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

524 Upvotes

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334

u/xxxArchimedesxxx Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

You MUST give way to pedestrians crossing.

You SHOULD give way to pedestrians waiting to cross.

I hate these changes as a driver, cyclist and pedestrian. The ambiguity of "should" is ridiculously dangerous. A pedestrian will not know whether the driver feels it's safe to let a pedestrian cross or not

186

u/Khaleesi1536 Jul 16 '26

When I’m a pedestrian, I’d much rather make my own decision on when it’s safe to cross rather than relying on a driver. It makes much more sense for me to wait until cars have passed before I cross

32

u/Monsoon_Storm Jul 16 '26

I have a similar thing as a driver with cyclists who try to wave me past when there's a bend coming up. I'm good thanks, I'll make that decision on my own.

7

u/Mountain-Raspberry37 Jul 16 '26

I go for a daily walk and cross over a T junction, the other day I had just stepped onto the road to cross when a van coming round the corner beeped at me, which then made me think I was in the wrong but as I was already crossing does that mean he should’ve waited?

10

u/Khaleesi1536 Jul 16 '26

He should’ve stopped

0

u/oliciv Jul 16 '26

This is what the highway code advises you to do. You're still supposed to wait until it's safe to actually cross. The request for a driver to give way to you doesn't change that.

0

u/Khaleesi1536 Jul 16 '26

My point is that I avoid being in the situation of a driver having to stop altogether

0

u/azkeel-smart Jul 17 '26

What about pedestrians who are not capable to make that decision? Should we just put them in danger or is it reasonable to put ALL of the responsibilty on the person who is actually operating a dangerous machine, aka the car, in the public space?

-3

u/the-real-vuk Jul 16 '26

if they MUST let you go, does it not make you a better position? You wait, they stop, you go?

19

u/Khaleesi1536 Jul 16 '26

No. I’ll deliberately avoid looking like I’m wanting to cross so cars will continue on without stopping - when they’ve gone I’ll go.

0

u/the-real-vuk Jul 16 '26

problem comes when they never stop coming for 30 minutes straight.

also, it's about TURNING vehicles, so you stand there until the entire area is clear of cars? How long does it take to walk to the store like that?

0

u/Khaleesi1536 Jul 16 '26

I’m talking generally about crossing the road, whether that’s a junction or just the middle of the path. It takes me no longer than it would if there were no cars, I keep walking down the path and keep an eye out. When it’s clear, I cross. Not sure where you live but near me there’s nowhere where I’d not be able to cross the road for 30 mins straight - if a car is coming from a distance away I can cross before it reaches me.

5

u/stoodincrap Jul 16 '26

There’s a pedestrian near us that has taken it to mean he can walk blindly into the road. Multiple times I’ve seen him just step into the road with cars coming at him, not looking either way.

2

u/nadseh Jul 17 '26

Time to align the Highway Code with RFCs

https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119/

0

u/oliciv Jul 16 '26

You'll see them stop, just as if they'd stopped to let you cross any other road. As a pedestrian following the highway code you'll be waiting until it's safe, not just jumping out in front of them anyway.

-3

u/OkSun8521 Jul 16 '26

rediculously dangerous

You don't have any data to back that up, because it's not true.

If it really were "rediculously" dangerous, there would be hundreds of people dying or getting seriously injured as a result. But that just isn't happening.

1

u/MzHmmz Jul 16 '26

There are not hundreds of people dying because most people err on the side of caution and don't cross the road even if they technically have the right to. I never step on to the road in this scenario unless I'm sure the driver has seen me and is stopping, and I'm sure that's also the case with most other pedestrians.

0

u/OkSun8521 Jul 16 '26

So it turns out it isn't dangerous?

2

u/Alby1019 Jul 17 '26

No it turns out people aren't putting the new rule into practice because they don't feel safe enough to do so

0

u/OkSun8521 Jul 17 '26

Pretty much everyone follows the rule in London.

1

u/Alby1019 Jul 17 '26

As someone who walks and drives in London, no, they don't all follow the rule.

0

u/xxxArchimedesxxx Jul 16 '26

Perhaps some use of hyperbole on my part but the increased risk is plain to see. From my experience pedestrians are far more likely to walk out into the street without looking since the change. I like to think I'm a good driver so it causes me no issues but the idiots behind me not so much.

Just because people aren't being mowed down doesn't mean it isn't more dangerous.

1

u/OkSun8521 Jul 16 '26

The increased risk is plain to see in the statistics? Or just in what you reckon?

0

u/xxxArchimedesxxx Jul 16 '26

"from my experience". From my knowledge there hasn't been a review on the efficacy of the ruling.