WIBU To call 101 about the man who drove at my kids on the pavement to get onto his drive?

[YouveGotRedOnYou]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first post, I'll try to keep it short and sweet. I've just picked my DD1 (6) up from school with my DD2 (3) and DD3 (5 months). As we were walking home the two older girls were walking with DNe (9) on the pavement, close to the wall as always, a couple of steps ahead of me and DSis, DD2 was holding DNe's hand.I was pushing DD3 in the pram. There are a few dropped curbs along this road and the kids are always sensible.
A man suddenly starts turning into the drive from the opposite side of the road as the kids are walking across it. We call out to him to stop but he keeps going. I had to run at him to get him to stop.
I'm afraid I shouted at him a little bit because it really scared me. His argument was that he was holding up traffic.They were walking normally, it wasn't a junction, they were on the pavement.
Surely as we were on the pavement we have right of way? We were already by the entrance to the drive when he started driving at us?
WIBU to call 101 to report him for dangerous driving?

[Whitecherry]

What did they say?

[Viewofthehills]

No, phone 101. He has no right to drive on the pavement. He is just using intimidation to make you move.

[bureni]

Being realistic, there is little to nothing the police can do about it, its your word against his.

[YouveGotRedOnYou]

Thanks I haven't called yet just trying to settle the girls. I agree bureni but it's a really busy road and I walk up there 3 times a day along with lots of other parents with children, it's between 2 schools. Maybe if they just called him and told him he has to give way to pedestrians that would be enough.

[GotMyGoat]

Yes, do call. Imagine what could of happened if you weren't there?

[YouveGotRedOnYou]

I know Goat, I feel a bit sick just thinking about it.

[bureni]

Calling them might help if they actually speak to the driver, are there any CCTV cameras in the area that might have seen the incident or other adult witnesses.

[aldiwhore]

You always have to stop for pedestrians, they have right of way. His argument holds no truth at all. You can't just carry on because you think you have right of way as a car driver, it is not a right to knock people over! He was wrong. Wrong.

I would have taken his reg plate and phoned 101... nothing would be done, but it would be noted.

[BlueberryHill]

Sprinkle tacks on his drive?

Seriously, is there a PCSO attached to the school, I have mentionned to them about bad driving as they are around at end of school occassionally to police the really bad parking.

[NowThenNowThen]

YANBU. I regularly phone in cars who run red lights on the busy busy road we cross every morning.
Do it. You have the right to walk on the pavement. This man was a twat.

[RubyFakeNails]

I'm just trying to understand this.

So he made the turn towards his dropped kerb/driveway as the children were walking across it? So went to pull onto the drive?

Did he actually mount the pavement? Was he at speed?

I guess it must depend on the road and speed, but my parents live on a busy road for pedestrians and cars and I always pull onto the drive even if people are crossing, I just stop the car before it actually mounts the pavement so I suppose it does look like I'm driving at them. My parents do the same as it means other cars can pass. I would never have thought of not doing this.

I don't think the police would be able to do anything or feel the need to.

[LFCisTarkaDahl]

Yes, do call.

Drivers appear to forget that pedestrians have right of way at ALL times and not just on the pavement.

[YouveGotRedOnYou]

There were other parents around at the time to confirm what happened. No CCTV though I don't think. There are parking problems around the school which is why I walk as much as possible. I'll call them after the kids have gone to bed, the two older girls are still giggling about "mummy shouting at the silly man"

[GhostofMammaTJ]

Nearest I can find is rule 8 on that page. This is when pedestrians are crossing a road and a car wants to turn in, so the pedestrian gets priority. I am sure they should get priority when on a pavement too.

I say ring 101, they may well go and have a word.

[Whitecherry]

He can't have been going at high speed if he was holding up traffic, that implies he had stopped and was waiting to turn in. Was he indicating?

[YouveGotRedOnYou]

He wasn't going at speed no and yes he was indicating. It's a very busy road and he was obviously waiting for the other cars to pass. But surely he still should give way to pedestrians? I have to drive over the pavement to get onto my drive but I would wait until the pavement was clear.

[bureni]

He most certainly should have given way to pedestrians, that is the law. Sounds like he saw a break in the traffic and just went for it giving the pedestrians no priority over motorists so he was imo in the wrong. Maybe someone else can back the events up as that will help if the police get involved though they can hardly prosecute as they never saw the incident themselves.

[YouveGotRedOnYou]

Thanks everyone for your input.I don't expect a prosecution or for the police to waste any time on this but I can't help but think what if...

[SadPanda]

You would not be unreasonable, but I fear it would be pointless. Similar thing happened when I was out with my sister, except the guy reversed out of his drive and along the pavement so he could drive out onto the busy road. He clipped my neice and only stopped when we hammered on the back as he nearly hit us too. Police couldn't have cared less when we reported it.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

This happens reasonably regularly a bout 100 yds from DCs school - except drivers are reversing out of spaces. First time it happened to me I had to bang on the boot because the driver had not seen me. He would have run a small child over. I shouted!

Second time, another driver reversed out and I had to shout and grabbed a 5 year old on a scooter back. Again. I doubt he saw him at all.

You are totally in the right.

If it happens again to me I will report to the Community police

[GrimmaTheNome]

His argument was that he was holding up traffic
That's no argument at all. Sometimes traffic has to wait.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

Yes, that is a shite argument:

hold up traffic vs run someone over. Idiot.

[Eggrules]

I contacted the LA and Police by email about this issue last week. The response from the police was was that there was Traffic Regulation Order covering the whole length of highway between set times and "This restriction applies to the footpath as much as the road". This comment must have been made in relation to cars parking on the pavement. IMO cars should not drive on the footpath/ pavement, even if they are parking. The police did say they 'would look into' bringing forward the TRO to cover the afternoon school run. If it happens again I will be taking the registration number and address and calling 101.




My Ds's school is on a busy dual carriage way. There are two infant/primary school on the same stretch of road. It is clear to all that the pavement is very busy between 3 and 4 on school days. A car drove on the pavement and then reversed to park (on the footpath) and nearly hit my DS. It looked like a parent dropping a toddler off at GPs. There was space on the large driveway however they parked on the road so it was easier for them to access the dual carriageway after drop off.

It was my understanding that pedestrians have priority on a pavement and think this should apply on a driveway/dropped kerb. Some drivers (even those with DC in the car on a a school run) seem to think that being in possession of a vehicle means they priority and are allowed to drive on the pavement.

My DC attended nursery before he went to school. I am really shocked at the poor driving by other parents and carers in and around the school, especially when the weather is poor. The school has a very small catchment area and most could walk anyway.

[YouveGotRedOnYou]

Egg, it's awful isn't it. There's a small church car park next to our school and people park there block cars in, reverse out onto the busy road without looking its so dangerous and scary. The HT puts a message in the newsletter every time and every time it's ignored. And it's usually the same people.

[GrimmaTheNome]

I can't find a rule in the Highway Code that explicitly covers this... I think its because its like schools not having a rule against bullfighting - do people really need a rule that says cars don't have priority over pedestrians on a pavement?