Years ago in the adult comic ‘VIZ’ they would have a spoof reader’s helpful tips page. One tip at the beginning of the page said… “save time when crossing the road in a one way street by only looking in one direction, Edward from Surrey” At the bottom of the page it had another tip that said…. “Always look both ways when crossing a one way street to avoid being run over by a lorry reversing the wrong way up the road, Edward From Surrey Royal Infirmary”
haha brilliant... I used to love the Viz top tips they were utterly hilarious. "Don't waste money on expensive carpets, simply glue two samples to the bottom of your feet and walk around your home!" One of the best was, "Don't waste time boiling a kettle, simply pour a box of tea bags into your hot water tank and hey presto, instant tea whenever you turn on the hot tap!" 🤣🤣
Years ago whilst doing Bikesafe a police officer told me something that has stuck with me ever since: “Every driver is a pedestrian but not every pedestrian is a driver.”
Hi Ashley, I was taught the Green Cross code when I was a kid. I still use this technique today. It has saved my life twice, from car drivers jumping the lights at a pedestrian crossing. Another problem is people are easily distracted by their mobiles phones and this self entitled attitude. Grate content. All the best.
The new rules have given cyclists a new sense of entitlement, youtube cyclists loving it. They ignore pedestrain saftey thus they are ,in their heads, most vulnerable road users, every incident being a motorist's fault.
I bet if you asked any of these people they would say “What Highway Code changes…?” Most people are totally unaware of them or don’t care, and I don’t think that’s why they are behaving as they are in these clips.
Agreed Ultimately I think the message should be; when driving you are the one in control of heavy/potentially dangerous machinery, and as part of your training you should be expecting to come across people who are not trained/licensed. This also includes children etc. so drivers should always be vigilante. Many drivers behave worse than Ashley's viewers who've submitted these clips. And I don't think the tone of Ashley's message on these clips is helpful. Drivers will feel empowered to beep and drive "at" pedestrians they view as not following the rules.
@@therealryan1329 yes, but it's never acceptable for drivers to behave aggressively/intimidate pedestrians because they make mistakes or don't know the rules, something I see all too often. More onus is on the trained and licensed drivers. Besides, there are vulnerable people who simply cannot know the highway code, disabled, elderly, children, animals, inebriated etc. So the only way to drive is in anticipation of others making mistakes. Unfortunately too many people drive completely oblivious to their surroundings. It's worse as modern cars are very insulating from the outside environment and people drive more dangerously the more safe _they_ feel without considering the impact on others. Then they act surprised when somebody "steps out in front of them" but it's actually at a junction where the driver doesn't have priority. But the driver is o lying looking for other cars which would affect their safety, they're not driving with a view to look after vulnerable road users.
@@Oligodendrocyte139 Yep, that scene in Midnight Cowboy was improv and a real taxi driver cut into the shot. A lot of people don't realise that because it was so smooth.
I'm not convinced attitudes have changed. I remember back when I was a student in the 00s, we had a mate in our group who was convinced that walking out onto a busy road was ok - ideal even. "They have to give way to you! See...it makes them stop." When pointed out that the obvious his response: "you'll get compo so it's OK". When pointed out that you could get seriously injured possibly permanently it was "yeah but you get lots of money!" Some people are just hopeless.
I've had three people do the I'm just going to walk and car be damned thing. One time they came out between parked cars and I slammed the breaks on. Another two times I saw them coming and called their bluff. They both stopped, it's actually pretty hard to step in a front of a car that will clearly cream you.
@@nekomatafuyu A lad I worked with a lad who did someting like that and ended up with a bill from the insurance Co. for the damage to the car. He also got a broken arm to boot.
I think blaming the DVSA is a bit of an easy thing to do. There’s also these things called “self-preservation” and “common sense”. These two things SHOULD tell a person that wandering in front of a multi-ton lump of metal, either through entitlement or otherwise, is a bad idea and isn’t likely to end well for them. The fact that people would rather put their own safety in the hands of total strangers is baffling to me.
Any change of public policy or guidance that aims at a paradigm shift requires a campaign of some kind around it. Post-WW2 governments wanted to cut down the railway network and build a truly mass market for private cars. In unreconstucted working-class areas of cities, that implied clearing the streets, where previously playing children outnumbered motor vehicles. Step forward Tufty Fluffytail, and for over-5s,, Green Cross Man. That self-preservation had to be taught, in Tufty's case with the message that going in the roadway was both naughty and stupid. But lessons learned early tend to die hard. There was to be no equivalent re-education for Tufty's graduates when they got their full-sized bikes, or their driving licences. For much longer than Tufty ran, traffic management professionals have struggled with his unsustainable legacy.
Even if they did have priority its not gonna unbreak your bones, the amount of times when I *should* have had priority but would have got hit if I hadn't used some basic common sense and a little bit of patience is insanely high, its a miracle that these people aren't constantly in hospital acting like that.
