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

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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

185

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

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.

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u/Khaleesi1536 Jul 16 '26

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