Illegal to stop for pedestrians on pavement at zebra
Discussion
The Highway Code suggests drivers should look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them cross and that they should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross.
However, this seems to be illegal. The law prevents stopping within a zebra crossing controlled area i.e. the zig-zags. There are a number of exemptions to this, the principal one being in order to comply with the requirement to accord precedence to a pedestrian who is on the carriageway within the limits of the Zebra crossing. However there is no exemption for the purpose of waiting for a pedestrian who is on the pavement to step onto the crossing. The pavement is neither a part of the carriageway nor within the limits of a Zebra crossing.
Is this just yet another example of the ineptitude of the civil service?
However, this seems to be illegal. The law prevents stopping within a zebra crossing controlled area i.e. the zig-zags. There are a number of exemptions to this, the principal one being in order to comply with the requirement to accord precedence to a pedestrian who is on the carriageway within the limits of the Zebra crossing. However there is no exemption for the purpose of waiting for a pedestrian who is on the pavement to step onto the crossing. The pavement is neither a part of the carriageway nor within the limits of a Zebra crossing.
Is this just yet another example of the ineptitude of the civil service?
Edited by jamei303 on Friday 22 May 15:20
Edited by jamei303 on Saturday 23 May 10:45
jamei303 said:
The Highway Code suggests drivers should look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them cross
and that they should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross.
However, this seems to be illegal. The law prevents stopping within a zebra crossing controlled area i.e. the zig-zags. There are a number of exemptions to this, the principal one being in order to comply with the requirement to accord precedence to a pedestrian who is on the carriageway within the limits of the Zebra crossing. However there is no exemption for the purpose of waiting for a pedestrian who is on the pavement to step onto the crossing. The pavement is neither a part of the carriageway nor within the limits of a Zebra crossing.
Is this just yet another example of the ineptitude of the civil service?
Stopping means parking, allowing passengers to alight the vehicle, putting the handbrake on and stuffing your face with cheesey wotsits for 5 minutes. and that they should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross.
However, this seems to be illegal. The law prevents stopping within a zebra crossing controlled area i.e. the zig-zags. There are a number of exemptions to this, the principal one being in order to comply with the requirement to accord precedence to a pedestrian who is on the carriageway within the limits of the Zebra crossing. However there is no exemption for the purpose of waiting for a pedestrian who is on the pavement to step onto the crossing. The pavement is neither a part of the carriageway nor within the limits of a Zebra crossing.
Is this just yet another example of the ineptitude of the civil service?
s p a c e m a n said:
jamei303 said:
The Highway Code suggests drivers should look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them cross
and that they should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross.
However, this seems to be illegal. The law prevents stopping within a zebra crossing controlled area i.e. the zig-zags. There are a number of exemptions to this, the principal one being in order to comply with the requirement to accord precedence to a pedestrian who is on the carriageway within the limits of the Zebra crossing. However there is no exemption for the purpose of waiting for a pedestrian who is on the pavement to step onto the crossing. The pavement is neither a part of the carriageway nor within the limits of a Zebra crossing.
Is this just yet another example of the ineptitude of the civil service?
Stopping means parking, allowing passengers to alight the vehicle, putting the handbrake on and stuffing your face with cheesey wotsits for 5 minutes. and that they should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross.
However, this seems to be illegal. The law prevents stopping within a zebra crossing controlled area i.e. the zig-zags. There are a number of exemptions to this, the principal one being in order to comply with the requirement to accord precedence to a pedestrian who is on the carriageway within the limits of the Zebra crossing. However there is no exemption for the purpose of waiting for a pedestrian who is on the pavement to step onto the crossing. The pavement is neither a part of the carriageway nor within the limits of a Zebra crossing.
Is this just yet another example of the ineptitude of the civil service?
Super Sonic said:
What about if you're in busy stop start traffic and the car that has just been through the zigzags stops. Are all the cars that stop behind it now breaking the law?
Of course not, I said there are specific exemptions, the one in that case being "the driver is prevented from proceeding by circumstances beyond the driver’s control"Collectingbrass said:
You'd have to have failed the attitude test if you got stuck on for stopping to allow someone to use the crossing. Don't be a dick, don't get prizes.
No one is talking about failing to stop or being a dick. The point is that the law is evidently insufficient and directly contradicted by the Highway Code.You may think this of no importance, but it erodes the credibility of both.
Pica-Pica said:
More like underthinking. The Highway Code actually says: so, of course you can stop for, or in anticipation of, a person about to cross.
You do know that the Highway Code is not a comprehensive summary of the law, right? Nothing there suggests it is legal to stop for a pedestrian on the pavement. The legal restriction in on stopping, not just waiting (i.e. parking).jamei303 said:
You do know that the Highway Code is not a comprehensive summary of the law, right? Nothing there suggests it is legal to stop for a pedestrian on the pavement. The legal restriction in on stopping, not just waiting (i.e. parking).
This comes across as nothing more than you having a beef with the civil service for whatever reason. MustangGT said:
The link that the OP has posted appears to link to a draft or template version, given the title is Statutory Instrument 2016 0000 - Road Traffic and is not a published document.
Fixed for you.I have no "beef with the civil service", I'd just like road laws and the Highway Code to be consistent and correct to aid compliance and trust. As I said it erodes confidence in the law if it's incorrect or confusing.
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