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AIBU?

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Original poster

Should pedestrian have right of way or car?

38 replies

nurserycarrun · 22/02/2024 12:58

I'll try and be brief - I'm the car. NC because I don't want to be bashed a mean bully car driver that hates pedestrians.

I was pulling out of a side road onto the busier main road. I was turning right. I'm the blue car with red arrow.

I did see two men (yellow) walking up the road but presumed they would use the zebra crossing right behind where my car was (orange)

Just as I was about to turn onto the road they walked in front of my car. One sort of threw up his arms in a 'watch where you are going' jesture.

Was I in the wrong? I'm in Ireland, google tells me "Ireland has a jaywalking law that says that if you are within 50 metres of a pedestrian crossing you must use it to cross." now I actually didn't know that until I googled it. But surely common sense would mean as a pedestrian you shouldn't walk in front of a car about to turn?

As a pedestrian I always walk behind the 1st car waiting at a junction

YABU - Pedestrian was right
YANBU - Pedestrian should walk behind the car

Should pedestrian have right of way or car?
OP posts:
travelallthetime · 22/02/2024 13:00

Anyone walking out in front of a car is in the wrong. The path is for pedestrians, roads are for cars, unless crossing and then you wait until it is clear.

Ifailed · 22/02/2024 13:07

Anyone walking out in front of a car is in the wrong. The path is for pedestrians, roads are for cars, unless crossing and then you wait until it is clear.

I don't know about Ireland (or Scotland for that matter), but in England and Wales pedestrians, cyclists and riders have a right to use a road. Motorists have no right to use a road, they are given permission to do so via a license which can be retracted if they fail to obey the law.

There are exceptions to this such as Motorways and some local by-laws.

Picklestop · 22/02/2024 13:12

The jaywalking law you refer to is 15m not 50m.

And contrary to first poster, roads are not just for cars, pedestrians are allowed to cross roads, which will involve walking on them.

You could not have been driving at speed as you were about to make a right turn, so even if you felt the pedestrians should not be there, why wouldn’t you just let them cross or at least make sure it was safe to proceed before you did so! 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
nurserycarrun · 22/02/2024 13:34

@Picklestop sorry, that was in an Independent.ie article I didn't read further than that.

No I wasn't going at speed at all, I was waiting for a break in the traffic to move onto the main road, then as I was pulling into the road and they walked around the front of the car.

Why wouldn't they make sure it is safe before crossing the road? I wouldn't walk in front of a car that is starting to pull out.

OP posts:
Original poster
nurserycarrun · 22/02/2024 13:35

And I did stop the car and wait for them to cross at this point I was probably 2 ft into the main road

OP posts:
Butterdishy · 22/02/2024 13:39

The pedestrians were perfectly entitled to cross there, and you are obligated to stop for them. They should have checked it was safe first, and you should have anticipated that they would cross, as they are legally entitled to, and driven accordingly. They had right of way, you knew they were there - you are at fault.

eddiemairswife · 22/02/2024 13:42

One of the best diagrams I have seen on this site,

Rosestulips · 22/02/2024 13:42

I mean, I wouldn’t walk into the path of a car or assume that the big machine that may kill me will stop on time before I try to cross.

but isn’t there a new rule which gives pedestrians right of way? (I think its UK though not Ireland).

Galeforcewindatmywindow · 22/02/2024 13:47

Never would I have thought expecting a ton+. car and braking and revving causing more pollution would be secondary to a human being with the ability to wait 2 seconds while I pass be OK. Nuts. Adding more entitlement to the world..

MintsPi · 22/02/2024 13:47

If you were turning into the side road you should give way to the pedestrians but as you were coming out of a side road onto a main one I think you were correct.

The pedestrians should have used the zebra crossing.

ZebraPensAreLife · 22/02/2024 13:48

BellaPoldark · 22/02/2024 13:37

In the UK, updates to the Highway code made in 2022 give the pedestrian right of way in this instance: https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/new-highway-code-rules-what-you-need-to-know/

Yes, but OP is in Ireland

Rosesanddaisies1 · 22/02/2024 13:53

Galeforcewindatmywindow · 22/02/2024 13:47

Never would I have thought expecting a ton+. car and braking and revving causing more pollution would be secondary to a human being with the ability to wait 2 seconds while I pass be OK. Nuts. Adding more entitlement to the world..

This. Pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders etc always have right of way. Drivers are on the road with a revocable license.

midgetastic · 22/02/2024 13:54

The car should be stopping for the junction anyway ?