I personally think Ashley is reading too much into the HC changes from some of these clips, and they would have happened without the changes as people can be stupid and selfish.
Some people simply lack those. Back in the day, the sort of people you see in these videos are the same people who would've ended up being eaten by a large carnivore or gored by a bull or something.
Thank you for using my clip at 5:55 One thing with this clip is I kept my following distance around double to the larger vehicle in front which allowed me to see the pedestrian sooner and be able to slow and move in a more controlled manner than following closer. Remember, 2 seconds is the _minimum_ recommended distance and doesn’t mean it should be standard distance and adjust to what is around and the conditions 👍
No, the Highway Code changes are not responsible for the pedestrians at 04:12 walking out onto a crossing _when the red man is showing_ . That is just pedestrians seeing traffic stopped one way, no traffic the other way, and jumping their red light; which was happening long before those changes.
Fair points but I tend to agree with Ashley. When I first heard about the HC rule changes (thanks to Ashley) I immediately said they would encourage entitled behaviour by pedestrians. I live in Northern Ireland, the part of the UK that did not implement the new HC rules. I see far less of such entitled behaviour here. Pedestrians here seem to have a higher awareness of the danger they potentially step into when entering a road. I think GB should have kept it that way.
@@R04drunner1They have not encouraged _this_ behaviour. I speak from many years's experience of being that one lone pedestrian who hangs back until there is a green man when many others are just chancing it when they see that some cars have stopped. This has been widespread pedestrian behaviour for a _long_ time.
@JdeBP especially in cities. In London people will cross at any opportunity, and usually everyone else starts following because they aren't really paying attention to anything. Driving through a green light is a hazard.
@@Rover200Power you just have to laugh at the pedestrians that have to cross in front of your vehicle, thereby stepping into the main road, when you stuck trying to get out of a side road in London. The ped's that insist on using closed off zebra crossings in temporary roadworks that always means cars are stuck when the lights change. The most recent near miss is a ped almost being wiped out by an electric scooter user because the scooter user was riding against the flow direction at speed, luckily the ped didn't have earphones in so they heard the shout of warning.
I don't think it was the rule change that lead to (most of) these. I don't believe most people really understand the change. I think the weather exacerbates it but also older people - like the nan walking her grandkid - tend to think sod it, they can wait. Then you have phone zombies, drunk people etc. I believe the rules were introduced to protect phone zombies from themselves.
It’s lucky the viewer at 6:00 didn’t use those washers 10 seconds later or that pedestrian might have been missed until it was too late. In fact, they might very well have used the washers to get a better view as their eyes might have been deceiving them! 😅
I don't think many of these are down to the DVLA changes regarding pedestrians; in my experience, most _drivers_ don't know about the changes and even less pedestrians are aware of them.
I dunno the no look pedestrian cross at a side road incidence seems to be going up in my area, as is the expectation of pedestrians to be let across even if they don't look. Knowledge of the change seems to be going up here.
I think some of the pedestrians here probably are aware of the changes, but in the worst way - second-, third- or umpteeth-hand reporting. They've never checked the text and act as though their priority trumps everything. The DVSA's and indeed government's failure to own and promote the changes left the vacuum for them to be spread and scrambled by gossip.
@@frankhooper7871 Fair point but I tend to agree with Ashley. When I first heard about the HC rule changes (thanks to Ashley) I immediately said they would encourage entitled behaviour by pedestrians. What makes it worse is the poor publicity by government, meaning people act from (often incorrect) hearsay. I live in Northern Ireland, the part of the UK that did not implement the new HC rules. I see far less of such entitled behaviour here. Pedestrians here seem to have a higher awareness of the danger they potentially step into when entering a road. I think GB should have kept it that way.
I'm a pedestrian - a very careful one who was in the Tufty Club as a boy - and I see this kind of thing all the time. It is quite scary to see just how ignorant they are about their own safety. The worst example I've seen was a woman with three youngsters in tow. Her face permanently glued to her phone and totally oblivious of anything else around her. She just stepped out onto a very busy main road with her three kids and not once did her eyes leave her phone. You'll be pleased to know that she did not get away with this as I immediately shouted at her to wake up and pay attention when crossing the road with her children. She threatened to call the police so I said "Go right ahead and I will tell them what I've just seen you do." I have bad arthritis in my neck but that still doesn't stop me moving my head around all the time when crossing the road. I still stop, look and listen after all these years and it has kept me alive when the roads are so full of dangers. The simple fact is that all road users need to pay attention all of the time - pedestrians included. I would ask any pedestrian today have you ever heard the words "find a safe place to cross" because that is key to road safety for a pedestrian. I'm one of those rare pedestrians. One who does actually value his own skin. My mobile phone stays at home too. No call or text is that important that it can't wait. Keep safe out there.
