Many older people do not have enough time to cross the road at pedestrian light crossings, new research has shown.

According to the findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), 31% of those aged between 65 and 74 do not have enough time to cross the road in the time provided by pedestrian signals.

Among those over the age of 75, this figure jumps to 61%.

"Crossing the road is an important part of everyday life for many people but these findings highlight that pedestrian light settings often do not match older adults' walking abilities. Not being able to cross the road comfortably can impact on older adults' social engagement, physical activity, functional independence and quality of life," commented the study's lead author, TILDA project manager, Dr Orna Donoghue.

Currently in Ireland, the green man means people can cross the road, while the amber man means that if you have already started to cross the road, you should continue. However, if you have not begun to cross, you should stay where you are until the next green man.

The researchers explained that if a person starts to cross the road just before the light changes from green to amber, they must maintain a minimum walking speed of 1.2 metres per second (m/s). However, almost one in three people aged between 65 and 74 and two in three people aged 75 and older walk slower than this and therefore would not have enough time to cross the road.

Furthermore, as women walk more slowly than men, a larger proportion of women are affected by this issue.

The study also found that walking while carrying out other tasks makes people walk even slower. At least three in four people over the age of 65 walk slower than the necessary 1.2m/s if they are carrying out a cognitive-based task at the same time, such as having a conversation with somebody.

While the study suggests that increasing the length of time of pedestrian signals would allow more older people to be able to cross the road comfortably, Dr Donoghue acknowledged that ‘the impact on traffic flow, driver behaviours and the needs of all road users should be considered before introducing a significant change'.

TILDA is an ongoing study of people over the age of 50 in Ireland. For more information, click here