Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

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Sat 24 Aug 2019 13:52

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - oldroverboy.

Was driving up the road this morning and saw a lady crossing the road from my right just ahead of me, (she was in the road, but still theoretically on the opposite side, approaching the centre, I was going slowly as had just come round a corner, so stopped easily and waved to continue.

Oik in his Mercedes 500 SL cabriolet behind came around the corner a bit quicker than me gave a good blast on the horn and threw his hands up and gesticulated at me.

Unusually for me, I got out, walked back and said I stopped because there was a lady crossing the road with a pram and children, as you can see.

Mr Oik not happy, muttered that i couldn't drive.. said maybe, but i am thinking of pedestrians and kids, and you are an a***h***.

Have a nice day and be grateful that i stopped for them as if i hadn't you would have hit them.

I know it isn't in the Highway code (or is it) but it comes under safety for other road users????

Edited by oldroverboy. on 24/08/2019 at 13:55

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Sat 24 Aug 2019 15:22

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - nellyjak

sadly ORB it just proves how little patience and awareness there is on today's roads.

Though I confess I would not have got out of my vehicle...you simply don't know who or what you might be faced with.

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Sat 24 Aug 2019 15:53

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - focussed

If the crossing does not have a centre island/refuge and is one crossing from kerb to kerb, you are correct ORB in that you should give priority to the pedestrian on the crossing, as should traffic from both directions.

If the crossing has a centre island or refuge this changes the rules so that the crossing becomes two separate crossings, you do not then have to give way to a pedestrian who is crossing on the other side of the island/refuge.

I just checked the highway code and it hasn't changed recently.

Rules for pedestrians 19 and 20.

Edited by focussed on 24/08/2019 at 15:57

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Sat 24 Aug 2019 16:38

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - Manatee

Did ORB say it was a crossing?

Still not a problem for me to stop. With a gaggle of children, better safe than sorry and if you are in a position to see them safely across rather than asserting your right of way, why not?

Just have to be careful that there is no possibility of them being run over by somebody else when you have stopped, e.g. by somebody in an adjacent lane.

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Sat 24 Aug 2019 20:16

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - mcb100

My only issue is with waving people to cross roads, emerge from junctions, etc. I will, by all means, stop, slow down to assist other drivers or pedestrians, but I won’t make their decision for them. I once had a car written off by an oncoming, right turning, car having been waved or beckoned to carry out the manoeuvre by a driver who hadn’t seen me going straight ahead at the junction.

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Sat 24 Aug 2019 21:25

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - Zippy123

As a rule I will let people cross, if halfway across a road and not on a crossing - it's safer than loitering in the middle of road.

I see some drivers do not stop when they see people waiting at a crossing and will only stop when people are on a crossing.

At a busy local crossing with a secondary and junior school near each other and no lollipop person, cars were not even stopping when kids were on the crossing.

The police turned up on random school mornings with video cameras and several dozen fines were issued.

It's always nice to get an acknowledgement from someone crossing; be it a nod of acknowledgement or wave of thanks. Some can be surprising - the tough looking tattooed oik last week waved a thanks and children who wave a thanks always get a wave back :-)

Soft things get hurt if you hit them!

Edited by Zippy123 on 24/08/2019 at 21:48

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Sat 24 Aug 2019 21:49

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - focussed

Two points - it doesn't actually matter if it isn't a marked crossing, pedestrians have priority as soon as they put a foot onto the road, and it is unwise to wave pedestrians across as if they suffer any accident "they are crossing the road at your invitation" and if an accident were to happen there is a small chance you could be held liable.

What was always taught was to catch the pedestrian's eye and nod your head - that doesn't count as an invitation.

Edited by focussed on 24/08/2019 at 21:54

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Sun 25 Aug 2019 00:21

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - sammy1

As a pedestrian and a driver I have had cars stop for me as I wait to cross the road and invite me to cross. I always ignore the invitation as often there is a car barrelling up behind them and some do get impatient. However as a driver I usually let pedestrians cross at a road junction especially if I am queueing. I think that the pedestrians are responsible for there own safety. Also in todays traffic it can take for ever to cross two lanes

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Sun 25 Aug 2019 11:51

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - Lee Power

When I'm in pedestrian mode waiting to cross the road I to will ignore any drivers invitation to cross the road, the best thing the driver can do is not stop, just carry on driving - I'll decide when it's safe for me to cross.

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Sun 25 Aug 2019 15:32

Pedestrian with pram and children - Crossing the road, Courtesy - corax

When I'm in pedestrian mode waiting to cross the road I to will ignore any drivers invitation to cross the road, the best thing the driver can do is not stop, just carry on driving - I'll decide when it's safe for me to cross.

What if there is a constant stream of moving traffic at rush hour, you ignore invitations and there is no crossing near by?

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