I too am both a driver and a pedestrian. When out walking and crossing busy roads i stand well back and wait for a decent gap in the traffic to cross without running and without forcing drivers to slow down. But my main annoyance is this, the amount of drivers who never use their indicators at roundabouts that turn in where i'm trying to cross.
@@valholmes6659 Drivers not indicating for pedestrians is a pet hate of mine too. There's a roundabout near me that I cross a lot, and so many drivers turning left that don't indicate when I'm wanting to cross. I usually make a point of walking out in front of them and point at their indicator (I have my little JV Karen moment!). When I did it to a non-indicating driver once, they shouted out of the window that they don't need to indicate as there's no-one else around. So I asked them, who are you talking to then, the invisible man?
@davem9204 , good for you, i was half way across the road near a roundabout and this driver turned up the road without indicating, he wound down the window amd called me a stupid bitch, i promptly replied, at least i know how my indicators work! He mumbled something i didn't catch and drove off, so i was pleased to get my point across.
3:31. There is a thing called herd mentality where people’s sense of vulnerability disappears because they are in a crowd. [from primal ancestry in the wild when we felt safety in numbers] You see this a concerts or football matches when the crowd kicks out of the stadium all at once, they starts off on the pavements but soon people start to occupy the road and then they just wander out without even looking. You get the same effect in busy tourists towns where the footpaths are full, people just step out without a care.
Some of the car drivers STOPPING to let pedestrians cross might think they are being nice, but they are encousaginf pedestrians to go when it is not safe. I prefer to try to stick to the rules and don't give "nice guy" priority when it can cause confusion.
Or even some of the things you are supposed to be looking at as you drive. A quick mirror check if you see something behind you could be enough time to miss someone who steps out at the last second.
In Darlington we have a major issue with cyclists during the night. No lights, not even reflectors; dark clothing; dark coloured bikes. There seem to be loads of them. I nearly opened my door into one who was just about to pass. I checked my mirror but the lighting & car headlights actually made him disappear into the other shadows even more. That's counterintuitive but it happened. He briefly moved across a car headlights & I spotted his bike & legs, just black shapes to me. But that was enough, luckily. That was a shock: how 'camouflaged' someone can be.
Exactly. That's the mistake those pedestrians make. I actually think those changes to the Highway Code made life MORE dangerous for pedestrians. Entitled behaviour and ignorance of the rule changes are a potentially lethal combination.
Most of the Highway code rules are advisory UNLESS prefixed with MUST or MUST NOT. For example, rule 21 for pedestrians, states: At traffic lights. There may be special signals for pedestrians. You should only start to cross the road when the green figure shows. If you have started to cross the road and the green figure goes out, you should still have time to reach the other side, but do not delay. If no pedestrian signals have been provided, watch carefully and do not cross until the traffic lights are red and the traffic has stopped. Keep looking and check for traffic that may be turning the corner. Remember that traffic lights may let traffic move in some lanes while traffic in other lanes has stopped. Personally, I think people misunderstand the intentions of the rules H1 to H3, they're intended as guidance to ensure that users on cycles, cars and lorries take more care around people in more vulnerable modes of transport - with pedestrians being the most vulnerable. However, it's not intended to give the more vulnerable users carte blanche to do what they want. Every road user should be using the road in a sensible manner and looking after themselves as well as other road users. As a pedestrian I would not want to be stepping out into a road unless I was sure it was safe. Likewise, as a cyclist, I would not want to be cycling madly on a shared cycle path near pedestrians, and if I was a pedestrian on that same section I'd want to try and keep to one side to allow cyclists to get past with minimum of inconvenience to them.
I had one near me back in August. A young guy with earphones in just casually strolled across the road in front of me without looking. It looked like he may have even had his eyes closed. He was in a world of his own, like the road wasn't even there.
@@GeorgeFoot That's my clip. There was a perfect storm of issues that could have added up to a very bad situation. I didn't know whether the driver of the SUV had seen the people behind it, or the pedestrians realised the vehicle could have reversed suddenly. Either way, the child was at considerable risk for a few seconds.
I had a long discussion on Nextdoor with someone who as convinced those regs (cannot call them new) meant they could walk across the road with impunity.
I had the same conversation with someone on this very channel. I pointed out that while everyone had a duty of care to avoid an accident that is different from right of way. She wasn't having any of it, and weirdly brought race into it.
It's incredible the amount of pedestrians who just walk out, expecting you to stop for them, not realising the danger they put everyone involved, i saw a car get rear ended because they had to brake sharply to avoid hitting a dumb pedestrian who just walked out, he walked off as if nothing had happened, leaving two drivers and two cars to sort the mess out. Surley he could have been charged with causing this accident in some way?
