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Original poster

Driving along road when a pedestrian stepped into the road to overtake a group of pedestrians

50 replies

JudyOha · 23/02/2019 01:13

So I was driving along a street and usually, I'd keep an eye out on whether anyone looked at all like they were interested in crossing/running across the road. However, this girl walking behind a group of people on the pavement decided to overtake them by stepping into the road walking past them and then stepping back onto the pavement (WITHOUT even glancing behind to see if any cars or cyclists were approaching her). Obviously, I kinda steered away from her as I was literally less than a meter behind her when she suddenly stepped into the road but of course there's traffic coming towards me from the opposite direction in the lane beside me so was glad not to have bumped into any of those cars when avoiding the girl who stepped into the road..

Has anyone encountered a similar situation? What would/do you do? I'm sure most people have at one time, been absent minded enough to step into the road without looking but still, was very stressful from my driving perspective as it literally could mean choosing between bumping into the girl (could be a serious injury/fatality) or bumping into cars in the lane next to mine (perhaps less of an injury but still, who would pay for the repairs? surely not the other car as they weren't at fault but I wouldn't have been at fault either?)

Any insight appreciated :)

OP posts:

Tealfrog · 23/02/2019 10:00

For the PP encountering the bin lorry - i would have stopped when i saw the lorry stopping and someone getting out trying to cross. I would never overtake a bin lorry that fast - would always crawl past or stop.

sickmumma · 23/02/2019 10:02

We live by a local secondary school and the girls are forever doing this or running out across in front of cars, heads down in phones and not looking - a girl
Actually nearly walked into my car as I was parking on my Driveway (she was far away when I started and she hadn't looked up) people are so oblivious to what's going on around them these days with phones/headphones in etc it's quite scary so you just have to be super aware.

PCohle · 23/02/2019 10:06

It is a driver's responsibility to be aware of pedestrians. If you hit her you would be liable (with possibly a small reduction for the pedestrian's contributory negligence).

Driving is a privilege not a right. By choosing to take control of a huge metal death traps they accept a duty of care towards other road users.

cocomelon23 · 23/02/2019 10:09

I am a cyclist and this happens to me all the time. Because they can't hear a car coming they step out into the road to overtake right in front of me. If I hit them I would have got the blame through no fault of my own. It makes me angry.

Rockbird · 23/02/2019 10:20

they accept a duty of care towards other road users

That's the key though. With the obvious exception of crossings, car parks etc etc, road users does not mean pedestrians any more than pedestrians included people who decide to mount the kerb. Everyone should be aware and everyone should keep to their designated area.

PCohle · 23/02/2019 10:24

Of course it does. There is no obligation on pedestrians in this country to cross only at designated crossings - we have no jaywalking laws. Drivers have to be alert to the possibility a pedestrian will step into the road at any time. That's why it's part of the theory test.

TildaKauskumholm · 23/02/2019 10:29

I would always beep at an idiot, whether driver or pedestrian as they are usually completely unaware of just what a twat they're being, and being beeped at might just make them think about it.

Lexilooo · 23/02/2019 10:32

This happened to my husband recently, a jogger (wearing headphones) stepped into the road directly in front of him while he was cycling in the road. Luckily he rides a mountain bike and isn't very fast so he saw her and swerved. Luckily the road was quiet so he wasn't forced into the path of a car. However he came quite close to stacking it and could have been hurt. Pedestrians need to look where they are going!

RandomMess · 23/02/2019 10:35

I somehow managed to miss a person running up the outside overtaking lane on the motorway in narrow lanes due to road works he was dressed in dark clothes with hood up in the dark.

It was awful at 50mph he would have likely died he was millimetres from my wing mirror, didn't have time to brake and there was traffic on my left hand side so couldn't pull over.

I hope he was caught and heavily fined/prosecuted

TheSultanofPingu · 23/02/2019 10:43

Of course road users include pedestrians Rockbird
They have to cross roads, walk in the road when there are no pavements etc.
I know this thread is about careless pedestrians, but to suggest pedestrians aren't road users is completely daft.

chatwoo · 23/02/2019 10:44

@Tealfrog

@Troysmammy said bin lorry was on the other side of the road, so presumably the driver was wanting to cross in front of her from the other lane.

