Is it illegal to give up your right of way?

Trebor16

reeac wrote: »

If the road behind is empty then there's noone being inconvenienced.

So why bother slowing down then and letting someone else out if the road is empty? The car in the side turning will be able to pull out as soon as the car on the main road has gone. In the meantime there is no deceleration/acceleration cycle for the car on the main road to go through and therefore an improvement in efficiency.

warehouse

On my driving test, right at the end I was attempting waiting to turn right into the driving centre. Someone coming towards me flashed their lights. I didn't turn right as I knew it was a signal to let me know they were there, and I had absolutely no right of way. The examiner looked at me but I didn't move. The other driver flashed again and then stopped, and only then did I turn right, even though I still really didn't want to.

I passed, but the examiner said I shouldn't have hesitated when flashed and that they had only just passed me because of it. I didn't argue because I wanted to get my certificate and get the heck out of there, but it still annoys me to this day, (30 years later), that the person examining me didn't seem to know the highway code as well as I did!

JimmyTheWig

Not sure about illegality, but I know that only police officers have the right to direct traffic.

aliasojo

A chap I know flashed someone to help them out of a junction. There was an accident as a result and he got charged. I can't remember exactly what with so I wont make it up, but I remember him having to go to court.

epninety

Strider590 wrote: »

I was behind a somewhat elderly fellow, who was being very kind and stopping at every junction to let cars out on a 40mph road.
It confuses people too, they see the guy slowing down, but they're hesitant to move because he's not turning!!!

At the risk of starting another rant about foreigners, possibly he was a visitor from a country where priority is given to joining traffic unless signposted otherwise?

Given how few British drivers seem to bother to learn local rules when they travel abroad, no reason to expect our visitors to do any different :rotfl:

pitkin2020

vax2002 wrote: »

Misplaced courtesy is a huge factor in many accidents and damned annoying if you are stuck behind some idiot dishing it out with an empty road behind you.
I often find a good 5 second blast on the horn reminds the idiot that they are other people on the road attempting to get somewhere today.

Trebor16 wrote: »

So why bother slowing down then and letting someone else out if the road is empty? The car ion the side turning will be able to pull out as soon as the car on the main road has gone. In the meantime there is no deceleration/accelaration cycle for the car on the main road to go through and therefore an improvement in efficiency.

reeac wrote: »

If the road behind is empty then there's noone being inconvenienced.

Trying reading the post, Vax has said HE was having to slow down to let people out with an empty road behind him, because he is stuck behind SOMEONE who is slowing down to let people out when there is only 1 car behind them and an empty road behind that car. They are causing an inconvenience to that car behind them when there is no need.

OP Its not illegal to give up your right way. I don't quite understand why you would think its against the law??

pitkin2020

aliasojo wrote: »

A chap I know flashed someone to help them out of a junction. There was an accident as a result and he got charged. I can't remember exactly what with so I wont make it up, but I remember him having to go to court.

Careless driving or driving without due care and attention more than likely. He wouldn't have been charged with "giving up his right of way"

Its not illegal to overtake but if you were to over take and cause an accident you could be charged with a driving offence. Its no different to flashing someone out of a junction, if an accident were to occur you could have committed a driving offence.

vax2002

I did see an "accident " many years ago caused by such silly behaviour, on a main road and I can hear a fire engine hurtling down the outside, silly old get in front flashes a car out of the sidestreet and the woman turns straight in to the path of the overtaking fire engine, lights, bull horns, sirens, one large intake of breath waiting for the bump, but she was hit by a van coming the other way first and spun round in to a bus stop, the fire engine stopped, which was just as well as they ended up cutting her free.
The silly old git that flashed her out drove off over the plastic and glass!

maninthestreet

vax2002 wrote: »

I did see an "accident " many years ago caused by such silly behaviour, on a main road and I can hear a fire engine hurtling down the outside, silly old get in front flashes a car out of the sidestreet and the woman turns straight in to the path of the overtaking fire engine, lights, bull horns, sirens, one large intake of breath waiting for the bump, but she was hit by a van coming the other way first and spun round in to a bus stop, the fire engine stopped, which was just as well as they ended up cutting her free.
The silly old git that flashed her out drove off over the plastic and glass!

The cause of the accident was the women driver who didn't check that it was safe to pull out of the side street.

C_Mababejive

The only time i relinquish my right to "way" in accordance with the highway code, or respond to someone else giving way when they shouldnt is when;

a)it would assist the flow of traffic
b)It would avoid an accident or a high potential for danger

In all other circumstances, i wait for them to wake up and act in accordance with the highway code.

This kind of misplaced courtesy is becoming as much the norm as the centre lane owners club on motorways.