Ask UK

Having been guilty of that at least once - you press the button and then realise there is sufficient gap in the traffic that you didn't need the assistance of the lights to cross safely. You cross with each step layering the burden of guilt until you escape line-of-sight of the crossing. Then you can continue in blissful ignorance of the two drivers that just lost 20 seconds of their day and 5p in petrol.

And in guessing the Kyoto Protocol had minimal affect as most countries continued on with the attitude 'so anyway, growth.'

There's only one light controlled crossing near where I live, and it's because the crossing is either badly designed or set up.

It's not an urban crossing with hordes of pedestrians constantly crossing - it was installed probably because of the bus stop on the other side of the road from the old people's sheltered accomodation, and also because at school times kids cross there to get the bus.

The problem is that the crossing might not have been used for several minutes, but when you reach it and press the button, instead of instantly starting the lights changing, it makes you wait for a full minute or so before starting to change the lights...by which time, there's been a gap in the traffic and you can cross anyway. This almost malicious design of crossing is going to make this inevitable. It is the pedestrian that is in the howling wind and pissing rain, motorists are in climate controlled 1500kg suits of armour and quite frankly can wait for 20 seconds.

Many of those buttons are made to work like placebo anyways

I think most people have been guilty of this at least once in their life. Sometimes you're just walking deep in thought, approach the lights and press the button and realised you never really looked at the traffic conditions.