You know what the insurers would say though, that you should be prepared for the vehicle in front to pull up suddenly and drive accordingly. It may be that the pedestrian caused the sudden stop, but he didn't cause the collision.
@@PedroConejo1939 Yes. This is also why I take nearby pedestrians (even just walking down the path) into account when judging my speed through busy areas.
I've seen something similar happen a couple of times too. One involved a pedestrian stepping out right in front of a car. The car had to swerve out of the way as they were far too close to brake in time, but ended hitting another car on the other side of the road. The poor driver saved the pedestrian by avoiding them, but badly damaged their own car and other stationary car. The pedestrian just wandered off without a care in the world, even though they caused the collision. Before any says "that's why you shoudl always keep enough braking distance", the pedestrian was pretty much next to the car's bonnet when they stepped out, and most drivers wouldn't have even spotted them in their peripheral vision. Not everything jumping into the road happens at a convenient braking distance in front of you.
@@davem9204 It may not seem fair, but you're running the risk of ending up in court if you hit an unobservant pedestrian, and even 50/50 blame is going go hurt, not to mention the whole process and after effects. We have to anticipate (like it or not) that a pedestrian my walk into the road without looking. If that means being super-alert around pedestrians, I'd rather put that extra energy into not hitting someone than having to explain why I did hit them and then having to live with the outcome. My advice: extra caution anywhere near pedestrians, and fit decent dashcams, oh, and absolutely don't rely on a court to take your side.
I constantly have commenters on my cycle channel telling me that pedestrians always have the right of way. Even before the new hierarchy guidelines were released. There’s a big public misconception. The new guidelines state “The hierarchy does not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly”, yet many chose to ignore this bit. Rule 7 (especially 7d) of the Code state that, before crossing Pedestrians must stop, look, if traffic is approaching then let it pass, and wait for a safe gap before crossing. At pedestrian light operated crossings the rule (23/24 I think) clearly states that if the red figure is showing, do not start to cross. Pedestrians still must follow these rules despite the new Hierarchy of Road Users guidance.
That's the bit that many people seem to conveniently forget about - I'll just walk out even though it's clear unsafe - if i get it the blame will be put on the driver.
Also a lot of people don't know what "right of way" means. All it means it that's you're allowed to use that route, it doesn't mean you've got priority or permission to actually move along the route at any time.
@ Exactly, sadly some think it means they can just walk into the road at any given moment, without looking, and it’s everyone else’s responsibility to avoid a collision. 🤦🏻♂️
I kinda disagree, I think so long as you've both made eye contact and you aren't meeting at the same point then you've both made an agreement on how it plays out, without the eye contact it would be a different story though.
@@JustOneQuestionNo because what if they’re one of those climate lunatics that are crossing in the middle of the road so they can swipe your wing mirror off? That guy kinda looked threatening if it wasn’t for the fact he only had one free hand
Want to see dozy pedestrians? As an Instructor I always let clients drive through a busy supermarket car park.....That encourages them to look and anticipate !
In the rainy clip in Barmouth(time 3.32) the behaviour of the silver Range Rover B231 TR "parked" across the pavement is shocking. Pedestrians are forced to go on to the road to get past and worst still they start up the car and put it into reverse whilst there is two small children right behind the car!
Totally agree with the comment about it getting worse since the new rules were introduced. I have noticed pedestrians who ould also look swhere they were going, look before crossing are now fixated on their phones and do not bopther looking before crossing the road. I have had at least two incidents of a pedestrian walking out in front of me who had a hood up, large headphones on and looking down at their phone. It actually feels like some (not all) people know they won't be held responsbile if they get hit (with the heirarchy of road users) and so they now just do what they want.
I've personally not noticed much of a difference -- stupid people always walk out, stupid drivers assume they won't. From my POV I understand the rule changes, but as a pedestrian I assume that drivers aren't aware and behave accordingly. IMO the main difference between now and even 5 years ago is that a noticeable amount of folks are glued to their phones while out and about, and it's not just teens/young adults -- I see people in their 30s and 40s doing it. I find it baffling. I'm not talking about someone quickly checking messages and putting their phone away -- they're literally staring at the screen and not present. Zombies.
3:00 , you're spot on. When its raining & you have your hood up, you lose all peripheral vision but as a glasses wearer I hate having to actually turn my head fully to look as then my glasses get covered in rain, for this reason, sometimes it's tempting to just cross without really looking
It is scary how so many people are totally switched off from their environment by mobile phone use. As you know, I'm a cyclist so am extra wary of peds. I try to read what they're going to do but on the odd occasion they do things totally unexpected. A slower speed and bit more distance from the kerb is key here. It gives me time to respond.
