Zebra Crossing
Discussion
Depends if they were gathering in a facing each other and nattering before splitting up or looking at her to see if she was going to slow down and let them cross kind of way.
Way back there was a thread about someone suddenly running across from the right and diagonally away from the driver that hit them. The rule states that you have to stop for a pedestrian stepping on to the crossing if your vehicle is not already within the bounds of the crossing. It was established that the boundary is the dashed line just before the black and white stripes. This being the case if it looks at all possible that someone will or could step on to the crossing before you reach the dashed line then you really need to be prepared to stop for them, which pretty much means stopping to let them across because they will take your slowing as a sign you are going to do just that.
You can split hairs as to the precise rules, but the only common sense approach with people stood near a zebra is to stop.
Sometimes on a test you just end up with bad timing, I failed my first because the examiner decided I'd pulled out of a junction on an approaching vehicle, I went because it was a reasonable distance away and thought I'd fail for undue hesitancy if I waited. Could have been a similar thing, she wasn't sure if stopping would have looked bad or perhaps thought she would have had to brake a bit hard and it would have looked like she was panicking.
Way back there was a thread about someone suddenly running across from the right and diagonally away from the driver that hit them. The rule states that you have to stop for a pedestrian stepping on to the crossing if your vehicle is not already within the bounds of the crossing. It was established that the boundary is the dashed line just before the black and white stripes. This being the case if it looks at all possible that someone will or could step on to the crossing before you reach the dashed line then you really need to be prepared to stop for them, which pretty much means stopping to let them across because they will take your slowing as a sign you are going to do just that.
You can split hairs as to the precise rules, but the only common sense approach with people stood near a zebra is to stop.
Sometimes on a test you just end up with bad timing, I failed my first because the examiner decided I'd pulled out of a junction on an approaching vehicle, I went because it was a reasonable distance away and thought I'd fail for undue hesitancy if I waited. Could have been a similar thing, she wasn't sure if stopping would have looked bad or perhaps thought she would have had to brake a bit hard and it would have looked like she was panicking.
ConwyC said:
My niece failed her test today.
Says she did not stop for people gathering by a zebra crossing.
I thought it was only obligatory to stop if someone has stepped onto the crossing?
So should she have failed ?
In all likelihood yes (with caveats for not being in the vehicle etc.). If they were at the crossing and wanting to cross, you need to anticipate that they may not wait for the approaching traffic to stop (or may see a vehicle slowing from one direction and not look the other). Says she did not stop for people gathering by a zebra crossing.
I thought it was only obligatory to stop if someone has stepped onto the crossing?
So should she have failed ?
So it may be legal to not stop if they are not on the crossing, but the way I explain it is "if they want to cross and could walk onto the crossing before you get there, you need to stop" - otherwise, what happens if they do walk on at the last second regardless.
Pumpkinz said:
What test sheet - it's all ipads these days... With a bl00dy useless email report that isn nothing like as easy to interpret at a glance...
These have been complained about a lot now. The paper form you could give the candidate and if permitted, the instructor would be allowed to hear the points the candidate failed on and they could go off together to discuss. Now they have to email the candidate who has to print it off for the instructor or log in to their email account and show the instructor the email which takes more time. And that's without considering any tech problems. I think probably everyone's got a crossing-a-zebra-as-a-pedestrian story. Mine was when I had been talking to a friend within feet of the crossing, turned to cross, and a woman - as I stepped on - braked hard to a halt. Fortunately she was on the far side of the road. I pointed at the belisha beacons, at which she wound down her window and said "you're meant to give me some warning".
I was tempted to ask her if I should write her a letter next time advising her of my intentions...
I was tempted to ask her if I should write her a letter next time advising her of my intentions...
waremark said:
hureciamirl1935 said:
It is a requirement that when you get close to the Zebra crossing always slow down and if there is a pedestrian around the crossing allow him or her to pass.
Is it? Or do you mean that you consider it good practice? “you MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing”
So letter of law, I believe OP is correct. It’s not only good practice to slow down as you approach crossings though, it’s good sense and it’s good manners. If you can’t see both sides of the crossing as you approach (queuing cars on the other side of the road for instance), it’s absolutely essential to avoid a potential accident.
That’s not advanced driving, that’s basic stuff.
What is legally allowed and not allowed vs what is needed to pass the test, is not the same thing.
It’s perfectly legal to turn in the road doing a 15 point turn, but it might not garner a pass.
Edited by markyb_lcy on Monday 10th February 23:49
markyb_lcy said:
The only “must” in the HC for zebra crossings is this one afaik...
