Zebra crossing rules EXPLAINED - How to use one without landing a £100 fine
BRITISH drivers are unclear about what the correct thing to do is at a pedestrian crossing, despite the law being in place for the past 80 years.
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A worrying percentage of drivers on the road in the UK today are unclear about the what the right thing to do at a pedestrian crossing is.
The law surrounding zebra crossings has been in place for 64 years in Britain, but 80 per cent of drivers are confused by it.
According to a study by Direct Line, almost half (46 per cent) of drivers believe that they legally have to stop if a pedestrian is waiting on the side of the road.
This is, however, not correct as, according to the law, drivers have no obligation to to give way to the pedestrian if they haven’t stepped foot onto the road.
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Rule 195 of the Highway Code outlines the obligations of a driver approaching a zebra crossing.
It says that while approaching a crossing drivers “MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing”
There are caveats in the rules of the Highway Code which prevent drivers just becoming battering rams when approaching these crossings.
Drivers are required to “look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them cross.”
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The rules also state that drivers should not “wave or use your horn to invite pedestrians across; this could be dangerous if another vehicle is approaching” and “be aware of pedestrians approaching from the side of the crossing.”
s we developed the technology, it became apparent that the potential for what could be done was far greater than we had initially imagined
Less than 20 per cent of drivers in the study knew that you could keep on driving if the pedestrian hadn’t stepped foot onto the crossing yet.
What is concerning is that eight per cent of drivers said that they had no idea of what to do at one of these crossings.
Four per cent suggested that drivers should only be obliged to stop if the pedestrian is half way across the crossing.
Drivers who flout the rule and are caught failing to give way to pedestrians can land a fine of £100 and three penalty points.
According to DirectLine there around around 20 collisions between motorists and pedestrian each day - around 7,000 a year.
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Last year the car insurer evolved the smart crossing which is said to alleviate some of the dangers of a traditional crossing.
It uses LED lights to notify drivers when a pedestrian is stepping out onto the road and changes in size depending on how many people are waiting to use it.
Rachael Lynch, innovation marketing manager Direct Line, said: "As we developed the technology, it became apparent that the potential for what could be done was far greater than we had initially imagined, which is why we have made the technology open source and are continuing to work with partners to explore ways to modernise the pedestrian crossing."
