Highway code change; must give way to pedestrians @junctions

[Ivo Shandor]

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/motor...

"Drivers, motorcyclists, horse riders and cyclists must give way to pedestrians crossing, or waiting to cross, at a junction they are turning into or out of."

This change, what do posters think about this? A friend of mine in Scotland mentioned this a while back, I thought it was a local thing, then I just saw on a YouTube it's a UK thing, it did make me think of the old Bill Hicks routine.

I Think ... This Will Be Chaos! Highway Code Priority Updates for Pedestrians, Cyclists, Road Users

https://youtu.be/zU9tBBQNq_0

edit to remove incorrectly worded graphic;

2. People crossing the road at junctions

The updated code will clarify that:

when people are crossing or waiting to cross at a junction, other traffic should give way
if people have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road, the people crossing have priority and the traffic should give way
people driving, riding a motorcycle or cycling must give way to people on a zebra crossing and people walking and cycling on a parallel crossing

A parallel crossing is similar to a zebra crossing, but includes a cycle route alongside the black and white stripes.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-highway-cod...

Edited by Ivo Shandor on Thursday 27th January 18:30

[andy43]

With the average pedestrian staring down at their screen and/or completely deaf, as a driver you’ve had no option other than giving way for quite some time. So I voted good idea.

[Solocle]

andy43 said:

With the average pedestrian staring down at their screen and/or completely deaf as a driver you’ve had no option other than giving way for quite some time.

Rule 170 - this is already the case. It's exactly the same as a zebra crossing. Once the pedestrian sets foot on the carriageway, they have priority, and you MUST give way.

The only change here is to say that you should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross in both circumstances. Which frankly is just spelling out the bloody obvious for the hard of thinking! If someone is approaching a roundabout from your right, do you wait until they're actually on the roundabout to give way to them? No.

[Jaguar99]

I think these new rules while logical in principle are just a green light for cyclists, pedestrians, et al to take liberties because “it’s my right of way”

It will just lead to road rage incidents, motorists unfairly blamed for the idiotic behaviour of others and roads grinding to a halt because everyone is giving way to everyone else if they follow the rules

Those who drive sensibly now will continue to do so and those who drive like bell ends will also continue to do so. The only difference is those newly “entitled” under the rules taking liberties

[frisbee]

andy43 said:

With the average pedestrian staring down at their screen and/or completely deaf, as a driver you’ve had no option other than giving way for quite some time. So I voted good idea.

To be fair, the average driver staring down at their screen and/or completely deaf, wouldn't see them to give way anyway.

[loafer123]

I understood the old rule was that the double lines were a zebra crossing equivalent, but not the single lines, so a car exiting a junction had to give way to pedestrians, but not a car on a main road entering a minor road.

I can see the logic of that, as forcing a car on a major road to stop for a pedestrian crossing the entrance to a side road could cause an accident.

That being said I believe the new rule is that both cars entering and leaving give ways now have to give way to crossing pedestrians.

[Smollet]

Tbh I thought this was the case anyway. I’ve always given way to them at a junction. However whether cyclists do remains to be seen. Most pedestrians seem to be oblivious to anything outside of their bubble. Selfish buggers. Need running down

Edited by Smollet on Tuesday 25th January 17:47

[bigpriest]

As a pedestrian I won't be testing out my new powers. I'm going to get hurt so I'll wait until it's safe.

[Solocle]

loafer123 said:

I understood the old rule was that the double lines were a zebra crossing equivalent, but not the single lines, so a car exiting a junction had to give way to pedestrians, but not a car on a main road entering a minor road.

I can see the logic of that, as forcing a car on a major road to stop for a pedestrian crossing the entrance to a side road could cause an accident.

That being said I believe the new rule is that both cars entering and leaving give ways now have to give way to crossing pedestrians.

I've always viewed it the other way around. Rule 170 is unambiguous about turning into a road. But a driver approaching the junction is on the side road, so the pedestrian could be viewed as crossing the side road, therefore has to give way to traffic already on the road.

The pedestrian is really main road traffic going straight ahead, in a dedicated lane. You wouldn't swing from the right hand lane across a bus lane to make a left turn if it cut up a bus, so why a pedestrian? Oh, because they're more squishy!? That makes it worse! That's what this rule aims to clarify, and it makes sense. After all, there's nothing stopping the pedestrian from walking down the middle of the traffic lane in most cases, so them using the pavement is better for motorists.

Unlike pedestrians, cyclists are far more likely to do just that - use the general traffic lane, if the cycleway has give ways at every side road. But in every other respect it's the same idea.

[Randy Winkman]

I don't understand what's changed. You were always supposed to look out for and give way when turning a corner and crossing a broken white line. What's the option? Just run into people and tell them it was their fault?

[Ivo Shandor]

bigpriest said:

As a pedestrian I won't be testing out my new powers. I'm going to get hurt so I'll wait until it's safe.

• nods sagely*

[Electro1980]

Randy Winkman said:

I don't understand what's changed. You were always supposed to look out for and give way when turning a corner and crossing a broken white line. What's the option? Just run into people and tell them it was their fault?

Some drivers are realising that they were not the driving gods they thought.

[HTP99]

bigpriest said:

As a pedestrian I won't be testing out my new powers. I'm going to get hurt so I'll wait until it's safe.

Yep, I walk my dogs most mornings before work, I always glance back to check for approaching cars before crossing over a side road or junction, the speed that drivers approach and take the junction, says to me that they've either A) not seen me or most likely B) assume it's their priority, many times I could have been hurt badly if I'd just crossed without looking.

[cologne2792]

Excellent! From January 29, if we are pedestrianising ourselves we may now cross the road with impunity, safe in the knowledge that the law is on our side and granted the absolute right to have, " But It was MY right of way ! ", carved on our tombstones.

[Randy Winkman]

cologne2792 said:

Excellent! From January 29, if we are pedestrianising ourselves we may now cross the road with impunity, safe in the knowledge that the law is on our side and granted the absolute right to have, " But It was MY right of way ! ", carved on our tombstones.

Or perhaps the only change will be that when drivers are about to take their driving test (probably the only time they actually read the highway code) they will read something that's a slightly tougher reminder that they need to take driving seriously and look out for people that are not in cars?

[Bacon Is Proof]

I'm surprised neither by it taking this long for this to be discussed (outside of the advanced driving forum!), nor by the percentage of posters that don't think they should give priority to the vulnerable.

[Ikemi]

[RECr]

Solocle said:

...If someone is approaching a roundabout from your right, do you wait until they're actually on the roundabout to give way to them? No.

If there is room to pull on to the roundabout whilst a car is still approaching the roundabout then I will. Once or twice cars have then accelerated towards me, presumably in the belief that they have priority because the are approaching from the right. In reality they do not have priority until they are on the roundabout

Of course if they are already approaching the roundabout too fast for me to pull onto it, I'll hang back out of self preservation. Especially if I'm on my bike.

[coppernorks]

It's the people waiting to cross who will be the problem, similar to drivers eventually getting
the dropped penny that you are flashing at THEM while shouting "yes, YOU " to let them
merge into traffic from a side road as they point at themselves and mouth " me ? ",

I can see dopey mouth-breathers immersed on whatever st is on their phone be so completely
unaware that I have been stationary for 20 seconds to let them cross the road.

[scooby1994]

but what happens at places like Blackpool in summer,a constant stream of people crossing the road all day