Is stopping at red lights now optional?

facade

diystarter7 said:

Yes, we do but nowhere near as many as the usa right turns on the read were allowed so you dont have to wait for the green arrow like you said. Therefore, I can clearly see a valid reason to consider this option at the next traffic rules change. It would indeed speed up the flow of traffic

One big difference between the UK and the USA (from anecdotes of people who have been, and TV series) is that they don't have pedestrians in the USA.

In the UK we often have crossings at traffic light junctions, and the little green man comes on when all the relevant traffic has a red light- how would being allowed to sail through a red light if you are turning left work if there was a crossing?

Car_54

diystarter7 said:

Car_54 said:

sheramber said:

Norman_Castle said:

Car_54 said:

Norman_Castle said:

It also seems that you now don't have to wait at a zebra crossing if the crossing pedestrian is no longer directly ahead of you.

 

You don’t (and never have). The law says the pedestrian has precedence. That doesn’t mean you have to wait until he has crossed completely.

Are you sure? I've always waited until a pedestrian had fully crossed the road. I don't remember being taught to do this but it was how all drivers treated crossings.

Rule 19

"Zebra crossings. Give traffic plenty of time to see you and to stop before you start to cross. Vehicles will need more time when the road is slippery. Wait until traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before crossing. Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing. Drivers and riders should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross and MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing (see Rule H2). Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped."

The above states drivers must give way to pedestrians on a crossing, it doesn't say only when ahead of you in the lane you are in.

Crossings with central islands are treated as two separate crossings. I've looked online and the only information I can find is rule 20,

Rule 20

"Where there is an island in the middle of a zebra crossing, wait on the island and follow Rule 19 before you cross the second half of the road - it is a separate crossing."

The fact that crossings with central islands are treated as separate crossings needs defining suggests crossings without central islands should be treated as a single crossing and drivers should wait until the crossing is clear.

New rules for zebra crossings 2022

https://www.allenmotorgroup.co.uk/news/new-driving-laws-2022/


Drivers will also have to give way to pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross a parallel crossing or zebra crossing (previously you only had to give way if they’re already on the crossing).

That is not correct. The new Highway Code only says drivers SHOULD give way to pedestrians waiting to cross, not MUST. Rule 195.

Hi

I'm with @shamber as its my understanding as well

Quote from his link

Rule H2: New Priority for Pedestrians at Junctions

At a junction, drivers must give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road from which you are turning in to or out of.

The information on the linked page** is WRONG, possibly as a result of some confusing press releases from the DfT.

What Rule H2 in the new HC actually says is:

"You MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing (see Rule 195).

You SHOULD give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross a parallel crossing."

In other words, failure to give way is a criminal offence if the pedestrian is on the crossing, but not if he is waiting.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/introduction

** The linked page belongs to a car dealer. Some might say that is not an industry that is famous for providing accurate information.

diystarter7

facade said:

diystarter7 said:

Yes, we do but nowhere near as many as the usa right turns on the read were allowed so you dont have to wait for the green arrow like you said. Therefore, I can clearly see a valid reason to consider this option at the next traffic rules change. It would indeed speed up the flow of traffic

One big difference between the UK and the USA (from anecdotes of people who have been, and TV series) is that they don't have pedestrians in the USA.

In the UK we often have crossings at traffic light junctions, and the little green man comes on when all the relevant traffic has a red light- how would being allowed to sail through a red light if you are turning left work if there was a crossing?

Hi

You are right but often these turn right on red lights where allowed are often main road junctions so no people there.

You are right re lack of people and i think they call it 'jay walking' if you cross at a point you are not supposed to

Here in the uk as stated by some poster re trun on green arrow - that too is at a busy junction so no people. However, the usa system is much better but as I said in other posts, they have the space, ie road network/space and often a sperate right turn lane. Works really well.

Thanks

diystarter7

Car_54 said:

diystarter7 said:

Car_54 said:

sheramber said:

Norman_Castle said:

Car_54 said:

Norman_Castle said:

It also seems that you now don't have to wait at a zebra crossing if the crossing pedestrian is no longer directly ahead of you.

 

You don’t (and never have). The law says the pedestrian has precedence. That doesn’t mean you have to wait until he has crossed completely.

Are you sure? I've always waited until a pedestrian had fully crossed the road. I don't remember being taught to do this but it was how all drivers treated crossings.

Rule 19

"Zebra crossings. Give traffic plenty of time to see you and to stop before you start to cross. Vehicles will need more time when the road is slippery. Wait until traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before crossing. Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing. Drivers and riders should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross and MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing (see Rule H2). Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped."

The above states drivers must give way to pedestrians on a crossing, it doesn't say only when ahead of you in the lane you are in.

Crossings with central islands are treated as two separate crossings. I've looked online and the only information I can find is rule 20,

Rule 20

"Where there is an island in the middle of a zebra crossing, wait on the island and follow Rule 19 before you cross the second half of the road - it is a separate crossing."

The fact that crossings with central islands are treated as separate crossings needs defining suggests crossings without central islands should be treated as a single crossing and drivers should wait until the crossing is clear.

New rules for zebra crossings 2022

https://www.allenmotorgroup.co.uk/news/new-driving-laws-2022/


Drivers will also have to give way to pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross a parallel crossing or zebra crossing (previously you only had to give way if they’re already on the crossing).

That is not correct. The new Highway Code only says drivers SHOULD give way to pedestrians waiting to cross, not MUST. Rule 195.

Hi

I'm with @shamber as its my understanding as well

Quote from his link

Rule H2: New Priority for Pedestrians at Junctions

At a junction, drivers must give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road from which you are turning in to or out of.

The information on the linked page** is WRONG, possibly as a result of some confusing press releases from the DfT.

What Rule H2 in the new HC actually says is:

"You MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing (see Rule 195).

You SHOULD give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross a parallel crossing."

In other words, failure to give way is a criminal offence if the pedestrian is on the crossing, but not if he is waiting.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/introduction

** The linked page belongs to a car dealer. Some might say that is not an industry that is famous for providing accurate information.

Hi

I was clearly not talking about pedestrian crossing.

However, the way you are arguing your cause, possibly you have a point but you do have to give way when truning left

Thanks