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kev-s wrote:

Not defending the drivers who didnt stop to let the woman and baby cross but legally you dont need to stop at a zebra crossing unless a person has stepped on to it

Its just good manners to stop and allow someone to cross rather than wait till they have stepped on to the crossing

https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/rules-for-pedestrians-crossings.html

 

Quote:

19
Zebra crossings. Give traffic plenty of time to see you and to stop before you start to cross. Vehicles will need more time when the road is slippery. Wait until traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before crossing. Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing. Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped.

What a stupid rule.

kev-s wrote:

Not defending the drivers who didnt stop to let the woman and baby cross but legally you dont need to stop at a zebra crossing unless a person has stepped on to it

Its just good manners to stop and allow someone to cross rather than wait till they have stepped on to the crossing

https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/rules-for-pedestrians-crossings.html

 

True, and it is also illegal to overtake a vehicle in the zig-zag line area.

ktache wrote:

There are a few traffic lights on my commute where I do not wish to be anywhere near them as they change to red, understanding that cars will barrel through both myself and the stopping power of the red light.  If I do have to stop (always for a red) it will be as close to the kerb as possible.

There is one where I will wait, at some distance, until the light has changed and watch 2-3 cars (sometimes mind) accelerate through the red and only then do I join the queue.

A few weeks back, I saw a driver, 3 cars back in the queue, upon the first car stopping for the red, pull out and pass the 2 cars that had stopped and then breeze through the red at speed.  Oh for a helmet cam or a big artic coming the other way.  Or both...

 I do the opposite, I approach lights already central in the lane further right than primary, if it's one of those two into one jobs I'll ride pretty much as far right so a motor can't undertake me, I don't want a close overtake through a set of lights nor someone trying to barge in from the right as we saw a month or so back.

On approach to zebras and can see peds nearby I'll be bang in the middle of the lane to control things, shoulder check and slow to antipate and then stop. Never had issues doing this in the 20 years I've been taking this approach and I even do it on a main through road when I can see peds waiting to cross when there's no crossing. Being assertive and good road position makes a huge amount of difference and from the stats being mown down from behind is extremely rare, pschologically this is very very difficult for a driver to do it even if they are a total cockwomble, yes you can't account for the Gail Purcell type driver but again that's incredibly rare, I'd feel less safe doing what you're doing, it makes you more vulnerable IMHO.

Awavey wrote:

I usually expect at least a car maybe 2 to pile on through when I stop for zebra crossings,but that's ridiculous amount of not paying attention by the motorists there

Difficult to know what's going on in people's heads or what they're taking in from their surroundings but some wheeled users seem to expect pedestrians to step out before they'll consider stopping. Probably something you'd be reluctant to do with a pram/pushchair... 

Maybe it's part of the thinking - subconscious perhaps - that other road users' safety isn't your responsibility too (especially if it might delay your all-important journey by a few seconds).

A lot of London cyclists are bad for this mindset too - fortunately they're less lethal.

Duncann wrote:

Maybe it's part of the thinking - subconscious perhaps - that other road users' safety isn't your responsibility too (especially if it might delay your all-important journey by a few seconds).

A lot of London cyclists are bad for this mindset too - fortunately they're less lethal.

I can confirm that many more London drivers are worse for this mindset. 

hirsute wrote:

A few years ago I stopped next to another cyclist at a zebra when a parent and 2 kids wanted to cross.

Driver just piled through, when I caught up with him to tell him he wasn't far off mowing a 5 year old over, all he could say was that I shouldn't have stopped next to the other cyclist.

So essentially "I was being a dick because of cyclists!"

I wonder if you managed to keep a straight face!

KendalRed wrote:

I wonder if you managed to keep a straight face!

I didn't get very far ,as I was still quite angry at what could have happened and I that I would have felt partly responsible if the kid had started to cross and been hit.