Cyclists and Zebra Crossings

robbies_gal

i was told i only have too stop for a pedestrian waiting at a crossing

someone on a bike no-someone walking their bike yes

although theres been umpteen times bikes just come straight out without stopping and assume their in the right i have to stop or i'll hit them

Strider590

If you don't stop and you hit a cyclist, the cyclist is likely to claim they were on foot and your likely to face charges.

For as much as you may want an excuse to hit cyclists, it's not a good idea.

Just as whilst it may be technically legal to kill a Scotsman in York with a bow and arrow, if you did so I reckon you'd be in pretty deep !!!!!!.

bazster

Strider590 wrote: »

Just as whilst it may be technically legal to kill a Scotsman in York with a bow and arrow, if you did so I reckon you'd be in pretty deep !!!!!!.

You'd get away with it if it were Alex Salmond.

parking_question_chap

What! You mean I am supposed to stop and allow pedestrians to cross?

Retrogamer

parking_question_chap wrote: »

What! You mean I am supposed to stop and allow pedestrians to cross?

Only pedestrians though. If it's a cyclist you're allowed to run them over because they shouldn't be cycling over the crossing.

DaveF327

thescouselander wrote: »

on the contrary, the relevant rules from the highway code are:

I'm well aware of what rules 79 and 195 (as well as the legal regulations) say, although you seem to miss the point of my post.

You're quite right that "all things being right a road user should never be faced with cyclists trying to cross a zebra crossing", but that's not what happened in reality. You said that "my wife was moaning at me for not stopping for a cyclist". In that case, rule 79 has gone out of the window, rule 195 only tells you how to deal with a road user that isn't there, so you now have a split second decision to make. Rules 146 and 147 now come into play. By all means judge the poise of the cyclist, judge his proximity, judge the risk.

All I'm saying is to think outside the box, be prepared to give way even if the status quo isn't exactly "by the book", and never let your pride (or determination to be proved right) allow your judgement to be anything other than professional and courteous.

Your decision to proceed on that day may have been the right one in law, or the wrong one in terms of risk. Nobody will know the answer for sure unless they saw it themselves.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

The main problem with cyclists going across crossings is that they go too fast and can get into all sorts of problems.

You must stop if someone is on the crossing, you must be aware of the needs of vulnerable road users and just because someone does something stupid, it does not give a driver the right to drive without due care and attention.

If a cyclist was waiting patiently at the side of a crossing, I would stop. If a cyclist was pedalling towards a crossing, I'd think about stopping especially if it was a young person on the bike - who wants death or serious injury on their conscience.

As a pedestrian, I quite deliberately step onto the edge of the crossing if I think drivers are taking liberties.

Norman_Castle

IanMSpencer wrote: »

As a pedestrian, I quite deliberately step onto the edge of the crossing if I think drivers are taking liberties.

I lean out and wave at drivers using the, tunnel vision, pretend you can't see them stare.

System

I like the system adopted in Spain by pedestrians (smaller towns, doesn't apply in cities). Pedestrians just step out. It is up to the driver to enure that they can stop. Pedestrians have absolute right when approaching/on a crossing

The one good thing about that system is that the general speed in a town is a quite low and with the Spanish propensity for putting crossings across junctions it just means that all drivers are a lot more careful.
However in cities the major crossings also have a bicycle lane on them (Seville at least) but the cyclists do not go hell for leather on the bike lanes but co-exist quite happily with the pedestrians on the pedestrian portion of the pavement without throwing a tantrum if a pedestrian dare wlk on the cycling portion

Norman_Castle

!!!!!! wrote: »

I like the system adopted in Spain by pedestrians (smaller towns, doesn't apply in cities). Pedestrians just step out. It is up to the driver to enure that they can stop. Pedestrians have absolute right when approaching/on a crossing
The one good thing about that system is that the general speed in a town is a quite low and with the Spanish propensity for putting crossings across junctions it just means that all drivers are a lot more careful.
However in cities the major crossings also have a bicycle lane on them (Seville at least) but the cyclists do not go hell for leather on the bike lanes but co-exist quite happily with the pedestrians on the pedestrian portion of the pavement without throwing a tantrum if a pedestrian dare wlk on the cycling portion

Its possible the cyclists are more relaxed there thanks to the general lower speed and all the drivers that are a lot more careful.
Have you considered the tantrums UK drivers would have if pedestrians just walked out in front of them.