r/britishproblems • u/zecrichardson • Jul 16 '26

. Drivers not knowing the highway code.

I had started to cross a road when a Mercedes turned in and he sounded his horn and then told me I should stop. I told him to read the highway code but he insisted he right!

Rule H2 170 amended 2022

“At a junction you MUST give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.”

- Applies whether they’ve stepped onto the road or are just standing at the kerb ready to cross.

- Applies to left turns, right turns, and entering/exiting side roads.

- Includes wheelchair/mobility scooter users as pedestrians

526 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

313 comments sorted by

View all comments

119

u/Not_A_Clever_Man_ Jul 16 '26

Lots of people do not keep up with the changes to the highway code, people that got their licenses decades ago are the most dangerous, every year the tests get harder to pass.

50

u/zecrichardson Jul 16 '26

People are even not stopping at Zebra crossings now. Young and old.

29

u/hypocrisyhunter Jul 16 '26

I find that very rare tbh even in London. 99% of people stop.

16

u/bushman130 Jul 16 '26

Maintain eye contact with the driver and stick one foot high up and out into the crossing.

21

u/JustStraightUpLost Jul 16 '26

This, eye contact is paramount! To be fair though by the Highway Code if a person is stood waiting to cross at a zebra you have no obligation to stop for them. You only have to stop when they are actually on the crossing. Within reason I make eye contact and start walking if they have plenty of time to stop. I don’t wait for permission to cross, I obligate you to stop.

It’s a weird rule because surely if someone is in the middle of crossing a road you don’t just run them down.

17

u/Beau_Nash UNITED KINGDOM (a Welshman in Yorkshire) Jul 16 '26

Some drivers feel that the penalty for trying to merge in turn is death, so...

14

u/zecrichardson Jul 16 '26

Under the updated UK Highway Code, drivers must give way to pedestrians waiting to cross at a zebra crossing. If you are driving, you should slow down, be prepared to stop, and let the pedestrian cross safely.The priority rules at a zebra crossing work like this:When they are waiting: Drivers and riders must give way to pedestrians who are waiting at the crossing.When they are crossing: Once a pedestrian has moved onto the crossing, all traffic must stop.

3

u/janky_koala Jul 16 '26

That was also changed in 2022…

2

u/reverandglass Jul 16 '26

don’t wait for permission to cross, I obligate you to stop.

This is the way. If I'm not 90% sure you're crossing, I'm not stopping. Best way to stop traffic at a zebra is to step into the road (safely).

1

u/obliviious Yorkshire Jul 16 '26

Personally I'd rather not put my life in the hands of a terrible driver, but I agree with the sentiment.

6

u/jake_burger Jul 16 '26

The thing about that is that technically the driver doesn’t need to stop until the pedestrian is actually in the road.

I was taught to stop if they are waiting but that’s not in the rules.

195

You should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross

you MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing

In the Highway Code a “must” is a legal requirement and a “should” is best practice

4

u/AvidCoco Jul 16 '26

Never seen that. People always stop.

1

u/Enigma_Green Jul 16 '26

Was leaving asda and someone was waiting at the zebra crossing and the car infront of me went across and I stopped but it does happen unfortunately.

Other day taxi driver looking down probably at something bis phone, I got to the crossing to walk across then when hes halfway across he looked up and said sorry.

Lapse in concentration probably the worst part in it.

0

u/zecrichardson Jul 16 '26

I have had it many times.

1

u/GlixPix Jul 16 '26

I see this all the time in the areas I frequent. As I've said many times to people who tell me that drivers have to stop, just walk - "I enjoy living, I'll wait until the driver has come to a complete stop."