TroysMammy · 23/02/2019 11:30

chatwoo correct. We were facing opposite directions and the bin lorry was blocking the road in the direction they were facing. I can do a diagram if you wish Tealfrog.

PoptartPoptart · 23/02/2019 17:54

“It is a driver's responsibility to be aware of pedestrians”

To be aware, yes. But not take full responsibility for a pedestrian with no regard for their own safety who randomly steps out into the road, you know, where there are moving CARS.

starzig · 23/02/2019 18:06

As someone who often does this and being also from a town where everyone just walks across the road without looking; I am always supervigilant when passing pedestrians. Especially town centres at night. Big groups that can stray. And kids that can just be fooling around.

adaline · 23/02/2019 20:47

Most side roads around me are now 20mph zones ...

@DGRossetti It's not just side roads that have pavements though!

adaline · 23/02/2019 20:49

Drivers have to be alert to the possibility a pedestrian will step into the road at any time. That's why it's part of the theory test.

Surely pedestrian also have a duty of care to themselves as well, though? Drivers can't drive along at 10mph wherever there is a pavement just in case someone steps out in front of them.

I drive to work on a NSL road that has segments with pavements on it!

PCohle · 23/02/2019 21:23

Yes of course pedestrians have a duty of care for themselves but drivers are the one who have chosen to take control of a potentially lethal weapon.

It can be very difficult for pedestrians to accurately judge how far a car is moving - particularly children. The scientific term is "looming rate" I think, if you want to look in to it.

I think a lot of drivers would be surprised at the view the courts take re allocation of blame for accidents between pedestrians and drivers. There was a recent Supreme Court case about it called Jackson v Murray.

adaline · 23/02/2019 21:25

it can be very difficult for pedestrians to accurately judge how far a car is moving

It'll be even more difficult when they're not even looking out for cars and just walking into the road totally oblivious!

Surely if you can't tell how fast a car is going then you just wait until it's clear?

KindergartenKop · 23/02/2019 21:30

The other day I was turning left at a traffic light, following two other cars. The other two cars went round the corner then a man EATING A PASTY stepped out onto the road to cross without looking. I stopped for pasty man and I got honked by people behind me! Ffs!

PCohle · 23/02/2019 21:35

It's very hard to prove in court though that a pedestrian didn't look at all. They will argue that they looked but misjudged how fast the car was moving.

The SC focused on the "destructive disparity" between driver and pedestrian justifying a greater responsibility on the part of drivers to behave with caution and alertness.

PoptartPoptart · 23/02/2019 23:29

That’s why I think dash cams are a good investment. They can provide crucial evidence as to what really happened. More and more people are getting them fitted. Give it a few more years and I reckon most new cars will come with them already fitted as standard as part of the car, a bit like in-built sat navs are becoming the norm now.

delilahbucket · 24/02/2019 21:50

As I said previously, courts will settle at least a 50/50 responsibility in a driver vs pedestrian, even with video footage that said pedestrian stepped (or in our case ran) into the road without looking and with no prior indication they were planning on doing it. This was an adult as well.

sizzledrizz · 24/02/2019 22:17

In my area, pedestrians look straight at my car coming, and step into the road. I have been known to ask them if they need help. The worst ones are those with young children, and just lead their children into oncoming traffic. No-one understands how to cross the road safely or teaches their children any more. I remember the days of the Green Cross Code. Time to bring it back I think

CrabbityRabbit · 25/02/2019 12:45

A lass I knew died at 18 when she stepped out onto the road. It was dark, a NSL road with no pavement, just grass on the sides. She was wearing dark clothes and stepped out in front of a car. Maybe to avoid a bush. The driver wasn't held liable as she was invisible until she stepped out right in front of him.

WeeDangerousSpike · 25/02/2019 13:05

I was driving on a 30mph road with a long row of parked cars on the right so 2 opposing streams of traffic in 1.5 lanes, if that makes sense.

A man on a mobility scooter, without looking behind (no mirrors) suddenly swerved off the pavement in front of me, down over the kerb, and across the road to the other side.

Emergency stop from me and he brought traffic on the other side to a stop as well. He seemed completely oblivious.

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