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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if they've changed the Highway Code and no one told me?

158 replies

Chicken4dinner · 13/01/2017 09:02

Or far more likely when did drivers become so inconsiderate?

I've just tried to cross a fairly busy road at a zebra crossing. I stood with one foot on the crossing making it obvious I was trying to cross and five cars zoomed right past me.

I took one step forward, so I was 2 or 3 ft from the kerb and still no one stopped. When there was a very small break in the traffic I walked forward but was prepared to leap back if I had to. I made it across in one piece.

I'm a driver. I always stop when I see someone crossing on a zebra.

It was quite nerve wracking walking out before the cars had stopped and I'm a mobile forty-something. How elderly or less mobile people cope I don't know.

OP posts:
yorkshiremama · 13/01/2017 09:54

The indicating thing really gets me wound up.... it's common chuffing sense! Use the blooming things people - pretty please.

PattyPenguin · 13/01/2017 09:57

We live in a residential part of our city and I used to walk my children to primary school along residential roads, not main approach roads to the centre.

At side streets off the road we mainly used, I had to teach them to look which way the wheels on vehicles were pointing, as drivers would almost always turn without indicating into the street we were trying to cross.

MistressMaisie · 13/01/2017 09:57

You could wave your phone in the air as if taking their pic, just to irritate them. Or complain to local council then traffic police might pop up occasionally to slow traffic- if you do nothing nothing will change

Sparklingbrook · 13/01/2017 09:57

I have discovered a new one since sitting in with DS1 for driving practice before his test.

It is totally ok to tailgate learners and if they take a bit too long at a junction give a quick toot on the horn to help them along.

Nobheads.

Angry
AwaywiththePixies27 · 13/01/2017 09:58

Yes section 4.6 of the highway code now reads "in the hours of 8-9am and 5-6pm, commonly referred to as 'rush hour' drivers are now expected to drive like total fuckwits

DontTouch Grin

OP it was a rude awakening to me too. I literally stop and wait now because so many drivers saw you starting to cross and immediately put their foot down Hmm

We got a taxi on the school run this morning (its OOC and was snowing really heavy). It went ever so dark at 8am and the amount of people who didn't even have their lights on and kept cutting the driver up at the roundabouts Shock

I dont know if it's true and I'm sure someone will correct me but I was always under the impression that if the pedestrian was already crossing the zebra crossing the driver has to stop. I don't think drivers around my area have read that part of the manual though.

AllTheBabies · 13/01/2017 10:04

I hate non indicators!

Our walk to school involves crossing many side streets off a busy road that has a constant flow of traffic. Unless someone is indicating that they are going to turn you just have to cross and hope for the best but every bloody day some numpty turns without indicating and shoots me a dirty look for daring to be crossing the road. I despair!

MixedUpConfusion · 13/01/2017 10:06

One time, a car driver stopped to let me cross the road and some idiot coming up behind him overtook him so I had to stop in the middle of the road! The driver who stopped was sat with his mouth open shaking his head in disbelief

NathanBarleyrocks · 13/01/2017 10:06

I love how some drivers seem to think they are doing you a favour by 'allowing' you to cross on a zebra crossing. It is the fucking law you numpties.

AwaywiththePixies27 · 13/01/2017 10:07

Oh yes All agree too on the non indicators!

I remember being in the city centre once where the road was a similar layout.
I waited for this car to turn and she didn't indicate so assumed it was safe to cross. The minute I stepped out she turned and went batshit at me for not being telepathic enough to know she was going to turn last minute! Grin

DramaAlpaca · 13/01/2017 10:08

My favourite is - if you have a bigger more expensive car you always have right of way over smaller cars Oh yes. I've recently downsized from a seven seater car to a small one and am amazed at how often people in bigger cars try to push me around on the road. I'd never experienced that before.

I was always under the impression that if the pedestrian was already crossing the zebra crossing the driver has to stop - yes, I'm sure this is correct, at least it was when I learned to drive 30 something years ago.

