The Highway code / Safe Driving

[bigjohnritchie]

I agree with this, to make our roads safer....BUTit is going to take a seismic change in our mindset and practice in the UK.
Clearly pedestrians and cyclists will sensibly still have to look out for their own safety, being the ones with most to lose.
It is a code of practice not a law as such BUT if a motorist is taken to court fir turning right into a junction and hitting a pedestrian , presumably the driver will be deemrd" not driving with due care and attention"....the onus for the responsibility for safety has more Clearly passed to the driver .
I think that we have accepted " car is king" for too long.


Basically...if you are going straight on , you have priority.
Have a look at the video which explains it well.
( It's still awaiting Parliamentary approval)







m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2139060736241861&id=143233165824638


Pedestrians get priority as UK unveils changes to Highway Code | Road transport | The Guardian
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/30/pedestrians-get-priority-as-uk-unveils-changes-to-highway-code

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-the-highway-code-to-improve-road-safety-for-cyclists-pedestrians-and-horse-riders/summary-of-the-consultation-proposals-on-a-review-of-the-highway-code

[RF10]

I tend always tend to stop if I see a pedestrian waiting to cross over from the junction about to turn in on, a lot of the time I find you get waved on by the pedestrians. Some road though can be equally difficult just to stop on. The one way system around Stoke in front of Sainsburys being one of them.

[bigjohnritchie]

Jul 31, 2021 9:15:14 GMT RF10 said:

I tend always tend to stop if I see a pedestrian waiting to cross over from the junction about to turn in on, a lot of the time I find you get waved on by the pedestrians. Some road though can be equally difficult just to stop on. The one way system around Stoke in front of Sainsburys being one of them.

Good points there RF.

I suppose " common sense" has to come into play as well.

[farnborostokie63]

I don't think common sense and driving go together

[andystokey]

I always thought pedestrians who were already crossing the junction had right of way in the HC when I did my test anyway. Some drivers don't give a toss about that. Clearly they wouldn't start to turn if the junction wasn't clear from a car or lorry but think its OK if its a pedestrian or cyclist.

Some drivers have no empathy for the soft flesh and bone from inside their metal box with belts and multiple air bags and crumple zones. Weird.

[RF10]

Jul 31, 2021 9:44:47 GMT farnborostokie63 said:

I don't think common sense and driving go together

Of course they do.

You are driving down the the A50 / A500 during a busy time but you have a road clear ahead of you on the left lane. When approching a slip rod common sense should tell you there's a possiblity a car will be joining the A50 on possibly a short slip road so you move over to allow car to join easy, if you stay on left lane which you are entitled to do so this can cause issues for the said car to join and a lot of accidents occur in this manner.

[iancransonsknees]

Is there anything in there about mandatory head protection for cyclists, or their God given right to wear ear buds/arsehole footballer head phones whilst cycling?

[bigjohnritchie]

Jul 31, 2021 9:59:40 GMT andystokey said:

I always thought pedestrians who were already crossing the junction had right of way in the HC when I did my test anyway. Some drivers don't give a toss about that. Clearly they wouldn't start to turn if the junction wasn't clear from a car or lorry but think its OK if its a pedestrian or cyclist.

Some drivers have no empathy for the soft flesh and bone from inside their metal box with belts and multiple air bags and crumple zones. Weird.

That's true Andy about the pedestrian already crossing, but the new proposal is that a driver , say turning left into a junction, should now give way/ stop for the pedestrian on the pavement waiting to cross. I think it is an attempt to change the mindset and driving culture ......pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, horse riders are all "road" users, all on a journey ....why should the driver have priority?(the obvious answer is because
they are protected, there are more of them, the others will come off worse in an accident but it seems that this is an attempt to change behaviour...let's try to be more considerate of others)

[lawrieleslie]

Jul 31, 2021 12:05:23 GMT bigjohnritchie said:

Jul 31, 2021 9:59:40 GMT andystokey said:

I always thought pedestrians who were already crossing the junction had right of way in the HC when I did my test anyway. Some drivers don't give a toss about that. Clearly they wouldn't start to turn if the junction wasn't clear from a car or lorry but think its OK if its a pedestrian or cyclist.

Some drivers have no empathy for the soft flesh and bone from inside their metal box with belts and multiple air bags and crumple zones. Weird.

That's true Andy about the pedestrian already crossing, but the new proposal is that a driver , say turning left into a junction, should now give way/ stop for the pedestrian on the pavement waiting to cross. I think it is an attempt to change the mindset and driving culture ......pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, horse riders are all "road" users, all on a journey ....why should the driver have priority?(the obvious answer is because
they are protected, there are more of them, the others will come off worse in an accident but it seems that this is an attempt to change behaviour...let's try to be more considerate of others)

Can agree that giving way to pedestrians when turning left. But doing a right turn across a busy junction and then giving way to a pedestrian can cause serious issue for a driver following me, not spotting the pedestrian and being stuck across traffic coming from the opposite direction whilst the pedestrian walks across the road.

[franklin]

I passed my test with the highway code but learnt to drive with Roadcraft a much better way to learn how to drive.

[mtrstudent]

Jul 31, 2021 11:16:11 GMT iancransonsknees said:

Is there anything in there about mandatory head protection for cyclists, or their God given right to wear ear buds/arsehole footballer head phones whilst cycling?

California law says max one earphone if you're operating a vehicle.

Sensible compromise?

I see some wearing their one earphone in the road-side ear though.

[felonious]

Jul 31, 2021 9:15:14 GMT RF10 said:

I tend always tend to stop if I see a pedestrian waiting to cross over from the junction about to turn in on, a lot of the time I find you get waved on by the pedestrians. Some road though can be equally difficult just to stop on. The one way system around Stoke in front of Sainsburys being one of them.

I used to until some years back I let an elderly man across the road in Crewe only to see the idiotic driver coming the other way hit him. Fortunately he was lifted on to the bonnet and slid back down with no injuries. 

[heworksardtho]

Drive over 40 thousand miles a year , follow the mad max Highway Code , intimidating etc