Rule 170 - watch out for pedestrians crossing a road

[VGTICE]

Could someone explain to me why is it so hard for UK drivers to understand that one should give way to pedestrians who have started crossing a road into which one is turning. The HC clearly states that "if they have started to cross they have priority, so give way". I've lost count of how many times drivers toot at pedestrians because they dared not to realise that this particular driver is going to turn into a street they dared to cross, many times without indicating.

This week it was the rozzers themselves who out of the blue decided it'd be great to turn into side street at a very last moment, not giving a fk about indicating and assuming that those who were already crossing were indeed holograms not real people.

Why do other European countries feel more civilised in this particular matter - I've never experienced anything like it anywhere else even if travelling to these inferior "3rd world" countries east to Berlin. Heducate me please.

[saaby93]

Even if they toot they're still likely to give way rather than run you over
Most times

Most pedestrians are drivers so tend to pause to let a car complete the turn before crossing, but if theyre half way across its only fair to give them a chance to reach the other side

[gus607]

So what you are saying is if anyone is crossing the road anywhere other than a pedestrian crossing then it's OK to run them over ?

[Mike_Mac]

The key word there is 'crossing' and 'started to cross'.

If a pedestrian is already on the road - nuff said - they have priority and the car should wait. End of!

A lot of the 'toots', though are more in the cases where the pedestrian doesn't bother checking first before just walking out from the pavement, when there'a a car about to take that turn (and is indicating) and therefore has priority.

Stop, LOOK, Listen...

Whenever I'm about to take a side road with a pedestrian approaching it on the pavement, I'm always covering the brake and wait for them to look first before I commit to the turn, just in case. About 50% of them just launch out without checking first.

[danllama]

Ooh ooh I know the answer to this! It's because most drivers in the UK are st.

[akirk]

Mike_Mac said:

a car about to take that turn (and is indicating) and therefore has priority.

Is that really the car's priority at that point?
If the car is not into the new road, then the pedestrian can start to cross...

[saaby93]

akirk said:

Mike_Mac said:

a car about to take that turn (and is indicating) and therefore has priority.

Is that really the car's priority at that point?
If the car is not into the new road, then the pedestrian can start to cross...

Well of course no-ones going to try to run anyone over if they can avoid it

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules...
Here's the preceding rule

HC Rule 8 said:

At a junction. When crossing the road, look out for traffic turning into the road, especially from behind you. If you have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road, you have priority and they should give way (see Rule 170).

Everyone well up on their Highway code here

[Mike_Mac]

akirk said:

Mike_Mac said:

a car about to take that turn (and is indicating) and therefore has priority.

Is that really the car's priority at that point?
If the car is not into the new road, then the pedestrian can start to cross...

Not too sure, but the car is turning from one road, into another road and the pedestrian is on the pavement. Personally, I'd say the onus is on the pedestrian to check it's safe before starting to cross the road, which includes checking, at a junction, that there isn't a car about to turn into it.

So, car wanting to turn onto side road (assume indicating). Pedestrian walking toward side road:

1 - Pedestrian still on the pavement, car at turning point = Car priority
2 - Pedestrian at kerb, car at turning point = Unsure - I'd suspect that the car still has priority because the pedestrian hasn't started to cross.
3 - Pedestrian has started to cross, car at turning point = pedestrian has priority, as per HC.

As said I usually err on the side of caution and even in case 2 would give way to the pedestrian, unless I could see that they knew I was there and were definitely stopped waiting.

[del mar]

If someone starts to cross at a pedestrian crossing when the red man is displayed are they then fair game ?

[Centurion07]

Anything in the road that doesn't have an engine is fair game.

[PF62]

Mike_Mac said:

1 - Pedestrian still on the pavement, car at turning point = Car priority
2 - Pedestrian at kerb, car at turning point = Unsure - I'd suspect that the car still has priority because the pedestrian hasn't started to cross.
3 - Pedestrian has started to cross, car at turning point = pedestrian has priority, as per HC.

Also 4 (and 5) at this junction - https://goo.gl/Z1pzFx which has no pedestrian phase or green man on the junction, so...

4 - Pedestrian crossing where the chap on the left is, but car where the yellow cab is indicating they want to turn in? Especially interesting as the turning cars have to be quick as there is no green filter.

5 - The same pedestrian crossing, but this time the lights change to green for the bus on the left. Helpfully the council has placed the traffic lights so as a pedestrian you cannot see them change (the lights are set back where the bus is and there isn't one the opposite side of the junction.

What makes it particularly interesting is this is between Euston and St Pancras/Kings Cross so an awful lot of pedestrians trying to cross.

[Reg Local]

What's wrong with a toot?

Use of the horn to warn another road user of your presence is perfectly legitimate and entirely compliant with the highway code (from a moving vehicle and outwith the prohibited times, of course).

[PF62]

Reg Local said:

What's wrong with a toot?

Use of the horn to warn another road user of your presence is perfectly legitimate and entirely compliant with the highway code (from a moving vehicle and outwith the prohibited times, of course).

Depends why you are tooting. If you are tooting when you are at this point -



then why would you be tooting?

[Big GT]

gus607 said:

So what you are saying is if anyone is crossing the road anywhere other than a pedestrian crossing then it's OK to run them over ?

Yes - But only if their on the racing line

[Ed.]

Isn't there some other funny rule that applies in this picture? Not crossing broken white unless the way is clear.

[Mike_Mac]

Ed. said:

Isn't there some other funny rule that applies in this picture? Not crossing broken white unless the way is clear.

The picture shows the pedestrian is crossing, so the way is not clear, hence the HC saying the Ped has priority.

[saaby93]

PF62 said:

Depends why you are tooting. If you are tooting when you are at this point -



then why would you be tooting?

It might be someone you know?

[DoubleD]

VGTICE said:

Could someone explain to me why is it so hard for UK drivers to understand that one should give way to pedestrians who have started crossing a road into which one is turning. The HC clearly states that "if they have started to cross they have priority, so give way". I've lost count of how many times drivers toot at pedestrians because they dared not to realise that this particular driver is going to turn into a street they dared to cross, many times without indicating.

This week it was the rozzers themselves who out of the blue decided it'd be great to turn into side street at a very last moment, not giving a fk about indicating and assuming that those who were already crossing were indeed holograms not real people.

Why do other European countries feel more civilised in this particular matter - I've never experienced anything like it anywhere else even if travelling to these inferior "3rd world" countries east to Berlin. Heducate me please.

Im guessing that you have never been to France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece.........

Yet another doom and gloom "isnt this country so bad these days with such terrible drivers and everyone else is safer and better in any other country"

[The Moose]

Think it's bad in the U.K.? It's worse here in the US. Most people don't bother looking before stepping off the pavement. Most seem to have earphones in and their head buried in their phone.

Terrifies me.

[VGTICE]

DoubleD said:

Im guessing that you have never been to France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece.........

Yet another doom and gloom "isnt this country so bad these days with such terrible drivers and everyone else is safer and better in any other country"

That'd explain it then... since most of Italy, Spain, Turkey and Greece are here already! On a more serious note though. My comparison was based on countries north of Spain/Italy, which are on similar level as UK. There if you turn into a side road you yield to anyone regardless if they started to cross or about to cross. And it makes sense since footpath's are part of junction so why wouldn't you have to yield to those who go straight in the direction you're turning from?