Your bad driving encounters

Brun said:
The Highway Code rule about giving way to pedestrians (170) is in the section 'Juctions 170-183'. Roundabouts is completely separate, 184-190.

www.gov.uk

The Highway Code - Using the road (159 to 203) - Guidance - GOV.UK

Rules for using the road, including general rules, overtaking, road junctions, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings and reversing.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
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The update ( https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-highway-code-8-changes-you-need-to-know-from-29-january-2022 ) has caused a lot of confusion and even the DVSA don't seem entirely sure. Rule 187 in theory would have guidance if you were expected to utilise the new hierarchy stuff when approaching or leaving a roundabout but doesn't. In many cases though it is a terrible idea at roundabouts especially as so many people aren't clued up on the new rules especially pedestrians who it often confuses and just causes more issues.
 
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The main issue I have with these new rules is that as I predicted when they were announced, prior to coming into effect, pedestrians have COMPLETELY mis-interpreted them and think that it gives them carte blanche to just walk out into the road anywhere without notice. Additionally they think that the red pedestrian stop/wait signal at light controlled crossing no longer applies.


Another issue and I've seen it numerous times, the HC specifies the pedestrian WAITING to cross yet pedestrians just walk straight across, not breaking their stride or even looking around them to make sure it's safe.

As I said at the time and continue to assert, these new rules are dangerous. They were not thought through and were rushed through at the behest of overzealous "road-safety" groups.
 
Having read the few replies above I think that its fine to stop when approaching the entry to the roundabout and letting pedestrians cross. If you are exiting the roundabout, this is where potential issues come from being rear ended etc as you are essentially stopped on the roundabout itself.
 
Resident said:
Another issue and I've seen it numerous times, the HC specifies the pedestrian WAITING to cross yet pedestrians just walk straight across, not breaking their stride or even looking around them to make sure it's safe.
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The whole point is that the onus is on the driver to make sure it's safe to turn into or out of a junction. It's really not that complicated.
 
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Brun said:
The whole point is that the onus is on the driver to make sure it's safe to turn into or out of a junction. It's really not that complicated.
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As with almost everything which appears "simple" on paper, when translated to the real world it does become rather more complicated. It's also not just about making sure it's safe, as you (the driver) are now required to give way to a pedestrian waiting to cross.


This is compounded by the fact that these changes weren't exactly advertised particularly well. I regularly encounter plenty of both drivers and pedestrians who are still oblivious to them 3 years later! (the usual "issues" being either the driver who beeps behind you aggressively for daring to stick to the highway code, or the pedestrian who looks straight at you with a confused look while you slow and stop to allow them to cross, before it finally dawns on them, and they then wave you through anyway.)
 
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Yesterday I saw a driving instructor with pupil turn into a road with quite a few people clearly trying to cross but they just carried on and ignored the pedestrians
 
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Some absolute ****** at work has hit my car and of course, they've not left a note or left a message with reception.

I have one of those dashcams that you got by replacing the shroud around the rear view mirror, powered by connecting to the electronics in that area.

The app for the dashcams has three areas: Loop where it saves 1min clips as you drive, parked which I assume is for recordings when the gyroscope is activated and locked. Locked I'm not clear on but seems to save the first 1 min clip after engine starts and last 1 min clip when engine is turned off.

However, it saved a random clip of a Honda Civic parking next to me about 40 mins after I left the car. So I think this car may have hit me and started the recording, but I only see the aftermath which is them having a second attempt at reverse parking next to me. So not quite clear cut but strange they're the only clip I've seen in this locked folder where it's not me either starting or ending my journey.

I just hope the CCTV at work picks up me being hit.




 
One of my pet hates tonight - got behind someone dawdling about doing 10MPH below the speed limit, got out on a decent bit of road and pulled out to overtake and they match me all the way to the speed limit... good thing I had plenty of road to play with. Then once I'd pulled in ahead of them I quickly left them behind as they resumed dawdling about well below the speed limit. If we'd been going to the same place I'd have asked them if they were ******* stupid.
 
Richie said:
Having read the few replies above I think that its fine to stop when approaching the entry to the roundabout and letting pedestrians cross. If you are exiting the roundabout, this is where potential issues come from being rear ended etc as you are essentially stopped on the roundabout itself.
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There's a few on the roundabouts near where I live and I think it's very dangerous for the same reasons. Too much going on in a short space of time.
 
Brun said:
The whole point is that the onus is on the driver to make sure it's safe to turn into or out of a junction. It's really not that complicated.
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So personal responsibility for your own safety goes out the window when you're a pedestrian?

Might go walk down the M1. If a car hits me it's their fault with your view of the new rules.
 
Resident said:
So personal responsibility for your own safety goes out the window when you're a pedestrian?

Might go walk down the M1. If a car hits me it's their fault with your view of the new rules.
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Poor choice of example, pedestrians are explicitly not allowed on the motorway :p

Also, I'm fairly sure there are no side roads on the M1
 
tonys said:
I was brought up to stop, look listen and then cross if it's safe to do so which means to me after a car has passed you and not before.
Simple common sense that most people seem to have lost in these nanny state years.
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This still applies, given that nothing in the rules says said drivers should give priority to pedestrians waiting to cross a road.
 
In the context of the discussion I assumed the distinction between crossing a road and crossing a junction was obvious.

What winds me up about those complaining about the 'new rules' is that they were only revised because drivers didn't pay enough attention to the previous ones. Prior to Jan 2022, rule 170 said "Watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way." Instead, pedestrians were expected to get out of the way of any junction a driver was turning into, regardless of whether they were already crossing. It became assumed that simply approaching a junction while indicating meant that pedestrians should give way, which has never been the case.
 
Haggisman said:
This is compounded by the fact that these changes weren't exactly advertised particularly well. I regularly encounter plenty of both drivers and pedestrians who are still oblivious to them 3 years later! (the usual "issues" being either the driver who beeps behind you aggressively for daring to stick to the highway code, or the pedestrian who looks straight at you with a confused look while you slow and stop to allow them to cross, before it finally dawns on them, and they then wave you through anyway.)
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This is the problem TBH. I always think of motor racing. Cars whipping round a track inches off each others bumpers and yet collisions are relatively rare. Why? Because everyone is doing what each other expects.

That is why generally, if there are other cars around, I won't stop on a junction if there is someone waiting to cross because the vast majority of drivers aren't expecting you to do that and that is what causes collisions. People are also so laser focussed on the little patch of road in front of them. Saw a great example yesterday with a car pulling over, the Fiat Panda behind weaves around them and was still mid 'hand in the air - "what are you doing"' to the other driver as the ambulance (which was the reason the first car pulled over) nearly rear ends them with their blues on. Totally oblivious.
 
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