Driving around Cambridge yesterday (tuesday). Pick house mate up from train station, as I go to turn off into another road women staring at her feet walks off pavement into the middle of the road and I hit brakes. She then throws a strop saying why didnt I see her until I inform her that the road is for cars and that she should look where she is going and get her eyes tested before she causes an accident.

Later the same day I go to pick up the girlfriend for lunch. Turn into the science park behind a BMW who pulls into a parking lane on the left and then without indicating turns right back onto the road to turn around meaning I had to hit the brakes rather rapidly or plough into the side of him.

After lunch Im driving girlfriend back to work and come out of my road and drive towards traffic lights. Guy in volvo estate is coming up on a sideroad which luckily I spot and slow down - he doesnt even look before pulling out straight in front of me. I catch him up at roundabout and look over to tell him how I feel and he is on the phone in the left lane. He then precedes to drive all the way around the roundabout (2 lane) to take the 3rd exit off only after cutting in front of 3 other cars who were turning off.

Then to cap a fine days driving I pull into girlfriends work behind van. Van then proceeds to start reversing straight at my car so much so that I have to reverse myself to avoid contact.

In my old car I wouldnt have experienced this in 3 months let alone 3 hours. Perhaps my scoob has a special stealth paint or then again maybe it just shows why there is a road accident pretty much everyday in Cambridge.

Simon.

 

Unlucky mate. Unfortunatly pedestrians have right of way regardless of any car on the road. Strange law i feel!

 

Brun - u sure? They have right of way at a junction if they're crossing the road I think, but what you've said would mean a car driver is automatically liable for any pedestrian accident. Cue massive round of walking in front of cars for compensation (well, more than happens already )

 

It may well be the law but we all know the law is a complete @rse. I dont go around just walking out in front of moving cars because the law says I can - I use my common sense and check there is nothing that is likely to flatten me.

 

Dammit, u got me thinking now. I'll look into it!

 

Pedestrians only have right of way at a side road, if you are travelling down the side road towards the main road AFAIK

 

I couldn't find an exact answer to this. I could only find the stuff about Zebras etc. Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

P1Fanatic: why are you surprised at their behaviour? You said it yourself:
1. a woman
2. Beemer driver
3. Volvo driver
4. (White?) Van man.

LOL:::

[Edited by alcazar - 9/25/2002 9:59:15 AM]

 

LOL Alcazar - pretty bad luck to get all 4 in one day though. Perhaps I drove under a ladder or something?

Si.

 

Zebra's.... they have the right of way as well???

 

If you look at the road markings you see the white dash lines.

Your side of the road they are usually double and on the side that cars turn into the road it is a single line.

Both lines represent give way (according to my motorbike instructor). A pedestrian crossing the road at that point has right of way over everything, cars coming out and turning in.

For crossing the road except at designated crossing places then they are technically "jay walking" but you trying getting that takn into account these days.

A vehicle should not move into a pedestrian crossing until the person has left it (fully) even if they are crossing to the side furthest away from you. The only thing that causes a variation here are the pedestrian "havens" (islands in the middle of the road) as they are classed as pavement. This is all incase the person crossing the road changes their mind part way across.

 

P1Fanatic,

Cambridge is ten times as bad as *anywhere* else in IMO ! Everyone here either has their head in the clouds or up their own a*se!

I remember last week I had a very long drive on Monday morning back from the Westcountry. That evening I went out to Tesco's in Milton (coming from Newnham area) and saved 3 or so peoples lives who were on bikes or were crossing/wandering into the road. I was thinking that if they'd known how knackered I felt, they would think twice about doing what they were doing...

Rant off btw!

Ben.

Ben.