Drivers not following Highway code

[MikeRafone]

https://x.com/citizenuddin/status/1687092237786820608?s=46&t=6ReKAbxD2gRFwL---KRV8w

why do drivers not follow the Highway Code?

if you’re not going to update yourself regularly on Highway ide you should lose your licence to drive

There are many roads where this is exceedingly dangerous. The main one that springs to mind is a well used side road near the Derby Royal Hospital. It turns off a fast moving dual carriageway but with this new law, a car should stop on that dual carriageway to allow a pedestrian to cross the side road if they are wanting to turn down it. Madness. Especially in the morning during the school run.

It is a stupid rule … The pedestrian should cross further down. It would be safer all round .

It's all very well making changes, but not if you don't also ensure the roads are set up for it. I live in a busy urban environment, and the junctions aren't set up for turning cars to be stopping to let pedestrians cross as you turn. It's a stupid change and as a pedestrian I stick to waiting until it's clear before I cross.

Would be useful if people had to redo the theory test (perhaps could be part of the insurance renewal) - the hazard perception test is difficult for experienced drivers - was told this by police as they notice much more and can categorize it but the test is just hazard or not

It is a stupid and dangerous rule change that goes against the road safety instincts pedestrians and drivers have learnt and apply in all other circumstances.

Pedestrian crossings work because of the posts and road markings let all the nearby drivers know that a pedestrian is likely to be crossing the road and can be ready for cars in front to stop. It seems unrealistic to expect all drivers to apply that same kind of vigilance when driving past or into every single junction.

As a pedestrian, if I ever have to cross the road at a junction I will continue to wait for the road to be clear.

Sorry! Lucky you was referring to your last sentence where you said “I have yet to see a pedestrian who doesn’t wait until a car has turned a corner to cross the road tbh”. Where I live it’s very rare to see a pedestrian stop at all. The majority just carry on walking right into the road as if the pavement hasn’t stopped without looking at all.

@Fluffypuppy1

I did realise that, I just don't think it's something that makes me lucky. It was just an observation.

There's a main road near me with a busy co-op on it- cars turning into the side roads would simply not be able to turn if pedestrians didn't stop and look, as there is a near constant stream of co-op customers crossing.

I do my best in line with the new rules but I don't know what the answer is when you and maybe 6 or 7 other cars are all sitting blocking traffic on the main road ( which is affected by traffic lights) while you wait for pedestrians.

Local councils need to rethink things like one way systems to stop this happening, but of course these changes are never made by collaborating with town planners and councils.

It isn't an idiot change at all. Why should a pedestrian have to look every which way to cross the road when all a driver has to do is slow down?

Being worried about being rear-ended isn't a good enough reason not to slow down.

If someone is turning right across the traffic, I wait for them. If they are turning left, I don't.

Drivers need to understand that the end of a side road is a continuation of the pavement, and they give way to pedestrians.

And middle lane sitting is far from the worst transgression of drivers. Annoying, yes. Dangerous, no. Overtaking on blind bends is dangerous. Tailgating can be dangerous. And trying to run down pedestrians because you think they shouldn't have priority at the end of side roads is dangerous.

The pavement hasn't stopped, that's the point. The end of the side road is a continuation of the pavement.

Although it would be useful if they were marked in some way but that would cost far too much, so drivers just need to use their brain cells.

You think women with children can't read, but you decided to post that on a website aimed at women with children despite the fact you think they can't read...

That seems counterintuitive?

I think there's a case for making people do a theory refresher.

I couldn't get on with the hazard perception test because I thought everything was a hazard. One of the examples was a tractor in a field - I saw it and thought "well it's going to come out of the field in front of me at some point" but you weren't meant to press the button until it actually tried to come out of the field, which I think was completely wrong.

Then there was one where you can see people walking on the pavement. I pressed the button because they could decide to run in front of the car, but no, that's not a hazard either. I think it's a very hard test to get right.

The pavement has stopped. If you have to step down off of the pavement, into the road, cross the road, then step up onto the pavement, then the pavement has definitely stopped.

I try to do that but usually the driver who has decided not to wait for me then crawls along the road. Once I told them to get a move on so I could cross behind them and they told me I was rude.

Ageist and sexist. Nice.

With the pedestrian right of way thing, it's much better for the pedestrian to have control over when they cross (i.e when they can see it's safe) rather than when a motorist deems it safe for them to cross. It would be very interesting though if pavements carried on across junctions and roads had to break for pavements rather than the other way round. That way the pedestrian wouldn't be crossing the road, the car would be crossing the pavement.

If this is actually correct, and the "fast moving dual carriageway" isn't in fact a 30mph road which happens to have two lanes, then it is a bit silly. Also, if you slow down to wait to turn in, the other traffic has a second lane to overtake you safely so it doesn't sound that stupid. You shouldn't have to come to a complete stop to turn in, you should be indicating in plenty of time, and should slow down gradually which leaves time for the driver behind to slow down or move over.

Yes ideally they should, (and the same for cycle paths) but it would be incredibly expensive to retrofit it now.

I felt I had to refresh my knowledge of the highway code so I could take DC's out to practice - led to lots of arguments with DH.
The pedestrian and cyclist rules (and their use of phones and earbuds/headphones) make me not happy about driving in built up areas - much happier on motorways (in the left hand lane)

It's difficult. It just hasn't bedded in for drivers or pedestrians.

To do my most common journey from home in my car, I cross a busy road by leaving one side road and then entering another directly opposite. I need to give way to pedestrians crossing the first road, the cars/buses etc on the main road, the pedestrians crossing the second road.

It's a timing nightmare, especially as pedestrians are reluctant to cross in front of you, even if you wave them through, which I'm also reluctant to do as if cars are coming round the other corners I can't possibly know if they'll stop too and if it's actually safe for them to cross the whole way.

I do my best to follow the law and to also drive safely, but at some point if someone isn't going to start to cross, you just have to go.

If it's the one directly outside the hospital past the side entrance before hitting the large roundabout then it's a 40 limit with very fast flowing traffic and it's so busy it's difficult to change lanes, they've even added a bus lane very near the roundabout which you almost have to cut across for the first exit. This new code is a dangerous joke. Someone somewhere thinks the roads are nearly empty and any traffic is dwardling along at 10mph. Derby is a very full city, mainly because the council has fucked up most of the the road flows so it's difficult to get around the city. They even messed around with the outer ring road which was supposed to make it easier.

So in your example there are two car drivers who don't know how to drive.

I think in the real world common sense needs to come into play, and that is what unfortunately a lot of drivers lack.
in the situation in the video if I saw someone at the kerb of the road I was turning into I’d start to slow more and check my mirrors. If it was safe and there wasn’t a vehicle behind me who couldn’t necessarily see the pedestrian and wouldn’t expect me to to stop, I’d stop. If it was safer to carry on with the manoeuvre I would.

meanwhile, there is a special place in hell reserved for people who fail to grasp the very basic concept of zipper merging.

I don’t think it is dangerous and drivers should stop. I generally force them to b6 holding up my hand and stepping out. It mostly works. Obviously, I wouldn’t do that in front of a speeding car but cars should be going quite slowly if they are turning in any case.