To think a driver (or cyclist) having to give way to a pedestrian waiting to cross is a crazy new rule?

[flashbac]

To clarify, if a pedestrian is waiting to cross on a road a driver is turning into, new rules from January state the driver has to let them cross.
Also applies to cyclists as pedestrians have priority.
All very well and good until you consider how chaotic this could be at junctions. Fine on unbusy roads.
I'm thinking:
What if you are turning into a 30 mph road from a 40?
What if you are turning right at a busy junction?

It sounds crazy to me.
And before anyone jumps at me and says they do it in Europe and its fine. I'd like to know how congested and busy the roads in these countries are and what the public transport is like.

@RoyalFamilyFan

This reminds me of the hyperbolic objections when speed cameras first came in. Claims that people would knock pedestrians over because they would be looking at the speedometer all the time. Or that they would be forced to slow down when the speed limit changes leading to cars and lorries going into the back of them.

If you really cant manage this very minor change to the Highway Code, then you shouldn't be driving.

It's not the change in and of itself, it's the lack of publicity- so you're going to have some drivers following it and others oblivious to it. That is a recipe for disaster IMHO

@elelel

Utter bollocks. Most drivers following turning cars do, actually, have the awareness that the car turning is going to need to slow significantly or stop.

It's not bollocks though; hence rear end collisions being the most common type of crash.

They're not the most common - about 25% are rear end collisions.

All.those worrying about the car behind ploughing into them - surely you indicate your intentions and down down even without a pedestrian crossing the side road.

I don't understand how such a major rule, such a major mindshift hasn't come with major announcements and a major campaign?

"The government states that it will be launching an awareness-raising campaign alongside the publication of the updated Highway Code. It will also develop behavior change communications aimed at all road users."

Really? Where was that then? The campaign?

I’m in a country where pedestrians at marked crossings always have priority. They are wise to make sure drivers actually acknowledge that priority before stepping off the curb, but yes, there is an expectation that traffic will stop to allow pedestrians to safely cross. It’s kind of shocking to learn this isn’t how it works there.

Now the exception is junctions with lights (or with a live officer directing traffic but that is extraordinarily rare) . There pedestrians have to follow the traffic directions they are given just like the vehicles .

I really do question the sanity of the people who have passed this.
I am not crossing when the car that has stopped could be shunted from behind. It’s absolute madness and I can only assume this is being done because cars (usually) have insurance so the car driver can be liable for the pedestrian or the car that runs into its backside.

These sort of threads always highlight the low expectations of driving standards in this country.

@Oblomov21

I don't understand how such a major rule, such a major mindshift hasn't come with major announcements and a major campaign?

One should already be turning sufficiently slowly that if there is someone or something in the road one can stop. All you are doing by your post is showing you do not drive safely.

And before anyone jumps at me and says they do it in Europe and its fine. I'd like to know how congested and busy the roads in these countries are and what the public transport is like.

OP, you are being weird. Of course there are busy and congested cities in Europe. The quality of public transport varies, as you would expect across dozens of countries and hundreds of cities.

@jgw1 , what an assumption. You have no idea how I drive. How I drive is also completely unrelated to my view that any major change, in anything, should probably have a campaign.

The Government was advised that a campaign was best.

We’ve had a few killings in our area at junctions from cars who haven’t stopped for pedestrians already crossing the road.

Maybe its country wide.

But yes, as a motorist I’m always happy to wait for pedestrians to cross when it’s safe but it’s going to cause some issues in my heavily congested area.

I've come across a number of cyclists who would mow you down as soon as look at you when you are already in the road - often when you are on an actual crossing. And so many car drivers just beep at pedestrians to get out of the way when turning left, and they indicate late or not at all so you have no idea as a pedestrian what they were about to do. And sometimes they are riding/driving so fast that they weren't even there when you started to cross. There are a lot of angry, aggressive men out there should not be allowed anywhere near anything with four wheels or two.

I certainly won't be crossing I'd a driver waves me across. That's asking for trouble.

Is this being brought in with the future of electric (quiet) cars in mind? And possibly driverless in the distant future?

I don't get this thread. The actual problem is not this, but another part (imo).
If there is a junction where you can turn left, right, go straight and you have 2 lanes: left only turning left, right one turning right or going straight the following is the new rule.
A car in the left turning lane can have a cyclist on their LEFT side going straight.
This is the insane part.

Cyclist can get away with not knowing the highway code, not paying insurance, being idiots as a driver has to pay shitloads to get a licence, get plates on the car, and is responsible and accountable. As long as cyclists, e-scooter don't have licence plates and are not accountable for what the fuck they are doing it is unjust and unsafe. And they are being prioritized, which is simply ridicolous.

I have driven a lot in many european countries and I have been a pedestrian in just as many. The give way to pedestrians when turning is totally common and the pedestrians rarely abuse it. They hardly know about it.

@ivykaty44

Kennykenkencat

Can you link to the data that the biggest cause of pedestrians deaths is people running into the road - thanks

Apologies realised it was quoting US figures

I certainly won't be crossing I'd a driver waves me across. That's asking for trouble.

Yep. Yet drivers look at me like I’m crazy for not doing so. I can always tell what drivers know the estate. A driver try to wave me to cross last night but I couldn’t because he didn’t have his blinkers on so no idea which way he was going to begin with and I was standing on the pavement at a bend that is a blind spot where I can’t see if cars are coming on the right side until they are almost two car length’s away from me. Other cars coming from the left with a bus and people tend to overtake busses in my area and speed across the estate. This junction is a block from a school and a community centre and notorious for car accidents due to drivers not paying attention or in some type of hurry that is more important than the safety of others.

A car in the left turning lane can have a cyclist on their LEFT side going straight
This is the insane part

This is why cyclists cycle in the centre of the lane despite being accused of ‘holding up the traffic’.

87% of cyclists on the road also drive a car.

They just choose to cycle to aid congestion and protect the environment

As a pedestrian I'd rather cross after the car has turned, rather than the car sit in the road and wait for me. I don't want to have to do that polite scurry run while I hold
up the traffic.

They just choose to cycle to aid congestion and protect the environment

People cycle for all sorts of reasons…sometimes its for the above

@LynetteScavo

As a pedestrian I'd rather cross after the car has turned, rather than the car sit in the road and wait for me. I don't want to have to do that polite scurry run while I hold up the traffic.

Actually, your comment is one of the reasons this change is good thing. Many pedestrians and cyclists have a perception that they’re ‘holding up the traffic’. We need a shift in mindset. Pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users should be praised and prioritised.

@RufustheFloralmissingreindeer

They just choose to cycle to aid congestion and protect the environment

People cycle for all sorts of reasons…sometimes its for the above

That’s true. There are many other reasons and benefits

And before anyone jumps at me and says they do it in Europe and its fine. I'd like to know how congested and busy the roads in these countries are and what the public transport is like.

I dont get this point op. Mainland Europe (as the UK is a part of Europe so it's not in Europe) is wasn't different. A sleepy French village is similar to a sleepy Yorkshire village. Traffic in Moscow is likely worse than traffic in London.

You could argue that some capitals have fewer people than London but then compare to Liverpool Manchester and Birmingham.

I grew up in Scandinavia with this rule. It's not that hard for my head to get around. Those travelling in a straight line have priority. So if you are turning you slow down and allow the straight line to go first. Your journey may take 1 min longer but congestion I cant see it being much worse if everyone slows down a bit it may even make it less.