Highway Code section 170 - controlled junction?
Discussion
Earlier this evening I turned left at a traffic light controlled junction when I had a green light and I almost ran over someone who was dressed in black sauntering across the road into which I turned. It got me thinking, who would be at fault if I had hit them.
Highway Code section 170 says drivers should “watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way”. How does this apply at a controlled crossing? They had ignored the red man stop signal; does this make them liable or would it still be me at fault?
Highway Code section 170 says drivers should “watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way”. How does this apply at a controlled crossing? They had ignored the red man stop signal; does this make them liable or would it still be me at fault?
Your driving was obviously okay because you saw him and stopped.
We all have to follow the general rule that you have to be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear and reasonably expect to remain clear. So if someone dashes across in front of you then it's not your fault but if someone is sauntering or just walking across the road then you would be expected to see them and stop.
Whether a red person pedestrian light has any legal standing I don't know.
We all have to follow the general rule that you have to be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear and reasonably expect to remain clear. So if someone dashes across in front of you then it's not your fault but if someone is sauntering or just walking across the road then you would be expected to see them and stop.
Whether a red person pedestrian light has any legal standing I don't know.
As said, ‘green means go if safe to do so’, and ‘when turning into a side road, give way to pedestrians who are crossing’. That is all in the Highway Code in some form of wording.
When turning into a side-road, your main hazard will almost always be pedestrains (or errant cyclists).
Another hazard to watch out for is ‘follow-the-leader’ driving. You turn off to the right and the car in front stops (perhaps for a pedestrian hazard) and leaves you stranded in the main road, with on-rushing traffic about to T-bone you.
When turning into a side-road, your main hazard will almost always be pedestrains (or errant cyclists).
Another hazard to watch out for is ‘follow-the-leader’ driving. You turn off to the right and the car in front stops (perhaps for a pedestrian hazard) and leaves you stranded in the main road, with on-rushing traffic about to T-bone you.
Years ago my gran was run over and killed crossing the road in the dark. Police reconstructed the accident and it turned out her pale blue coat looked dark grey under the sodium street lights. The driver of the car was found not to be at fault because my Gran couldn't be seen easily.
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