The crazy thing about people who just walk out in the road is not just their sense of entitlement, but their ignorance. When I'm crossing, even when it's a green man, I check the cars in both lanes (including the cars behind) are coming to a stop and briefly make eye contact with the drivers where possible. Why? Because I frequently see motorists on their phone. I saw someone nearly crash into barriers at 40 mph a few months back at a busy crossing (the driver was veering into the verge and then did a jerk correction -- I saw the phone in their hand). If the light was red, I have no confidence they would've noticed -- they could easily mow somebody down. Crossing without looking/caring when you don't even have right of way is next level stupidity.
What I noticed in the UK, different vs South American pedestrian, "apparently all the pedestrian in the UK have an insurance". and willing to do a claim. I am shocked how a lot of them cross streets without look right and left, sometimes when they check right and left is in the middle of the road too late. In South American that is a ticket to heaven.
4:00 This one reminds me of an incident a few weeks ago in my town centre where I assumed a guy crossing on the right was going to finish crossing once I had passed, but for some reason, he moved over to my side of the road while I was still approaching, he was looking right at me as well. I had to come to a complete stop, and he put his hand up in apology, so he knew he’d made a mistake. I can only think that he was looking at the bus station directly behind me and hadn't noticed me.
Walking towards traffic as a pedestrian in a country lane is NOT always best. On bends, walking on the outside of the bend gives drivers more time to see you. And walking where there is a verge to escape onto is also handy.
Absolutely pertinent post Ashley! The dangers if 'unwitting ' pedestrians and the downright 'risk takers' are astounding...Will direct my pupils to you post. Thanks
The clip starting at 02:58 is in Barmouth and as soon as I saw this crossroad I laughed because I know it very well. The pedestrians coming from the left are coming down one of the busier roads in town, most of the traffic through town will be taken up that street by the one way system and as you can see with parked cars and pedestrians it is already a tight street and in high tourist season on a sunny day it can be much worse than that. The problem with coming from that direction at the crossroad specifically is the building on the left completely blocks your view of the street, you have the cars coming from the right which can be partially blocked from view by pedestrians waiting to cross and the railway station, and you also have to think about the cars on the other side of the road that are trying to turn in the same direction as you into the the same lane. I wish you had a clip of that junction when it is really bad. Luckily most people drive around Barmouth at a snail's pace because pedestrians are well known for just wandering into the road like it is pedestrianised.
I had a lady push a buggy out Infront of me yesterday. She looked at me and just walked out. Luckily I was going slow being in a carpark. Then she gave me the middle finger for looking at her. These new laws have made pedestrians more dangerous.
@@arealscotsman I have expected it from drivers as I rode motorbikes but at least pedestrians were more careful, but now it's changed, I've been riding and driving for 50 years, and have seen a distinct change in their behaviour since the new regulation has been put in place
@@stephenhill8790 Sorry I was talking about F1. I am getting the posts mixed up. I do have a excuse as i had motorbike crash when I was 17. I had a serious concussion and it affected my memory. Also lost my right knee.
Great clips, great comments. I'm reminded of the song from the 80s by John Farnham "we're all someone's daughter, we're all someone's son." So important we ss drivers look out for pedestrians and look after them, even if they're not in the best shape to look after themselves. I owe my life to an attentive driver of a white VW Polo who slammed on the brakes when I stepped into the road one Saturday night about thirty years ago (yes I'd had a bit to drink). They'll probably never know my gratitude. How many others watching this video could share a similar story?
I've just started bus driving in Leeds and its all to common with people just walking out into traffic without looking. We've had way too many incidents around the city centre from people getting hit by buses because of it. We've implemented lots of safety precautions but you can't always predict the stupid. Phone usage is definitely worse now
Absolutely brilliant video! It certainly does seem that the change in Highway Code rules has emboldened pedestrians into thinking they can step into the road and force vehicles to stop for them. This video shows how much care drivers need to take. Thank you for this and all your educative videos.
I had the weirdest incident a couple of weeks back. As part of my job I drive a bright red van. Whilst I was waiting to pull out of a side road, I suddenly hear a thud behind me, and when I look in my mirror someone with a cane has just walked straight into the side of my van. I then have to stay completely stationary for several minutes as he literally gropes his way around the van.
I agree with the point about the problem when it's drizzle or raining - pedestrians will want to do what they want to do, well, because they're getting wet! And, that brings me to a point about people seeming to drive like they are getting wet and not the outside of the car
There has been a shift in attitude. Go back 30 years and many drivers took the view that if they could manage to hit a pedestrian, it was the pedestrian's fault, often de facto backed up by the police report. There is more of an attitude of 'pedestrians rule' now. Frankly, I rather like it. It's even more so in Wales with the 20 limit off main roads in towns, if you want to cross the road, you can, and traffic is already slow enough that most will make a minor adjustment to help you. Even those powering along at 35 ("I just ignore the new limit and I've never got a ticket. What's this brown envelope?"), suddenly realize this might not go well and slow down for pedestrians.
