to find the new Highway Code rules intimidating?

[Coffeeholix]

Just to be clear, I’m a pretty confident person and not necessarily easily intimidated, but when out walking my dog I prefer to cross the road in my own time. I have trained my dog to sit and wait before crossing a road and have never liked cars stopping and waving us across unless there’s an island in the middle so I don’t have to worry about cars coming the other way not stopping. I like to cross in my own time.

With the new rules, I feel harassed. For example, there is a road I have to cross which is by a mini roundabout. So the cars coming off the roundabout should stop if I’m waiting. However, the road bends round a little and cars coming towards the roundabout often don’t see me until the last minute and aren’t obliged to stop and let me cross anyway. Sometimes I get the impression cars heading into my road, not yet crossed the roundabout, are sitting waiting for me to cross before they even reach my road, other times cars stop really abruptly and wait for me to cross but they aren’t stopping from the other direction.

It just creates confusion and stress and the car waiting for me to cross is probably swearing under their breath, along with traffic behind them, because I’m not moving fast enough. I hate keeping people waiting.

Anyway, sorry this is a slightly long post but does anyone else feel uncomfortable about these new rules? Or is it just me?

I quite like it and have interpreted as a hierarchy, with the most vulnerable road users having more right to way so a pedestrian over a car or cyclist, but also a car over a lorry etc. as they are the most likely to be killed or seriously injured in a collision.

Yanbu.
I'm mostly a pedestrian and I will continue to not budge until the road is clear in my opinion. I'm not leaving my safety up to drivers.

I've drummed it into my kids too. Don't move until it's clear and never move even if a driver gestures you.

One driver today seemed to forgot the rules that pedestrians have priority as they turned into a car park and turned straight in front of me, rather than waiting until I had crossed

@WindyState

The rules are there to encourage drivers to have more awareness towards pedestrians. That's it. No one is forcing you to cross the road if you don't want to.

So does it become a bit of a standoff? The driver stops to let the pedestrian cross, the pedestrian doesn't cross, the driver is supposed to stop so doesn't move....

I feel it’s been taken a bit far. It’s only at junctions for a start, so if you are crossing the high street mid way along drivers do not have to stop, just wait and cross as normal. Drivers stopping and beckoning people across at random traffic calming islands on straight roads are not correct. I’m the same as you though OP. Whether walking or using a cycle path where it crosses a road if I’ve come to a stop I hate drivers who beckon me across. I don’t mind if they obviously flash and slow down while I’m still moving but if I’ve come to a stop I feel a need to ‘reset’ before going again so the car has made me stop by not looking like it will let you across, then last minute let you across, then look annoyed when you don’t go quickly enough.

@Whitefire

I was wondering about this today, I go past a turn for a new housing estate that has a lot of foot traffic going over. The road it is off is NSL, so potentially you could have a car at an absolute standstill on a 60mph lane.

How is that different to if there was any other obstruction on the side road, i.e. bin lorry, etc?

I find it psychologically interesting that we are all conditioned to yield to the almighty car and this change has made me ponder this. Why should it be an imperative not to delay a car, why can't those bastards wait a few seconds for a pedestrian, cyclist or horse rider (I say that as a bastard car driver).

@Whitefire

I was wondering about this today, I go past a turn for a new housing estate that has a lot of foot traffic going over. The road it is off is NSL, so potentially you could have a car at an absolute standstill on a 60mph lane.

Do cars turning off it not, y'know, slow down to make the turning?

There's a difference between slowing down and coming to a halt.

@Whitefire

There's a difference between slowing down and coming to a halt.

If it's a typical 90 degree turn onto a narrower road in a built up area, then the car turning should probably be down to 15-20 mph, maybe less depending on visibility around the corner. They certainly shouldn't be turning at 40 mph+. Anyway, they should be indicating and braking (hence brake lights), so the cars behind should be well aware of the potential for the car turning to slow or stop.