Driving Scariness...

Highway Code, rule 170:

Take extra care at junctions. You should

    * watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority, so give way

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070332

 

Thanks for saying that, cos I was sure my driving instructor (or maybe it was the Highway Code, or both?) said something about yielding right of way to the pedestrian. 

As opposed to mowing them down!  The signs in this state require drivers to stop for pedestrians in the crossing, which always makes me wonder if you would be allowed to play dodgem's with them if there were no sign.  But then Bostonians are notorious jay-walkers!!

Yeah, of course you need to stop for pedestrians when you are turning into a side street (and at zebra crossings). What I meant was more the case in the US where you have a green light at an intersection, and the pedestrian 'walk' sign also goes off. So if you are making a right turn, you need to yield to the pedestrians who are walking straight. Not many situations like this in the UK.

Haha!  

My husband is a really good and skilled driver, but he just can't deal with driving in the US. Whereas I understand the unpredictability, and can cope with it. I learned to drive in NJ. I fully expect that at an intersection, the person on the other side making a left-hand turn will (at least attempt to) cut me off  

He also can't deal with pedestrians having the right of way. As he points out, there are few if any times in the UK, where cars and people can go at the same time.

Kate, I drove in Florida last year. Very scary! Here's me driving like I just graduated from BSM (and being slightly worse for wear as I had just stepped off a 9 hour transatlantic flight) and these Floridians are awful. No lane discipline, they dont know what an indicator is, they don't know what a speed limit is. It was all very frustrating that I was the only one following the rules but I was proud of myself. It was the first time I drove properly in the US.
But I would not be too keen on driving in NY..

... and these Floridians are awful. No lane discipline, they dont know what an indicator is, they don't know what a speed limit is. It was all very frustrating that I was the only one following the rules but I was proud of myself. It was the first time I drove properly in the US.
But I would not be too keen on driving in NY..

I think that the worst part of driving in the UK and the US is the half-arsed nature both cultures have towards driving rules and the fact that there is no rhyme or reason to which rules people follow and which they ignore.  It contributes to the unpredictability of the whole road dance.  At least when driving in Italy I know everyone is nuts and know to expect chaos or when driving in Germany to expect everyone to drive fast, but in a disciplined manner.

DH was amazed at the 4-way stops in my small hometown, people politely took turns and yielded to the car on the right, he couldn't get his head around it.  "No one is swearing or making rude hand gestures!  I don't understand!"  

DH and I have been frustrated multiple times in both Harrogate and in and around London this weekend by polite, well-meaning Brits flashing lights to let us out of a side road and stopping for others to enter the roadway.  I thought it was generally illegal to "give up" your right of way (at least in my driving experience in the states); if you do this and the other person is involved in an accident because of it, you are considered a fault.  This weekend on several occasions someone was trying to flash us to enter the roadway but the opposite lane wasn't clear of traffic - so they were simply making congestion worse by stopping randomly.  Of course, immediately when the opposite lane cleared, they started moving again and the line of traffic they headed made it impossible for us to cross, but whatever.  We kept screaming "Just keep moving people!"

Mind you, this isn't limited to UK drivers.  In Maryland I almost hit someone who was giving up the opportunity to make a clear left-hand turn so that someone on a side street could enter. I do think it is more prevalent here, though.

Argh!

DH and I have been frustrated multiple times in both Harrogate and in and around London this weekend by polite, well-meaning Brits flashing lights to let us out of a side road and stopping for others to enter the roadway.  I thought it was generally illegal to "give up" your right of way (at least in my driving experience in the states); if you do this and the other person is involved in an accident because of it, you are considered a fault. 

I don't know about the legality but my m.o. is just to keep moving if I have the right of way.  No polite gestures.  It just makes sense to me: if you stop to let someone on a side street in you're just going to foul everything up.

I was in Florida a few weeks ago, and I spent the majority of my holiday waiting at red traffic lights! They need to get more roundabouts in the states if you ask me. My 95 year old grandmother still drives...a Crown Victoria at that. Thats why driving in Florida is such a hassle, all the silver foxes.

I love driving in NYC, its like a game of frogger. See who can get into the right hand turning lane, or the left hand turning lane faster than the taxi drivers. Its the curse of the grid system city. Whenever I get home to NYC, I can't wait to get in my dads car and drive into Manhattan, love it!

I was in Florida a few weeks ago, and I spent the majority of my holiday waiting at red traffic lights! They need to get more roundabouts in the states if you ask me. My 95 year old grandmother still drives...a Crown Victoria at that. Thats why driving in Florida is such a hassle, all the silver foxes.

I love driving in NYC, its like a game of frogger. See who can get into the right hand turning lane, or the left hand turning lane faster than the taxi drivers. Its the curse of the grid system city. Whenever I get home to NYC, I can't wait to get in my dads car and drive into Manhattan, love it!

LMAO! I guess I was driving more like a silver fox and less like a chav in a pick-up truck! Miami was full of them, oddest thing I have ever seen..
Good for your grandma though 

Good for your grandma though