@@therealryan1329 It's not within the rules, but Health and Safety (a good thing when cutting out work place injuries) has brought the idea of a 'duty of care' into our view of situations and the Court's view of driving.
I agree. People have the right to move around, and not everyone is able to drive, so it _should_ be the way that those who are able to use a motor vehicle give due care to pedestrians. If you're not factoring in the quantity and movement of nearby pedestrians into your driving, then you're not anticipating and planning well enough.
Good to know my thought processes are correct. To add to the bad weather clip, be mindful that with hoods and umbrellas the pedestrians usually do not have peripheral vision to the sides or blocked by the umbrella depending on the direction of the wind and rain. With regards to hoods, if you see a cyclist riding with a hood up, they definitely do not have peripheral vision and be wary of them as they likely cannot see you even if they do shoulder checks. And for cyclists, filter slowly in heavy traffic. I know the temptation to ride fast is great when all the cars are backed up and you have a clear path ahead, it feels good to beat all the cars stuck and you are blazing along. But this is when you need to be the most vigilant as it is the likely time when pedestrians will walk out, as in their minds if the cars are not moving it is safe to cross and they never think about cyclists. Be wary of small children and dogs, as they will move in unpredictable manner and change direction suddenly. Slower speeds, fast assessment, quick reactions and a non confrontational attitude will make non events of many situations.
As a pedestrian, it's not DVLA changes, but an increase in pedestrian friendly road infrastructure, such as continuous crossings that bring the road surface and similar, along with promotion of active travel by local & national governments. It's no surprise there's more incidents when there's more pedestrians. Very few drivers, let alone pedestrians know about the updates to the highway code.
In Victoria, Australia the only time we have to give way to pedestrians without crossings is on the road we are entering when turning left or right. We don't have to give way on the road we are leaving, and we don't have to give way at roundabouts unless there is a crossing. We get a fair few pedestrians walking without care but it's nowhere near as bad what we see here in these videos.
I live in Germany where the vast majority of pedestrians won’t cross the road against red at crossings and it makes it much safer for drivers. Mind you there’s some other aspects of driving here which I think the UK does much better, clear and better positioned road signs being one of them.
German traffic lights are green for pedestrians more frequently, so I don’t find waiting for green as problematic in Germany. I would say the pedestrian wait in the UK is twice the wait in Germany at a standard crossing.
@@orattab3778part of this is because crossings at junctions don't stop traffic on both sides as we do here. If there's a green and someone is turning right, the crossing on the adjacent side may also be on green so the driver has to give way to the pedestrian. It works there because the standard of driving is higher (imo). It also helps to keep the traffic flowing.
I was a street cleaner for 46 years and I don't think the pedestrian priority changes has made pedestrians take more risks. I was saying long before the updates that I thought a lot of pedestrians looked like they have a death wish the way they cross roads. I remember one occasion working on a road that features often In you're videos Rice lane I had to physically pull one phone zombie back by their hood as they where about to walk behind a reversing lorry. Park up around Kensington and spend half an hour between McDonald's and Holt road if you want to see pedestrians taking stupid risks you would get enough for an hours video in ten minutes
Probably the most important video you have ever posted Ashley, in terms of saving lives. Pedestrians are most at risk of being hurt and also the least likely to be roadsmart. That's a potentially lethal combination. Excellent video with lots of learning points.
3:44 Regarding the well timed pedestrian, it's not ideal, but I have sometimes used this technique crossing busy roads where finding time when both directions are clear is hard. The times it has been most dangerous is when drivers slow but don't stop, which blocks a carefully timed walk and leaves the pedestrian stranded in the middle with traffic on both sides. My advice to drivers is that safety comes in driving predictably-either maintaining speed or, if you need to slow for whatever reason, to come to a complete stop (0mph being the most predictable speed) before the pedestrian so they don't need to second guess going in front or behind.
I often cross the road like that and I rely on the drivers carrying on at the speed they are going to get the gap I need. I'm crossing the road as safely as I can without impeding anyone else. So if a driver suddenly slows down to wave me across it just messing everything up, wastes time and causes more risk.
@davem9204 I agree, that's why I gave the advice I did. Simply slowing to wave across, or slowing in uncertainty makes it dangerous. But sometimes a driver will need to slow down for other reasons; just because we have chosen to cross shouldn't compel a driver to maintain speed absolutely, so my advice was to come to a full stop before the pedestrian so our way to cross perpendicularly is unimpeded. I'd prefer constant speed too, but not moving is as predictable as constant speed. As long as they don't dither in the middle, which invariably blocks the path.
I remember when I was ten, 4, almost 5 years before you were born, getting taught for the first time the Green Cross Code in primary school. The generation today doesn't seem to know about it. It must be worse now, as you say, after the introduction of the new rules in the highway, and the misinterpretation by the pedestrians.