So the person sitting on their arse should wait for the person walking

dazzlingdeborahrose · 22/02/2024 14:11

Changes to the highway code require drivers to give way more often but don't absolve the pedestrian of responsibility for their own safety. In this case the pedestrians walked in front of a car already manoeuvring and already in the main road forcing them to stop. As a driver I would gave waited to see what they were going to do. As a pedestrian I would have used the crossing provided. The OP shouldn't have assumed but the pedestrians shouldn't have crossed in the way they did. I'd rather be wrong and alive than right and dead.

Barneysma2 · 22/02/2024 14:18

In my eyes the pedestrian was at fault. Yes there are more rules now about giving way but like someone else has said, pedestrians need to take some responsibility for their own safety. Common sense just seems to be lacking these days. What normal person would think oh i know I will walk out in front of this car that is quite clearly about to move off any second into the main road. They should have used the crossing. Not once when I have been out walking and seen a car pull up at a junction do I think I will just walk in front of it how stupid. I always walk behind it.

Lifeinlists · 22/02/2024 14:25

People do just wander in front of cars etc without really paying attention. And behind when you're reversing.
Of course the driver needs to be alert always but I can see why it irritated you.

Some people seem to lack the self preservation gene so you have to grit your teeth and wait.

Isthisexpected · 22/02/2024 14:27

BellaPoldark · 22/02/2024 13:37

In the UK, updates to the Highway code made in 2022 give the pedestrian right of way in this instance: https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/new-highway-code-rules-what-you-need-to-know/

The UK government decided not to pay for a public awareness campaign so most people don't know this and continue to beep their horns when I say it's my right of way (as the pedestrian).

YABU not to read the highway code

Dearg · 22/02/2024 14:30

Don’t know about rules in Ireland, but I am in Scotland and, in common with England, pedestrian is always given priority. Even if they are not being logical.

ItsAllAboutTheDosh · 22/02/2024 14:32

Presumably the Highway Code still applies there?
It says clearly pedestrians should be given priority. You were in the wrong.

DamnSpots · 22/02/2024 14:33

ItsAllAboutTheDosh · 22/02/2024 14:32

Presumably the Highway Code still applies there?
It says clearly pedestrians should be given priority. You were in the wrong.

Why would the Highway Code, for the UK, apply in Ireland where the OP is?

Bluevelvetsofa · 22/02/2024 14:43

Yes, the pedestrian has priority, but, as there was a zebra crossing very close by, it would have been sensible to use that.

The problem with allowing priority to pedestrians when, as a driver, you are entering a side road from a main road, is that the main road has more traffic and stopping on the main road to allow someone to cross means that you have to rely that the cars behind you are observant. Otherwise, that causes a JM or an accident.

Bluevelvetsofa · 22/02/2024 14:43

JM = jam.

TeresaCrowd · 22/02/2024 15:48

Technically once they step foot in the road the pedestrian has priority however you'd be dumb not to cross at the crossing.

What I will say though is that where I am, there are drop kerb crossings at most junctions, with enough room for the first car to fit ahead of the crossing (so you cross between car 1 and car 2 in the queue to pull out) which makes sense to me because the car pulling out needs to be paying more attention to both lanes of moving traffic etc whereas car 2 is still just trying to not hit the car in front of it so can be even more watchful of pedestrians, yet so many 'car 2's' pull right up the arse of car 1 and block the space for the people to cross rather than leaving the drop kerb clear. I am stubborn so I'll probably force myself infront of the car, but if it was someone with a wheelchair waiting, or a cyclist (most are shared use paths here) waiting then you'd be stuck. Again it just comes back to situational awareness of the person in the car, which in many many cases is sadly lacking nowadays. (not saying in your case OP, you were doing exactly what I'd do, and you didn't hit the people either due to your observation)

(this does not absolve car 1 of having to look for peds etc before I get jumped on, just that if you can move most of that traffic away from the actual junction it makes sense)

Createausername1970 · 22/02/2024 15:58

I am both pedestrian and car user. I know there are times that as a pedestrian I have right if way, but my entire attention is on what the car is doing. I also know that as a driver my attention will be split between looking at what the traffic is doing and looking at what the pedestrian is doing.

So it might have the right of way as a pedestrian but I usually chose to waive it and let the car go and get out of my way, unless I have made eye contact with the driver and know they have seen me and are aware of what I am doing.

Having right of way doesn't mean you shouldn't take sensible precautions.

Personally, those pedestrians in the diagram should have crossed behind the car.