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Comment by ccouzens | Hacker News Reader

This highway code change hasn't done much in practice. Not many car drivers give way to pedestrians on junctions.

But hopefully habits will change.

The reason is because while it's a great rule to introduce in theory, the reality is much harder after decades of previous rules.

For the rule to work, every driver and pedestrian has to be on the same page. And this is behaviour that is ingrained in people since they began crossing roads or driving.

If the pedestrian understands the rule and the driver doesn't, then you've got an accident waiting to happen. The pedestrian could expect a driver to stop and cause an accident.

If the driver understands the rule change and the pedestrian doesn't, then you've got a confused and cautious pedestrian wondering what's going on. Not to mention that in most junctions the pedestrian can't easily see any gestures by the driver to usher them across the road. It can also cause a pedestrian to forget to look the other way.

Plus, most drivers don't even know about the rule change, even today many months after it's introduction.

So as a pedestrian, it's much easier to assume every driver is oblivious and rely on your own judgement as to when it is safe to cross. And that means letting cars turn into junctions before crossing. Which, in turn, reinforces the undesired behaviour.

This is why I think in reality nothing will change. It's just too unsafe to assume drivers know the new rules of the road when they barely understand ones that have existed for decades.

Do you think a publicity campaign would work? Adverts on the TV, radio, YouTube and the web to teach car drivers and pedestrians about the new rules

What? But we just make eye contact and wave to let someone know they can start to cross? Also I thought when you were turning off a main road onto a side road, pedestrians already had right of way?

It's the same reason you shouldn't wave pedestrians across any other multi lane traffic, because you can't always see what's coming in the other lanes. Some turnings, especially on wide roads, put the car and the pedestrians waiting to cross quite far away.

Pedestrians only had right of way if they're in the process of crossing. The new rule is that pedestrians waiting to cross have priority, which is just not practical to introduce without everyone being on the same page.

Being predictable is how you are the safest pedestrian or driver. Prior to the rule change being predictable was assuming pedestrians wait for vehicles. With the rule change, you can no longer be predictable because different people have different expections of what a pedestrian or driver will do.

Original OP here - yep, it’s the uncertainty that’s the problem - that, and as a pedestrian I have to assume drivers are distracted idiots who’ll run me over if I give them any opportunity. And as you point out elsewhere, I shouldn’t give way and wave them on because I don’t know what other pedestrians, cyclists or drivers are about to do - I might cause an accident.

Presumably the Government have done the research, and drivers should always be ready to stop safely regardless, but … I preferred the old rules.

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