Great video, this really is such important stuff to look out for, worst are the ones at night that are hard to see, that one on the duel carriageway was a shock ,WTF would anyone be doing walking there you'd never be expecting to see a pedestrian there
As a cyclist, a driver and a motorcyclist I see this common stupidity every time at least once. As a pedestrian I never take those kind of stupid decisions to just cross in front of cars and even stare them out. We are soft targets and I do not want to be laid out in a hospital bed consuming hospital food through a drip, so I would advise backing down and crossing safely or as a driver I tend to slow down a little for them to proceed if I can do it safely without being shunted from behind by a driver that can only see one car ahead with their tunnel vision.
I had a feeling the new laws would get a dig at some point. I'd like to kick back a bit on that. I remember this kind of thing years ago long before the new laws. There are old videos on YT of pedestrians literally stepping into the road without looking. If people still do it I presume it's because they are still just as dozy rather than literally risking their lives just to make a point. Do you believe they're thinking "I think I'll just step under this car because I can now" rather than just not thinking anything at all. To me the whole point of the new laws is to change the mindset of people in cars from the conviction that it is the job of pedestrians to keep out of their way rather than their job to keep an eye out for pedestrians. As the drivers are the ones who are not going to be injured when they hit a pedestrian it's not a bad thing to just make them more aware. Anyway, apart from children I think it's wrong to divide the world into drivers and pedestrians as though they are two separate groups of people. Most drivers do actually use the pavements sometimes. Most of us are both drivers and pedestrians.
I definitely believe I’ve become a better pedestrian since passing my test. I always stop and look before crossing etc but since passing I’ve started to look at where I’m crossing and making sure I choose the safest place. Can guarantee most days on my drive to work you’ll get a few pedestrians just stepping out not looking plus cyclists wearing dark clothing.
I practice greatly the new highway code by allowing pedestrians to cross at junctions and roundabouts. Even when exiting roundabouts in car or on m/bike, often making myself vulnerable but it's the only way people will hopefully learn. In the case of your two clips where pedestrians are crossing junctions on the red man, I am inclined to edge slowly forward in front of them hopefully forcing them to stop and wait. Again it's the only way they'll learn fairness in the system.
That clip at 5:24 is pure nightmare fuel. The pedestrian is basically invisible with his clothing choice and crossing at a corner where you are given a very short window of opportunity to identify him. I'm not confident I'd have noticed him in time. Encounters like these are the main reason I'm scared to drive at night.
The first clip after your intro titles is in Cambridge where I used to teach (now retired) and I totally agree with your comments about the Highway Code. I had someone walk out in front of me on a lesson and a came up banging on my pupils window giving them abuse and also telling them to get a proper instructor who knew the rules of the road! Sadly its symptomatic of peoples attitude today in every walk of life.
Get this a lot when cycling to/from work, I think people rely on audio cues and are even more likely to wander out without looking if they can't hear a car. Never any point getting confrontational though, as your last clip demonstrates!
1:35 She was more focused on her phone while crossing and only had half her brain engaged in the crossing activity while the rest of her mind was on her phone... I see this happening so many times in recent years…especially with the younger generation. 3:36 Another problem here is the vehicle parked on the left side, causing a bottleneck for pedestrians... I have seen some cars park so much on the pavement that people with any mobility vehicle won't be able to get past...selfish entitlement.
I want to say that many incidents I have as a pedestrian where I accidentally walk out dangerously are because of parked cars. Sometimes its very hard to look round a car without getting in the way and often if it's cloudy, some cars may be less visible due to their colour. I'm still in the wrong, as I need to be more careful, but that's just some things I notice a lot while crossing.
I think that the changes to the Highway Code have actually made it more dangerous for pedestrians. Some motorists follow the rules others don’t, I simply assume that everyone on the road is trying to kill me. Sometimes drivers are overly accommodating, I had someone that stopped to allow me to cross on a light controlled crossing, the lights were green for the road traffic, I was happy to wait, what he didn’t spot was the rapidly approaching cars on his left that would have seen a green light and passed, good job I looked! I noticed in one of those clips that pedestrians were being forced into the road by another badly parked car, a pet hate of mine is having to walk in the road by vehicles partially or fully parked on pavements often with their hazard lights (I can park anywhere lights) on. It’s up to all of us to be aware of our surroundings, there are good and bad pedestrians and motorists everywhere. Good video Ashley.
The only negative of Ashley's vids and comments is they're usually far too sensible. Keep up the good work Ashley most of these would usually be on a different compilation
As a new driver almost three years ago I was just approaching Ormskirk from Southport and I was passing a queue. But because of these videos you highlight in your videos I already slowed to 20mph and as I approached a van in the queue a young lad in karate gear ran from behind the van and I slammed on the brakes,luckily missing the lad but getting a blast of a horn from the car behind. Still frightens me thinking about it.
