Highway code question

gwen80

Hi there

Had a bit of a disagreement with a man on Saturday down the road from my place. There's double lines on the road where it joins the main road and a 'Give way' sign. He took exception to the fact that I didn't stop for him to cross the road. As far as I'm concerned, there is no pedestrian crossing there and I am only looking to give way to traffic. Now to be honest, if he appeared to be elderly or disabled, I may well have stopped to let him cross, but the fact was he seemed determined not to stop and to try and prove a point. When I didn't want to stop to let him cross he started shouting and making hand gestures.

Now as far as I'm concerned it's a road, with a give way sign. So to me, traffic has right of way and I give way to traffic on the main road. There he is telling me to read the Highway Code, so just to check myself I've been on the website. Low and behold, a give way sign means I have to give way to 'traffic'. Does anybody know what he was talking about?

G

shaun_from_Africa

Low and behold, a give way sign means I have to give way to 'traffic'. Does anybody know what he was talking about?

If he was already on the road, then yes, you do have to give way to him.

https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/road-junctions-170-to-183

Rule 170
watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way

comeandgo

I would think "traffic" means anything on the road, you seem to be interpreting it as motor vehicles.

Iceweasel

The dictionary definition of 'traffic' includes pedestrians.

You should have treated him as you would a slow moving vehicle - but it sounds like you made him stop or at least alter his plans.

gwen80

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

If he was already on the road, then yes, you do have to give way to him.

https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/road-junctions-170-to-183

He wasn't already crossing the road, but he was determined he was going to.

gwen80

comeandgo wrote: »

I would think "traffic" means anything on the road, you seem to be interpreting it as motor vehicles.

Ok. Yes I do think of traffic as vehicles. That's my understanding of the word. I'll know for future though.

Maestro.

gwen80 wrote: »

He wasn't already crossing the road, but he was determined he was going to.

did he step out in front of you?

gwen80

Maestro. wrote: »

did he step out in front of you?

Yes, I'd almost come to a standstill and was looking for traffic coming from the right. I was about to go and he started crossing the road in front of me. Obviously I wasn't very happy about it and made a hands up in the air gesture. Then he started yelling at me and making rude hand gestures. If he was in such a hurry, he could have easily walked around the back of the car.

Iceweasel

Do you mean that he stepped off the pavement?

Or was there not a pavement?

If he stepped off the pavement I suggest that he was in the wrong.

If there was no pavement then I would deem him to be 'road traffic' and should have been allowed to continue without interruption by you.

Thank God you didn't actually make physical contact with him or a gaggle of lawyers and solicitors would be rubbing their hands with anticipatory glee.

Maestro.

It sounds to me like he was in the wrong. However I don't know if I've got the "picture" of the junction quite right so can't say for sure.

facade

If you read the Highway Code, you MUST give way to pedestrians crossing the junction ONLY if you are turning INTO it FROM the main road.

You are at liberty to run them down if you are emerging FROM the junction and they try to cross in front of you.

Utterly crazy if you ask me when the pavement appears to carry on across the junction, what are pedestrians supposed to do?