was reportedly hit by a tram while using her phone and wearing headphones.

City engineering boss Dawn Crichlow said new technology was worth investigating as long as it worked properly to ensure value for money.

She backed altering existing Gold Coast traffic signals to follow the lead of cities in Japan and China.

“The other option worth looking at is having the little man in the traffic signal moving to indicate when you walk and then speeding up when you have to run because the lights are changing,” she said.

.

City engineering boss Councillor Dawn Crichlow says innovative and practical solutions are needed to boost pedestrian safety.

Reducing pedestrian injuries and deaths is one of the key planks of the council’s recently adopted Road Safety Plan.

According to the plan, more than 53 per cent of all pedestrian injuries occur within 1km of the coastline. A recent innovation was sensor act­ivated crossings, also known as puffin crossings, which are in place at Main Beach, Broadbeach and Robina.

The council’s push has been backed by leading road safety advocate Russell White, who said it was a realistic solution.

“Obviously we would prefer for people to be more situationally aware but I think the reality is that people are add­icted to their smart devices and are spending more time not looking straight in front of them,” the Road Safety Foundation managing director said