Highway Code Changes Be Careful

Should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which their vehicle is turning.
Should not cut across cyclists or horse riders going ahead when turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane, to prevent “left hook” collisions.
Should open car doors using the “Dutch reach” method, with the hand on the opposite side to the door they are opening. This makes drivers turn their heads to look over their shoulders and reduces the likelihood of “dooring” a passing cyclist.
Should leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.
The code also advises cyclists to give way to pedestrians on shared-use cycle tracks and to horse riders on bridleways, and to “slow down when necessary and let them know you are there, for example by ringing your bell (it is recommended that a bell is fitted to your bike) or by calling out politely.

The bottom line is my favourite

Giving way to pedestrians at a junction when you're turning left is an accident waiting to happen.
Either the car will hit the pedestrians who've started to cross, or the car will be shunted from behind, as they've stopped to allow the pedestrians to cross.

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Originally Posted by The Bloop

Giving way to pedestrians at a junction when you're turning left is an accident waiting to happen.
Either the car will hit the pedestrians who've started to cross, or the car will be shunted from behind, as they've stopped to allow the pedestrians to cross.

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Just call out to them politely or fix a bell to yer car .

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Originally Posted by The Bloop

Giving way to pedestrians at a junction when you're turning left is an accident waiting to happen.
Either the car will hit the pedestrians who've started to cross, or the car will be shunted from behind, as they've stopped to allow the pedestrians to cross.

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That’s always been the law, it’s nothing new.

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Originally Posted by cityhammer

That’s always been the law, it’s nothing new.

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Are you sure?
From everything I've read and illustrations I've seen, vehicles have had priority until now. The new rules mean that the pedestrian has priority.

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Originally Posted by The Bloop

Are you sure?
From everything I've read and illustrations I've seen, vehicles have had priority until now. The new rules mean that the pedestrian has priority.

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I think it's new having it spelt out in the highway code. I always thought that the person turning had to give way to ones going straight on no matter if they are on foot, on a bike or in a motor vehicle....but I could be wrong.

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Originally Posted by The Bloop

Are you sure?
From everything I've read and illustrations I've seen, vehicles have had priority until now. The new rules mean that the pedestrian has priority.

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Well I failed a driving test for it in the 80s.

Let's hope we don't get a lockdown if pedestrians and cycle injuries increase

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Originally Posted by RichardM

I think it's new having it spelt out in the highway code. I always thought that the person turning had to give way to ones going straight on no matter if they are on foot, on a bike or in a motor vehicle....but I could be wrong.

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There’d been something released about pedestrians having the right of way if a car is turning left (seems a daft idea to me for the reasons given above) before as I’d heard of it before yesterday.

Turn left into a junction pedestrians have always had right of way.

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Originally Posted by insider

Turn left into a junction pedestrians have always had right of way.

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I was about to say this.

I started in the mid 70s and I thought giving way to pedestrians was always the rule.

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Originally Posted by insider

Turn left into a junction pedestrians have always had right of way.

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This^^

As I understand it, the rule has always been "Always give way to pedestrians" no matter what the situation.
I've always applied this whether driving a car or on a bike.

Good that the cyclist pedestrian rule has been clarified.
The times I have seen the lycra brigade behave as if they own a path simply because it has a man on a cycle painted in white on the ground. Hopefully this should be a thing of the past.

To any pedestrians I've narrowly missed over the last 30 years of driving, I apologise 😁