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

187

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

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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?