To remind people about Highway Code rule H2?

[auserna]

Because about 90% of drivers seem either to be unaware of it or just ignore it and, as a pedestrian, it's fucking irritating! I particularly object to being beeped at when I've already started crossing and a car subsequently swings round the corner.

"Rule H2 of the UK Highway Code mandates that drivers, motorcyclists, horse riders, and cyclists must give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which they are turning. This rule, introduced to enhance pedestrian safety at junctions, applies to both major and minor road turns."

I'd be interested to know who wasn't already aware of this.

Yes, this is exactly why it makes me so cross. If two people were walking in parallel down a street and one suddenly turned and barged across the path of the other it would be considered highly rude. Yet just because someone is encased in a ton of metal they seem to think it's fine to do effectively exactly that.

So the Highway Code is only for other people?

Meh come and arrest me then 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t drive dangerously. But I’m not stopping and risking an accident because a pedestrian can’t wait 3 seconds for me to pass them.

Um, no, I want you to follow the Highway Code.

You shouldn't be "stopping dead", you should be looking to see whether there are any hazards, slowing down (as you're turning), and indicating. If necessary you continue to slow, and then stop.

Surprised you need to be told that, but then you've made it pretty clear what sort of driver you are.

Since when is a pedestrian on a footpath a hazard?

I'm the sort of driver who won't be stopping every time someone wants to walk over the road. That's what pedestrian crossings are for.

A pedestrian on a footpath is an example of a potential hazard, as found in the DVLA hazard perception test.

A lot of side roads don't have a pedestrian crossing. For example when I walk from my flat to the tube station - roughly half a mile - I cross about eight side roads, none of which has any sort of crossing.

Drivers do not pay road tax. Road tax has not existed for the better part of a century.

Surely you are trolling here. Do you take the same attitude to red lights inconveniencing you for a few seconds? The law applies whether you like it or not. If it is not safe to stop then you probably should not be driving in the first place, the only exception I can think of being the motorway.

I hate this rule when I'm a pedestrian. I will wait for the road to be clear before I even attempt to cross, although the drivers on the roads near DSs school are pretty good at stopping (and he starts late so not just at school run times) but I'd rather not risk it.
I agree the worst are cyclists. My son was injured by a cyclist who cycled in to him when were on a bloody crossing and I've seen them nearly take out people crossing the road. A car will obviously cause more damage but cyclists seem to think they're invincible.

Yes sure, but that's not really helping is it. We all know that real driving doesn't look anything like what 'should' happen. I prefer to act according to reality not theoretical 'shoulds'

I told a driver about this rule the other day.

I was crossing at the entrance to the road on foot, she turned into the road right across me and I had to retreat to the pavement.

I said it’s my right of way and she said no it isn’t, I said read the Highway Code and she drove off. Wonder if she ever looked it up,
somehow I doubt it 🤔

I often find that the pedestrians just stand there looking at you. I get the reasoning for the rule but it just doesn’t seem to work that well in reality.

Yes, I'm aware of it. Both as a pedestrian and an infrequent driver. I find it a bit odd though. If I'm crossing the end of a side road and a car is turning right, they already have to wait for a gap in the opposite traffic. All the while quite likely holding up the whole of the road behind them. And of course I mostly do stand there and wait because I know that 9/10 drivers don't bother to give way to me. There's one junction where I see this all the time and it's just awkward. If it's a very busy junction then it needs a proper crossing, otherwise I'd rather wait.

It is difficult to see if a pedestrian is crossing or waiting to cross if they're on the same side that you're coming from, so if I turn left and a person is on the right hand side of me as I drive into the side road I can see them waiting. But if they're on the opposite side I cant, Im thinking about my own road where there are cars stacked up parked on that bend quite often and you cant see if someone is there.

I know about it. It doesn't however explain why grown adults walk across roads without looking to see if cars are coming. I simply don't understand it. I always look when I cross a road. Just yesterday I was turning left into my road and a couple in their 40s just walked out in front of me. Obviously I stopped but seriously....what are these people doing? The issue of giving way is to settle who legally has right of way - it doesnt mean you should walk out in front of cars.

I would like to add a reminder that it's illegal to leave your headlights on when parked at the roadside please 🙏 Trying to cross roads as a pedestrian at night is dangerous enough without some idiot parking up and just sitting there with brighter-than-the-sun headlights blocking my view of oncoming traffic.

On the original point I do know when it's my right of way (despite never having driven or studied the Highway Code) but don't trust that all drivers know (having been almost run over and/or had abuse yelled at me on multiple occasions) and so often won't risk it. I would also like to point out that we (pedestrians) often can't see you gesticulating at us to cross as light hitting your windscreen, especially winter sunshine, completely obscures our view inside your car. A lot of drivers can't even be trusted to stop for a red light on a crossing these days, or not to do illegal U-turns at four way junctions when the crossing is on green so you'll have to forgive me if I'm a little over cautious, I'm literally just trying to stay alive!

Totally agree. Some very uneducated and selfish drivers

Yes I have the same experience. I stop, gesticulate madly, they either get panicked and wave for me to go, just aren’t looking as they are on phone, or hurry really awkwardly across. I think it’s one of those things that’s good on paper but in reality people get a bit stressed/unsure about it.

I also think that when you have to wave a pedestrian across, it risks them getting flustered and not checking the other way correctly. I’ve seen it happen from a car or two behind; someone is waved across, they kind of get a bit of a jolt and hurry out as they are conscious of not holding anyone up and they haven’t checked the other direction, when if they were crossing normally they would have checked both directions.

Whereabouts in the Uk are you @auserna ?

that specific rule wasn’t updated in the Northern Ireland Highway Code.

The Netherlands has this - I thought it worked well. It also seemed to “zone” the streets, as you were aware by crossing one that you were moving into a residential area so needed to drive more carefully.

Pedestrians on pavements definitely do not count as hazards in the hazard perception test lol.

I only did mine last year, late start driver in my 50s. I saw everything as a ‘hazard’ and took some training out of me.

A pedestrian on a pavement walking straight towards a side road that you're about to turn into surely does, doesn't it?

Is the below not correct?

What is a hazard in relation to the Hazard Perception Test?
A hazard is described as anything that may cause a driver to change speed, direction, stop, or even cause harm.
Hazards are normally grouped into categories such as:
• Other road users (e.g. pedestrians, drivers, cyclists, horses)

London. It was updated four years ago.

No. ‘Potentially developing hazard’. No click until they actually move toward the road.