Traffic lights at pedestrian crossing - who is at fault?

[EmotionalBruises]

I was standing at a pedestrian crossing (not sure what type of crossing it's called, but there's an island in the middle), waiting to cross. I pressed the button and the traffic lights turned red, and the green man on the other side of the road shone. I crossed through the first part fine, and as I was walking through the second section, a driver blasted their horn at me before I had even made it to the other side of the road.

I looked at the traffic light, and it was flashing amber. It hadn't even turned green yet. The green man had disappeared (there's only one on either side of the crossings, so I only had one to look at), but it hadn't turned back to red.

AIBU in thinking that the driver should have waited for me to cross the road? It was flashing amber. I don't drive, but surely he should have waited for it to turn green? I can't stand the sound of cars beeping, so I gave him a dirty look.

You are correct OP. AFAIK, pedestrians have right of way, even if the traffic light for cars was on green (think that was a relatively recent change to Highway Code). But pedestrians definitely have right of way on a crossing if it’s flashing amber. Some drivers are just twats.

He's at fault, you're supposed to wait until pedestrians have cleared the crossing regardless of what colour the lights are on because running them over is frowned upon. Some pedestrians need additional time to cross and drivers should be mindful of that too.

He was an arsehole, don't give him any more headspace.

Even if there crossing wasn't there and you were crossing the road and he wasn't moving then you're still not "at fault".

because running them over is frowned upon. that sums it up really.

I think it actually says in the Highway code that drivers should not intimidate pedestrians by hooting or rev'ing their engines

If there is an island in the middle, is there not a second button to push?
Usually an island in the middle of a crossing allows drivers to treat each side of the crossing separately.

Having said that a driver should always give way to a pedestrian already crossing the road, even if they are not using a crossing. They also cannot move off on a flashing amber light if a pedestrian is still crossing the road. So you were definitely not at fault and he should not have sounded his horn.

Under the latest Highway Code changes, a driver should give way to a pedestrian waiting to cross the road at any point, although I really cannot see how this can work if the pedestrian takes this literally and just walks straight onto the carriageway. Similarly if a driver is turning into a minor road from a main road with little visibility into the side road. Being both a pedestrian and a driver, I would try to avoid walking straight onto the carriageway as a pedestrian!

Yep I was going to say this - if there is an island in the middle it’s usually two separate crossings

My driving instructor used to say that if there is a pedestrian crossing on one side and you sit and wait for them to cross the other, you’d get a minor / fail (can’t remember which). But if it’s one long crossing you wait.

sounds like he was a prick either way

If there was only 1 green man for OP on the other side of the road then it couldn't have been a split crossing. If OP was on the crossing and the light was still amber of course OP had priority. Even if the light was green cars always give way to pedestrians on the road.

The guy was a dick, just forget abou tit.

It's only a separate crossing if there is a second push-button on the island, some crossings have island about only one button at either side so it's one crossing. There's one near us.

If there's an Island in the middle, it's likely that the traffic lights are separate, so you should have checked the lights on other half and stayed on the island if there was no green man, and pressed the button for the other half and waited.

Whether you're at fault or the driver depends on whether the lights were separate, so no one can say without knowing that.

Was he tooting someone else? That happens. Sometimes I'm upset I've been rooted at but it was actually a greeting for someone else! There's no way of knowing!

He was being a prick.

I agree on the island part! If there's an island in a crossing the second part is treated as a separate crossing.

I thought the new Highway Code meant drivers needed to give way to pedestrians crossing when turning from a main road to a side road? Not just give way at all times to any pedestrians trying to cross anywhere?

In theory the flashing amber is to allow pedestrians to complete a crossing they have started, so as a pedestrian you shouldn't set off across on a flashing amber. However everyone seems to ignore this and in any case Mr Twat was still being a Twat.

A pedestrian always has right of way if their feet are on the road, even if they have made a mistake and shouldn't be crossing, the driver would always be found at-fault in the event of an incident.

If there was a second button to press on the central island and the green person wasn't illuminated when you started the second half then you should have waited on the central island, but not if there wasn't another button.

the amber flashing light for cars means "you may proceed if all pedestrians have finished crossing". you had not finished crossing so it was wrong for him to object.

it is always wrong for any driver to beep the horn to express anger, frustration or objection to another person's actions. the horn is only to be used to attract attention to a hazard that another road user doesn't appear to be aware of.

The car is supposed to wait for the light to be green before moving forwards if someone is crossing so they are in the wrong.

From the BSM website - aimed at drivers:

"If the traffic lights are at a pedestrian crossing, the lights tend to flash amber before turning green. This means you can proceed if the crossing is clear. If pedestrians are still crossing, wait until it’s safe to go."

Basically, the only coloured light that means "go" is green. YANBU OP.

I hate pedestrian crossings that don't give you enough time to cross. There's one near me that even if I start the second the green man comes up I'm not at the other side by the time it goes off. I'm not exactly slow either. A less mobile person would really struggle.

He sounds like a twat

You were 100% in the right. The driver should not be moving forward until his light is green, regardless of whether anyone was on the crossing. And you have right of way until you have finished crossing even if his light does go green before you reach the pavement.

As others have said, you were 100% right.

BMW or Audi car perhaps?

I agree that often on an island crossing their is another button to push for the second half. If so, strictly speaking you shouldnt have crossed. But driver was wrong too and shouldnt have acted in an agressive way and shouldnt have moved on flashing amber He should only have moved if the road was clear.

Nope, the driver can proceed if no one is on the crossing when it starts flashing amber. Otherwise what's the point if you think drivers should wait until green - it's nonsensical having a flashing amber that means nothing!

Perhaps he fancied you?😉

Thanks for all your responses. To be fair, there is another push button at the island, but there's only one green man, so it was green before I had even reached the island. I have used this crossing many times, and have never had any problems until now. As soon as the man had changed to green, I started crossing. I'm not sure when the man had disappeared, but it must have been after I had started crossing the island.

I was too shocked by the horn to see what type of car it was, but it was white. It definitely wasn't a friendly beep, though!