StewieGMum · 13/01/2017 10:09

Triple parking is now legal in a 2 block radius of schools during official school run hours - as is driving on the pavement and reversing onto the pavement without looking.

AwaywiththePixies27 · 13/01/2017 10:10

I have discovered a new one since sitting in with DS1 for driving practice before his test.

It is totally ok to tailgate learners and if they take a bit too long at a junction give a quick toot on the horn to help them along

sparkling that used to happen to me all the time when I first started taking lessons (didn't continue them). It used to really wind my instructor up and as he so rightly said. How did they learn in the first place?

chipsandchilli · 13/01/2017 10:11

I only passed my test this year and it scares me the amount of people who just walk diagonally onto the zebra crossing without even looking up from their phone. I was always taught to go to the zebra crossing and wait until the cars have stopped before crossing not to just walk out when your not even at the crossing yet. The amount of kids on phone's in general walking out into the road without looking is worrying. I always just anticipate someone is going to cross now since having a near miss on a zebra crossing and having to slam on the brakes.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 13/01/2017 10:11

If somebody is coming from your right on a roundabout it's totally fine to just get on and drive round next to them, doesn't matter they can't get off with you there! That indicator? Never mind about that!

On a more serious note though, it's generally safer to pass right to right side because you can see better, and can turn at the same time. Does anybody do that? No - they sit miles back and look cross when you move forward. If they moved forward too there wouldn't be a problem!

Sparklingbrook · 13/01/2017 10:13

It's awful Away. No idea how learners are supposed to get their confidence. He has had to slam the brakes on during lessons too as people pull out on him. I guess they don't want to be stuck behind a learner? Confused

I give learners a very wide berth.

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 13/01/2017 10:13

chips, if you hit a pedestrian on a zebra crossing it is the drivers fault. They should be able to walk onto it without looking as cars have to give way. The fault is not with pedestrians not looking, it's drivers always thinking they have priority.

brasty · 13/01/2017 10:14

Yes to the no moving in to the left lane on the motorway, and instead just stay in the same lane all the time.

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 13/01/2017 10:14

Zebra crossings are bad enough but the one which pretty much every driver seems to ignore is rule 170, giving way to pedestrians crossing a road you are turning into.

brasty · 13/01/2017 10:15

If the lights are changing, speed up so that you can get through just as the light changes to red.

BreconBeBuggered · 13/01/2017 10:16

Double yellow lines indicate that no parking is permitted on that side of the road, unless of course you're just nipping into the bank/chip shop/hairdresser and will only be a couple of minutes, probably.

DramaAlpaca · 13/01/2017 10:16

In my village with its narrow streets, double yellow lines don't apply to locals who've lived there forever. It doesn't seem to occur to them that they might be causing a traffic jam.

They don't need to indicate when turning down country roads either, 'Sure, everyone knows I live down there...'

And as for two cars coming from opposite directions stopping so the drivers can have a nice chat in the middle of the road with no thought to the people they are holding up behind... Grrr!

DramaAlpaca · 13/01/2017 10:17

Haha Brecon, cross posted with you - that's exactly what I mean!

KurriKurri · 13/01/2017 10:20

On the topic of zebra crossings - there seems to be a new rule (frequently experienced by a friend of mine) which says beep loudly and aggressively at a blind person waiting to cross. God forbid you should have to wait a few seconds while they wait to take their cue from their guide dog.

Boomerwang · 13/01/2017 10:20

All my life I thought that indicating to pull out didn't mean you could just pull out, that you had to sit and wait for a break in the traffic too. I had no idea that a public bus could indicate and pull out straight away. I came on here for a rant and rave about it as I nearly drove into the side of the bus only to discover that it's actually in the highway code that you should stop and let a bus pull out if it's safe to do so.

That peed me off.

chipsandchilli · 13/01/2017 10:20

Yes i know that what's, i just think it's a bit dangerous to walk out into the road before the zebra crossing whilst on your phone , or to walk into moving traffic without even looking up and hope the driver had anticipated you are going to walk into the road and stop in time, i see it all the time living next to 3 schools.

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