To think I can't trust a all drivers to stop at zebra crossings?

A bus had stopped at the crossing an idiot decided to overtake the stationary bus at speed,I was so lucky I was only halfway across.

I always keep an eye out for anything coming up on the outside while I'm crossing.

But down south and in London, I've never noticed anyone not stop, either as a driver or pedestrian.

I've seen any number of cyclists not stopping down south and in London, either on a zebra crossing or lights controlled crossing. At the major junction near where I live, they very often having run the red lights then go the wrong way up the one way street.

DH got run over on a pedestrian crossing - he was halfway across when the driver hit him, the car wasn’t in sight when he started crossing due to the road layout. CCTV proved the driver was negligent and they were prosecuted.

He was lucky to get a glancing blow as the driver was travelling fast and a mid bonnet collision could have been catastrophic , although he was still knocked out of his shoes. Not so lucky to be left with lasting injuries.

Nearly got run over (along with DD and another lady) just before Christmas by a very elderly driver who didn't even seem to register that the crossing or people were there at all. Not speeding or anything, just kept driving staring straight ahead as we all leapt to the side. The other lady took the numberplate to call 101 as we had a genuine concern for the standard of driving and the safety of both the driver and public. The driver could barely see over the steering wheel. I'm more cautious now.

Tbf there is a set of traffic lights locally on the way to the school and the cars don’t always stop at the red light, this only happens in the morning before 8am though… lack of cars on the road and lack of cameras I think!

Just a comment- black and while lines do not mean cars can stop on a sixpence. Pedestrians would do well to remember that and stop walking out in front of cars

Sometimes it is hard to know what pedestrians are doing. I’ve also been nearly mowed down by an idiot driver who didn’t see me, despite the other lane already being stopped and me being 1/4 of the way across.

SO many people are using phones now as well.

I no longer step out until the car noticeably slows or stops. Not worth risking your life for 2 seconds.

YANBU- my pals Mum and Sister were very very terribly injured (genuinely lucky to be alive) after being mown down on a zebra crossing (with the driver actually being prosecuted after the event).

They are both lucky to be alive but came away with lifelong injuries and severe PTSD.

I’ve always waited for the cars to stop before crossing. Why on earth would you put your life in someone else’s hands and assume they’ll always stop??

Many crossings are so badly marked,poor lighting etc so as a driver I nearly always stop temporarily to check no one’s crossing.

Sorry, I was thinking of India, Vietnam, Thailand - everywhere I've been travelling in the past year or so nobody even pauses. Obviously there are differences across the globe, and apparently across the UK too! This thread is making me think I should be more careful if I visit elsewhere in England as well as abroad as I do pretty much glance then walk straight out.

ETA in the countries they never seem to stop for zebra crossings, they do tend to stop if you walk straight out and put your hand up like traffic police, even nowhere near a crossing. So everywhere seems to have their own ways of crossing a road, just important to make sure I know what it is before I leap off the kerb!

Surely you have always done this. I would never trust any driver enough to just step right infront of them that would be stupid

some drivers will prefer pedestrians start crossing, rather than them having to brake to a complete stop.

How the hell does a driver not see someone on a zebra though? Unless idiots have parked in the zigzags, there should be clear visibility on them. (Of course you’re right that some drivers do manage to be oblivious, I’m just mystified by it!)

I slow down if I see someone at a pedestrian crossing but that doesn't mean they have to start crossing begore I've actually stopped andctheyvfeel secure. A few seconds make no difference

Otoh, Italy….on our first visit, DH asked someone why they bothered painting the zebra lines on roads as only cars with German plates stopped at them. “ah, we are artistic”, was the cheerfully unabashed reply.

The drivers where I live rarely stop, and when they do they rev their engines in what think is a passive aggressive manner. Run me over then arse!

Sadly in the UK I think the OP is making the correct decision. I wish it were not the case, but as there is no real enforcement of driving standards and the courts don't ban the drivers they should, self preservation must come first.

Contrast that with Belgium where they always stop without exception in my experience.

Because you can't tell if people are definitely crossing of they dither like that. If people walk out more confidently when cars are at a sensible distance then pedestrians can cross and drivers can slow down gently adjusting their speed to be able to start off again smoothly and efficiently helping traffic flow.

I step out on crossings if traffic is approaching and is far enough away to stop.

Disagree with this. Was in Prague last year and we commented that cars all automatically stopped without you having to second guess whether they were going to. France, Spain, Italy - can't say I've noticed any significant difference to the UK, tbh.

Same, I’m currently abroad in a European country and was crossing the road with my suitcase and so was another woman. I mention suitcase because I couldn’t easily run across.

This man was reversing into the crossing area right where we were walking , and it was a green man!

I don’t know what was happening with his driving, but it was a mess. I locked eyes with him and shook my head before I even finished crossings and then gave him a wide berth.

He did pause for a while so maybe i appropriately shamed him 😂but then started again once we had all crossed and the green man went off.

And within 30 seconds he had smacked into a pole thingy on the sidewalk and his rear light cracked and fell off 😬 he and the passenger in his car didn’t even notice. It was someone else who knocked on the window and told him.

I don’t want any part of that madness so I scooted well away from him - I was waiting for my uber - in case things got worse! The sidewalks aren’t even safe with some drivers lol

Please stop and wait for car to slow down / stop. My friend was killed on a zebra crossing by a car that didn’t stop. She was only 15.

I always wait for both sides to stop, someone almost hit my dog as they came flying along as I was half way over.

Sadly there are too many arseholes out there so always best to be cautious. I generally gesticulate like a banshee when someone speeds across to let them know it's wrong. Makes me feel better anyway. Xx

Are you a driver?
Never assume a car will stop or see you.

Always wait until the car has stopped and be vigilant when you cross.

I don’t think pedestrians realise that sometimes drivers literally cannot see them or they’re distracted because there’s someone trying to cross further up etc.

I drill it into my DC that just because you can see the cars it doesn’t mean they can see you.

From the Highway Code: .

”Drivers and riders should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross and MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing (see Rule H2). Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped”

The problem is pedestrians rightly don’t trust the drivers so the pedestrians stands waiting and watching cars whizz by but don’t actually put a foot on the crossing. And then the driver can say to themselves “oh well they weren’t actually on the crossings so I was fine not to stop”

So unless you’re going to cause a traffic accident by stopping at a zebra crossings I feel you should stop if you see someone waiting.