4 ms·

Not being from the UK, I'm not sure of the exact details of the law over there, but from a quick read it appears that pedestrians don't have the right of way ex

Not being from the UK, I'm not sure of the exact details of the law over there, but from a quick read it appears that pedestrians don't have the right of way except at marked pedestrian crossings. And certainly on a 4 lane 70km/hr posted road they would be expected to exercise good judgement and not step out in front of a car that they could clearly see coming. https://travel.stackexchange.com/a/123110 https://travel.stackexchange.com/a/123110 is the closest I could find from a UK native. You clearly can't just barrel through a pedestrian that has stepped into the roadway without trying to stop, but there's also no expectation that a car must drive slower than posted on the off chance that somebody jumps out. A car should try to stop if somebody steps in front, but a pedestrian also should be aware of their surroundings and shouldn't step in front. Unless you can show a UK LAW reference that peds have right of way on a 4 lane road without a pedestrian crossing? Do you have local knowledge or are you just making assumptions about a foreign country?

chrisseaton 7y ago
I didn't use the term 'right of way' did I? I also said everyone was expected to use common sense. But, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/road-users-requiring-extra-care-204-to-225 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/road-users-requ... says "The most vulnerable road users are pedestrians" And "children and older pedestrians who may not be able to judge your speed and could step into the road in front of you. At 40 mph (64 km/h) your vehicle will probably kill any pedestrians it hits. At 20 mph (32 km/h) there is only a 1 in 20 chance of the pedestrian being killed. So kill your speed" There's no rule saying that a pedestrian should not cross a road, except for a motorway. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedestrians-1-to-35 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedes... "find a safe place to cross and where there is space to reach the pavement on the other side. Where there is a crossing nearby, use it." So if a crossing is safer use it, but they have every right to try to cross the road, using common sense. That's different to the US, where if you try to cross the road at all, outside of a crossing, you're a 'jaywalker'.
- astine 7y ago
  "That's different to the US, where if you try to cross the road at all, outside of a crossing, you're a 'jaywalker'." This is incorrect. In the United States you can generally cross at any intersection if there is no marked crossing available. In low traffic areas, people often cross the road at will, after checking to see if any cars are coming. 'Jaywalking' is barely a crime and is only rarely enforced.
  - chrisseaton 7y ago
    > 'Jaywalking' is barely a crime and is only rarely enforced. ...but it's there, ready to use against you in a headline when a car hits you and you're killed. 'Jaywalker killed' - your fault. 'Person trying to cross the street mown down by car' - different kettle of fish.
- masonic 7y ago
  except for a motorway But this Tempe case was on a motorway (AZ equivalent).
NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Drivers don't have right of way either. Both are expected to take care, and expect hazards[1][2]. In the case of a junction, where a car has turned onto a road a pedestrian is crossing, and at marked crossings the pedestrian does have right of way. There is no such thing as jaywalking in the UK. If a car hits a pedestrian the starting presumption is a) driver is at fault and b) avoiding action should have been taken. [1] Pedestrians - general: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedestrians-1-to-35 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedes... [2] Drivers (Rule 146): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/general-rules-techniques-and-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-103-to-158 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/general-rules-t... There are many other parts of the Highway Code that reference pedestrians, in multiple contexts. The general tone is "expect the unexpected and to find a pedestrian, or child chasing their football, everywhere except motorways and restricted carriageways (e.g. some dual carriageways)". [3] Right of way crossing at junctions https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203#rule170 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-...

chrisseaton 7y ago

I didn't use the term 'right of way' did I? I also said everyone was expected to use common sense. But, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/road-users-requiring-extra-care-204-to-225 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/road-users-requ... says "The most vulnerable road users are pedestrians" And "children and older pedestrians who may not be able to judge your speed and could step into the road in front of you. At 40 mph (64 km/h) your vehicle will probably kill any pedestrians it hits. At 20 mph (32 km/h) there is only a 1 in 20 chance of the pedestrian being killed. So kill your speed" There's no rule saying that a pedestrian should not cross a road, except for a motorway. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedestrians-1-to-35 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedes... "find a safe place to cross and where there is space to reach the pavement on the other side. Where there is a crossing nearby, use it." So if a crossing is safer use it, but they have every right to try to cross the road, using common sense. That's different to the US, where if you try to cross the road at all, outside of a crossing, you're a 'jaywalker'.

astine 7y ago
"That's different to the US, where if you try to cross the road at all, outside of a crossing, you're a 'jaywalker'." This is incorrect. In the United States you can generally cross at any intersection if there is no marked crossing available. In low traffic areas, people often cross the road at will, after checking to see if any cars are coming. 'Jaywalking' is barely a crime and is only rarely enforced.
- chrisseaton 7y ago
  > 'Jaywalking' is barely a crime and is only rarely enforced. ...but it's there, ready to use against you in a headline when a car hits you and you're killed. 'Jaywalker killed' - your fault. 'Person trying to cross the street mown down by car' - different kettle of fish.
masonic 7y ago
except for a motorway But this Tempe case was on a motorway (AZ equivalent).

NeedMoreTea 7y ago

Drivers don't have right of way either. Both are expected to take care, and expect hazards[1][2]. In the case of a junction, where a car has turned onto a road a pedestrian is crossing, and at marked crossings the pedestrian does have right of way. There is no such thing as jaywalking in the UK. If a car hits a pedestrian the starting presumption is a) driver is at fault and b) avoiding action should have been taken. [1] Pedestrians - general: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedestrians-1-to-35 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-pedes... [2] Drivers (Rule 146): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/general-rules-techniques-and-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-103-to-158 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/general-rules-t... There are many other parts of the Highway Code that reference pedestrians, in multiple contexts. The general tone is "expect the unexpected and to find a pedestrian, or child chasing their football, everywhere except motorways and restricted carriageways (e.g. some dual carriageways)". [3] Right of way crossing at junctions https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203#rule170 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-...