Were we wrong to cross the road in this way?

[UndertheCedartree]

I was taking my DD to school this morning. There is a junction where we need to cross over the road in front then cross over the road to the left. Lots of families including us cross diagonally as it is quicker than crossing both separately.

We were late this morning so there were no other families around. We were crossing the junction and a few seconds before we got onto the pavement a car sounds it's horn loudly at us (scaring poor DD) then came round the corner and started shouting and pointing at us. I just ignored the driver as they were clearly very angry so no point in trying to have a civil conversation.

I always thought if a pedestrian was crossing a road then a car needs to give way to them. Or are we wrong to cross diagonally?

Yes, I understand.

How did I scare her to death? 😂 She scared us! We were just crossing on the crossing at this point. And people cross diagonally all the time. If that scares someone to death, I don't think they should be on the road, tbh!

I'm not sure what type of crossing it is. I.e is it the one where it flashes amber to say drivers can go if no on on crossing or the other type where it's the red and amber lights together before green (they probably have proper names but you know what I mean)

If it's the later the ones near me have a timing where it's fully on red man before it starts turning the traffic lights to red and amber together.

If you were still on the crossing at that point you started crossing late.

The timings clearly aren't set up for diagonal as you said yourself you are normally nearly across before the cars can go.
If the council/highways (whoever sets this up) deemed it safe to cross diagonal they would have put a longer green man.

There's a crossing like you decide in a town near me, people cross diagonally sometimes, except they always jog/fast walk across as the lights not on long enough, and even then it's touch and go if they all make it in time.

I'll be honest as a driver does my head in when pedestrians have clear not used a crossing properly or just walk out on the road when they shouldn't be. Its dangerous for the pedestrian and the driver.

Also what would happen if a driver went through that red light, crossing normally you'd be able to see cars weren't stopping or slowing down and take action, diagonal crossing your trying to judge 4 roads and check cars (or even emergency vehicles) aren't ignoring a red light.

Not worth it in my opinion

Well of course, didn't think that needed stating!

Yabu unfortunately

I doubt people here are unique! People go 'nearly across' all the time! It depends how long before the green man goes off Vs how long it takes you to cross the road. That doesn't give a driver a right to be aggressive. I was up plenty early, thanks but I will be more careful.

Yeah but they probably don't come whinging on MN about the situation.

We didn't do it to save time. But if your question is would I be happy for my DD to cross unsafely if it saves time, then of course not. She wouldn't do that, though.

Eh? You stated in your op you done it to save time.

Lots of families including us cross diagonally as it is quicker than crossing both separately.

She is sensitive to noise, but yes, she'll getter over it. Waved and apologised at someone beeping and then shouting and pointing aggressively at us - not going to happen! Someone doesn't get to be rude then expect the other person to be polite!

We were, we were on the crossing of the 2nd road.

There was a crossing exactly like this on my walk to school as a kid. Big, busy junction where all four sides get the green man at the same time. People used to cross diagonally all the time (including me as a teen when I was old enough to walk to school alone) but you would have to move pretty fast to get all the way across before the lights changed, and it was too tight to do that while dragging a small child by the hand so you’d usually see parents with young children waiting and doing it properly (i.e. in two sections).

If I’ve understood right, you got beeped at because you were still in the road and hadn’t quite finished crossing when the lights changed. The diagonal thing is irrelevant really. Drivers shouldn’t really beep at you for that as it doesn’t serve much purpose other than letting you know they’re pissed off, but it’s pretty normal (rightly or wrongly) for a driver to beep at a pedestrian who is still in the road when the lights change.

For junctions like this, a diagonal crossing is ideal.

Wirral Council has installed a second diagonal pedestrian crossing, in an effort to improve the safety of young people attending nearby schools. Wirral Council decided the crossing would benefit all road users. The new-style crossing enables pedestrians to safely cross two arms of the junction at once, providing a more efficient crossing system. When the green man is displayed for pedestrians, the traffic lights at the junction are held at red for traffic in all directions.

PS. Oxford Circus is a diagonal crossing.

^^

We were on a crossing. The car was stationary when it beeped at us. The lights were turning amber. A pedestrian should be able to finish crossing not have to run to save a car a couple of seconds.

Technically as a pedestrian you can do whatever you want and drivers do not have the right to run you over just because you are in their way, they are speeding or not looking or whatever

I think I would only cross diagonally if all the pedestrian lights were on green at the same time.

I can't work out if You are on the wind up here or are generally thick as mince. Either way I'm out, its like talking to a lamp post.

Looking at OPs other posts, she does have trouble admitting she is wrong. She's also very dogmatic. Too much time on her hands I think.

No need to guess, people do it all the time (in all sorts of places!) Besides the point, most of the time we are on the actual crossing, all completely in view of the drivers.

Yes, I have done it many times. Never had an issue, nor seen anyone else have an issue with it. I've never seen a crossing like this where people don't. I didn't realise it was against the highway code.

I think it is safe for me to do.

Maybe if they don't want people to cross diagonally they should allow enough time for pedestrians to cross both roads so they can get on thier journey?

Are you the kind of person who blames everyone else instead of taking responsibility?

Unless the driver went through a red light, it sounds like the OP had crossed against the lights. I've beeped at people in the same situation because I was convinced she hadn't seen my car. (She had but expected me to stop in the middle of a busy road and probably cause an accident so she could saunter across the crossroads)

I think we can safely assume so!

I disagree. My eldest never had an issue with understanding why DC need to take extra caution when crossing roads and she doesn't either.

I disagree. My eldest never had an issue with understanding why DC need to take extra caution when crossing roads and she doesn't either.

10 minutes ago you thought she would, now she actually does!