To assume a driver needs to stop if there is pedestrian already crossing the road?

[Shoestalk]

Was crossing a road with two teens, nearly halfway across when a car turns left into the road and instead of braking as we are in the road, continues accelerating so we have to step back. I put my hands up in frustration and driver puts window down, and says there's a yellow box on the main road do you want me to get a ticket? I was shocked and replied you would rather run me over than get a ticket? Also saying its my right of way as a pedestrian once im on the road. She ended up driving off saying I should look where I was going. Aibu to assume this driver should have stopped as we were nearly halfway across the road before she turned in therefore not checking properly that her entry was clear and being more concerned about avoiding the yellow box at the expense of knocking over a pedestrian!

Yes you're absolutely correct, it was your right of way and she should have stopped. I hope she's reflected on this and realised how completely wrong her actions and what she said to you afterwards were.

Could she see you before she entered the box?

If so, she's in the wrong, you don't enter unless your exit is clear. She's a knob.

If you stepped into the road after she entered the box, that's you in the wrong for crossing in such a stupid place and blocking her exit. You need to use your eyes and brain before walking into the road.

Yes you had priority OP. But quite a few drivers seem to struggle with the concept that pedestrians have rights.

A few times I have had problems when walking on a pavement where there is a dropped kerb and vehicles have mounted the pavement to cross it to access a driveway or car park and I ve been tooted at to get out the way or, in the last occasion, had to jump out of the way to avoid being knocked over. The drivers have been totally oblivious that pedestrians have the priority on pavements, not the vehicle crossing them.

You are absolutely correct OP. This exact same thing happened to us, while teaching our 4 year old that the safe place to cross the road was on a zebra crossing, the difference being that the vehicle that drove straight at us, was a BUS!! My DH was so infuriated at how close we'd all been to being mown down, that he ran after the bus, and remonstrated with the driver at the next stop. The driver basically, was plain rude, so we decided to take it further, and went straight to the local police station and reported it. The case went to court, and he got fined and points on his licence, so if you got her registration number, report her.

Loads of motorists don't seem to know how the rules changed in 2022, you definitely had right of way. She should not have gone into the yellow box if she could see you were crossing.

at one level there is no such thing as a right of way - the highway code only uses that term to say that it doesn't exist... what you have is priority...

however there is a hierarchy of vulnerability now which means basically that lorries give way to cars / cars to motorbikes to bikes to people etc.

there is also a requirement in the highway code to do everything you can to avoid an accident

regarding the yellow box - either you were already crossing when she entered it - in which case she should not have entered as her exit was not clear

or you weren't in which case you would not have been half way across and she would have been fine...

so

• her use of the yellow box was wrong (exit not clear)
• her not giving way to a more vulnerable user is wrong
• her not giving way to a pedestrian already crossing a side road

basically she is completely out of order and could have had the book thrown at her...

Rule 174
Box junctions. These have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road (see ‘Road markings’). You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right. At signalled roundabouts you MUST NOT enter the box unless you can cross over it completely without stopping.

Rule 204
The road users most at risk from road traffic are pedestrians, in particular children, older adults and disabled people, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists. It is particularly important to be aware of children, older adults and disabled people, and learner and inexperienced drivers and riders. In any interaction between road users, those who can cause the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they pose to others.

Rule 206
Drive carefully and slowly when
....
approaching pedestrians who have started to cross the road ahead of you. They have priority when crossing at a junction or side road so you should give way (see Rule H2).

Rule H2 - Rule for drivers, motorcyclists, horse drawn vehicles, horse riders and cyclists
At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.

A bus! Omg how scary.

@Balloonhearts I was not crossing in a yellow box i was on a side road that she turned into from the main road which is where the yellow box is, so she needs to look into the road she is turning and make sure her exit is clear as when we crossed there was no car approaching, implying she sped into the road to avoid the box not caring about who or what was in the road.

You're right OP. Some drivers expect the roads to be clear of any kind of obstruction at all times and get very cross if they have to actually deploy driving skills.

Correct, if there is visibility into the side road where you crossed. If its blind corner and she can't see if it's clear, it's a fucking stupid place to put a yellow box (seen a few like that, dont get me started) and an even stupider place to cross.

Report this stupid fool to the council.

She is putting pedestrians at risk, she is a menace and a stupid and ignorant fool who deserves to have her dog.......ooooppppppssss driving licence taken off her.

Jesus wept, she is total loser, life is short enough.

I wish I could report but didn't get sight of the registration. There is however a camera to catch people stopping in the yellow box which may have captured the exchange. I am not sure if its worth writing to the council, unlikely they would release the information unless I reported to police probably.

Could she see you crossing before she started to turn?

Did this happen in 1990? Cos there are no local police stations anymore. The ones that are left aren't open to the public.

Pedestrians now have priority when crossing on a side road - car turning in has to wait. It was changed in the last few years. Although sometimes I think it's stupid as you can be sat there forever blocking the road if you're in a busy town centre and the pedestrians keep flowing.

Driving standards in the UK are absolutely shocking nowadays. Stopping on a red light seems to have become optional. Not even amber gamblers now, I regularly approach lights that have gone green and watch at least 3 vehicles go through on full red. Not seen an accident yet but pretty sure I will soo n 😡

Pedestrians have always had right of way when in the road. They now also have right of way when waiting to cross so even if you were still on the pavement she should have stopped.

YOu're right, OP. One of the papers ran a story about cyclists failing to stop for pedestrians this past week and I wanted to write in and point out, never mind cyclists, car drivers don't stop!

They're not going to bother with that, op. Getting footage isn't as simple as just ringing up and asking for it. Actual crimes aren't getting investigated for weeks or months, no one is going to give a stuff about a woman not giving way to a pedestrian when no one was hurt.

Yes it did.

This is sadly the truth. My friend had somebody try and climb in her bedroom window while she was having a nap - they thought she'd gone out and left the window open as the lights were out.

Police admitted they had a good idea of who it could be but said they can't send out a fingerprint team unless blood had been spilled. The guy came back later to retrieve his ladder!

Time Everyone read the Highway Code. I have been sworn at when crossing a road where there were two dropped kerbs opposite each other with dimpled paving each side.

The driver wouldn’t get a ticket for stopping in a yellow box to let you cross. The law states that a driver must not enter a yellow box and have to stop in the yellow box ‘due to the presence of a stationary vehicle’.

Stopping in a yellow box to let pedestrians
cross (or even just stopping in a yellow box because you feel it) is not an offence. It only becomes an offence if the reason for stopping is a stationary vehicle blocking your exit.

That could be debated as you should only enter a yellow box if the exit is clear and a pedestrian crossing that road means the exit is not clear - I would expect a possible ticket

It can’t be debated. It is the law. The offence you would be prosecuted under is in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. This specifically states that the offence is stopping in a yellow box ‘due to the presence of a stationary vehicle.

You shouldn’t be issued a ticket for stopping in a yellow box to let pedestrians cross. If you are then it’s because the person issuing it doesn’t understand the law, and you’d be able to successfully appeal to an independent adjudicator.

Rule 174
Box junctions. These have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road (see ‘Road markings’). You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right. At signalled roundabouts you MUST NOT enter the box unless you can cross over it completely without stopping.

nothing in there allowing you to wait for a pedestrian - only for oncoming traffic or queued traffic - very clear that you can only enter a yellow box when the exit is clear - a pedestrian crossing the exit is not a clear exit.