On 05/09/18 09:31, NY wrote:
On 04/09/18 21:37, TMS320 wrote:
On 04/09/18 21:30, NY wrote:
On 04/09/18 21:24, TMS320 wrote:

When walking left/right, the pavement ought to be be treated as
continuous just as the carriageway is continuous for vehicles going
left/right.

It is continuous except for the implied give way "line" at every kerb
edge, including the point at which the pedestrian crosses the side
road and then continues along the main road.

The "implied give way" is for drivers crossing the pavement.

I wonder if it would help in enforcing the
driver-gives-way-to-pedestrians anomaly if the pavement was continued
across the side road at the same level, and cars had to drive over a
speed hump consisting of that pavement, as a reminder that they have to
give way in this special case.

Giving way to traffic when turning is not a special case. You get a nice
clear line on the entry to side turnings. All that's missing is an
advance line and/or zebra stripes for vehicles exiting the side turning.

This is the kind of thing that can be found in the US:
https://goo.gl/maps/Vx8MQrRvh7H2

Parts of mainland Europe have variations on it, often using texture, but
here is an example of the use of paint in France:
https://goo.gl/maps/6syM2izgrCC2

Having continuous tarmac for the road, and a kerb down from the pavement
onto the road, tends to give the message that (as in all other cases
except zebra crossings) cars have priority over pedestrians.

I still think it is a stupid rule, and that drivers *should* have
priority over pedestrians as they are turning into or out of a side
road, but if our Lords and Masters want to do it the other way round for
some weird reason, then we need to make it clear by means of road
markings who has priority. Putting it in the Highway Code is no
substitute for proper road markings, as you get at zebra crossings.

Pedestrians and drivers are all people travelling from place to place. A
person should not have priority just because they are using a car. You
want rules based on an arms race.

Next we need to tackle those really idiotic cycle lanes along the side
of the road. They are eminently sensible - except coming up to a
junction when IMHO they should be discontinued so a left-turning vehicle
can position itself in the correct location (close to the kerb) and
vehicles that want to go straight on either have to wait behind it or
(if there is space) overtake it on the right. Marked cycle lanes require
a left-turning vehicle to position itself further from the kerb than a
cyclist that wants to go straight on, and (in theory) to give way to
that cyclist.

In free flow a cycle lane makes no difference because if a cyclist runs
into a left turning vehicle, the driver must have overtaken too close to
the junction and cannot claim the cyclist was never in clear sight. If
the driver is in a queue that is slower than cyclists, the driver
wanting to turn has plenty of time to look around.

Precedence for cycle lanes exist anywhere a line is painted along a
road. Bus lanes work exactly like cycle lanes except the unobservant
left turner will suffer more damage. On motorways & dual carriageways
isn't it proper to check space behind before crossing the line?

Would you apply your magic lane disappearance act to bus lanes?

I would make it a capital offence (!) to overtake any
vehicle on the side that it is indicating - with specific reference to
cyclists doing it.

Would you apply this offence to bus drivers in bus lanes? There are
circumstances where there is nothing wrong for a cyclist to overtake on
the left, even when left indicators are on.

When I'm cycling, I obey the same rules as if I was driving: if
something ahead is blocking me, I wait (patiently or impatiently) behind
it or else I overtake on the opposite side to the way it is indicating
if it is safe to do so; I *always* obey zebra crossings and traffic
lights. I think I'm very much in the minority with this.

I follow the rules. But when I overtake, left or right, it is not on the
basis of indicators but on whether the vehicle in front has space in
front of it to move. So when overtaking a slow moving queue, I am always
watching the vehicles ahead of the one I am behind before deciding
whether to wait or go. It must be safe to go past a vehicle that can't
physically move.