“you MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing”
So letter of law, I believe OP is correct. It’s not only good practice to slow down as you approach crossings though, it’s good sense and it’s good manners. If you can’t see both sides of the crossing as you approach (queuing cars on the other side of the road for instance), it’s absolutely essential to avoid a potential accident.
That’s not advanced driving, that’s basic stuff.
What is legally allowed and not allowed vs what is needed to pass the test, is not the same thing.
It’s perfectly legal to turn in the road doing a 15 point turn, but it might not garner a pass.
The times I've done a 15 point turn it's been a case of turning the car around while remaining on the driveway! Good practice for a driving test, mind you.“you MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing”
So letter of law, I believe OP is correct. It’s not only good practice to slow down as you approach crossings though, it’s good sense and it’s good manners. If you can’t see both sides of the crossing as you approach (queuing cars on the other side of the road for instance), it’s absolutely essential to avoid a potential accident.
That’s not advanced driving, that’s basic stuff.
What is legally allowed and not allowed vs what is needed to pass the test, is not the same thing.
It’s perfectly legal to turn in the road doing a 15 point turn, but it might not garner a pass.
Edited by markyb_lcy on Monday 10th February 23:49
I nearly 100% agree with Maryb icy.... except the last line ...the turn in the road is no longer an exercise that will be tested on a driving test.... i think it was dropped near on 2 years ago.....
However I still teach it, as if they go wrong on a test and need to turn around if they have entered a no through road, they will be expected to be able to get themselves out of it without prompting....it is also a useful skill to have as we all have to Turn around sometimes....for me it was a mistake to drop it
cheers
However I still teach it, as if they go wrong on a test and need to turn around if they have entered a no through road, they will be expected to be able to get themselves out of it without prompting....it is also a useful skill to have as we all have to Turn around sometimes....for me it was a mistake to drop it
cheers
dvenman said:
I think probably everyone's got a crossing-a-zebra-as-a-pedestrian story. Mine was when I had been talking to a friend within feet of the crossing, turned to cross, and a woman - as I stepped on - braked hard to a halt. Fortunately she was on the far side of the road. I pointed at the belisha beacons, at which she wound down her window and said "you're meant to give me some warning".
I was tempted to ask her if I should write her a letter next time advising her of my intentions...
Most ( but not all) pedestrians will give some sort of indication that they intend to cross by looking both ways perhaps? So, I can sort of understand her point. Personally, I would be very wary of anyone in the vicinity of the crossing and plan accordingly, but a lot don't. Keep doing what you did there mate and one day the car won't stop in time, at least you'll get a good claim in, assuming you're still alive I was tempted to ask her if I should write her a letter next time advising her of my intentions...
7mike said:
Most ( but not all) pedestrians will give some sort of indication that they intend to cross by looking both ways perhaps? So, I can sort of understand her point. Personally, I would be very wary of anyone in the vicinity of the crossing and plan accordingly, but a lot don't. Keep doing what you did there mate and one day the car won't stop in time, at least you'll get a good claim in, assuming you're still alive
I take your point but when in squishy pedestrian mode I treat all car drivers as knobs when using crossings. I was in no danger but it irked me that she had taken no share of the responsibility at all.I would say if they haven't slowed sufficiently expecting a pedestrain to stop then it should be a fail. (IMO)
I tend to assume anyone in the vicinity of the crossing is likely to cross and adjust my speed accordingly. This can mean being virtually at a stop when they decide to change direction and NOT cross. They then get my best paddington bear hard stare when they do that.
I am amazed at how many times recently I have had to sound my horn to prevent a pedestrian from walking out onto a pedestrian crossing simply because the car coming in the other direction (and on the same side of the road as the pedestrian) has no intention of stopping because they haven't even noticed the pedestrian OR, it seems, the crossing. The horn stops the pedestrain and makes the other driver realise what they are doing (normally). I usually get a look of shock and an apology from the other driver when it's a woman, or nothing when it's a bloke in a 4x4 who is just too important to stop, in most cases they are normally on their phone too.
I tend to assume anyone in the vicinity of the crossing is likely to cross and adjust my speed accordingly. This can mean being virtually at a stop when they decide to change direction and NOT cross. They then get my best paddington bear hard stare when they do that.
I am amazed at how many times recently I have had to sound my horn to prevent a pedestrian from walking out onto a pedestrian crossing simply because the car coming in the other direction (and on the same side of the road as the pedestrian) has no intention of stopping because they haven't even noticed the pedestrian OR, it seems, the crossing. The horn stops the pedestrain and makes the other driver realise what they are doing (normally). I usually get a look of shock and an apology from the other driver when it's a woman, or nothing when it's a bloke in a 4x4 who is just too important to stop, in most cases they are normally on their phone too.
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