View Single Post
  #15  
Old August 31st 18, 03:10 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling,uk.transport
TMS320
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,875
Default Interesting Article On How Cars Took Over the Road

On 31/08/18 13:13, NY wrote:

Being obliged to give way to pedestrians who are actually crossing (ie
they're already in the road) makes a lot of sense, on a best-endeavours
basis if not a legal obligation, just as you would do you best to avoid
someone crossing anywhere else. But does UK and US law actually require
you to stop for someone who is waiting on the pavement to cross: is
there a portion of every road junction which has *implicit*
zebra-crossing rules?


Whether or not it is law, I find a noticeable difference in culture. The
best we get in the UK is that it is wrong to run someone over that is
already crossing. Quite different to actual give way.

In the US, as mainland Europe, vehicles and pedestrians going straight
on at traffic lights are treated as equal and pedestrians have strict
priority over turning vehicles. They will get green lights at the same
time. In the UK, a pedestrian phase always turns vehicular traffic
lights red.

So in the US, there seems to be little practical difference whether the
light is red or green for right turning vehicles.

Also, in the US where there are sidewalks and junctions do not have
traffic lights, they often paint two white lines, sometimes with zebra
stripes and/or advance stop lines, to show the continuation of the
sidewalk. This is also becoming practice on mainland Europe, either by
whitelining or texture. Compare with junctions in the UK where even on
residential roads the give way line only demarks the carriageway.

In other words, I am sure traffic lights and white lining promote the
culture. I have encountered many that stop on a look.

As a pedestrian, I would never step off the pavement unless I could see
that the road was clear: I would never *make* a car stop for me with the
single exception of a zebra crossing.


That's the observed behaviour of most pedestrians in the UK, which
drivers have come to take advantage of. It requires agility and a plan B
to assert your rights. And we don't have presumed liability as a backup.
Ads
 

Home - Home - Home - Home - Home