So many people willing to walk out into moving traffic! Regardless of DVLA changes, why would you do something to actively put yourself in danger? Obliviousness? Entitlement? Distraction? All of the above? From the other perspective, I was once out walking with someone on a narrow-ish country road with no pavement. We were walking single file on the right-hand side on a straight section of road (as advised by the highway code). A car driver coming from behind (who we both heard approaching) took the time to slow down to swear at us, ask if we were trying to get ourselves killed and shout that we should be on the other side of the f-ing road. I seriously have no idea what prompted the outburst. We were well into the side, on the correct side of the road, there was plenty of room and we weren't doing anything unusual at all. I calmly and politely told him to go home and read rule 2 of the highway code. Whether he did or not, I guess I'll never know, but he did speed off with that silly "I'm accelerating hard to let them know who's boss" attitude.
Although it is better to walk on the side facing the traffic, it's not if you're on the inside of a bend. It's best to think how far down the road can I be seen?
@@davem9204 Absolutely agreed. And this is also covered in rule 2 of the Highway code: "It may be safer to cross the road well before a sharp right-hand bend so that oncoming traffic has a better chance of seeing you. Cross back after the bend." As I mentioned though, the incident that happened to me was on a straight section of road with a clear view ahead for quite some distance (470m according to google maps). It was even a nice clear day with good visibility and no low-level sun or anything like that.
I always feel bad if I accidentally cross dangerously and always apologise if it happens. There's one road near my house that is almost impossible to cross, because there's a hedge and parked cars and cars often turn onto it. There has been a few near misses on that road because of it. Can't really blame the drivers though, because it's pretty much blind.
As a pedestrian, over politeness is the biggest irk. People slamming on mid traffic to beckon you across, they're then surprised that I just shake my head at them.
I wouldn't say it's my biggest irk (at least they're trying to be helpful in a misguided way). Saying that, motorists have had a go at me for not crossing when they insisted. These days I always stay well back from the road and use body language to indicate that I'll cross at my own pace (e.g. facing away from traffic, look at watch/phone etc). I do agree it's annoying.
As I always start by saying I can no longer drive since developing epilepsy. But it wasn't until I started driving that I realised how long it takes a car to stop. I also did realise, until behind the wheel how hard to see a pedestrian can be if all in dark colours and at night. The changes in the Highway Code might be making a difference, I know that even I no longer insist on going to a crossing. But I will sometimes just cross where I want to. Always carefully, I'm paranoid about being run over.
I personally don't think most of these incidents are even to do the highway code changes, I believe the last few years self entitlement in general within our society/culture has got a lot worse and it's almost like nobody cares or is courteous anymore. People will now walk out in front of a moving 2 ton vehicle like the guy at 1:00 because quite literally their ego is larger than their common sense.
3:34 - Driver was also really aware of the girl in the red coat. Even after dealing with the group from the right, they were still looking out for other potential issues. Great driving.
Do you think a 'telling off ' would help ? My friend who might be describe as 'stupid ' she has cerebral palsy and learning disabilities and can sometimes step onto a road without checking. Does that make her stupid ? Would she benefit from a 'telling off ' ?
@@wormwood8071 sure but the more able boddied need to be responsible having a driving licence means responsibility for driving a tonne to of steel at speed around people of all abilities. Extra care is needed .we as drivers don't know how pedestrians might react . It is our duty to take extra care when around pedestrians. Highway Code rule 147 Be considerate. Be patient. Rule 205 . Rule 206 Drive carefully and slowly when ( lot's of advice ) including approaching pedestrians who have started to cross .
@@robduncan599 I wont be drawn into your silly stawman argument.. your using an example that is only applicable in the most extreme of rare occasions to (attempt) to throw water on my comment that simply makes a point that people will not take a telling off.. which is true.. I never said people shouldn't be carefull. But back to my original point. you only have to look at the millions of public audit videos or dash cams or drive on the roads for a few minutes to see this. Eg someone flys out at a roundabout gets the horn blown at them, it hurts their ego, so they start freaking out.. I see so many videos of people been pulled by the police for a minor wrist slap and they shove a camera in the coppers face and act like children rather that considering they may actually of been a prick. Just sitting in the car shouting "are you detaining me officer" It's a real problem. I mean look at cyclist they actively go out looking for trouble then when they are called out they loose their minds. I was last year riding a motorcycle minding my own business when a white van did the think were they don't stop at a give way.. I slam on wheel locks up and blow my horn.. the van driver then starts throwing insults at me.. I did nothing wrong at all but I hurt his ego. People like this need a slap.
my state has written into the highway code that pedestrians may not enter the roadway unless it is safe to do so. and also that pedestrians must obey traffic lights in the absence of pedestrian signals.
Driving my truck through a small town on Friday, I was at my trucks maximum capacity of 13.5t, coming round an S bend at 20mph I had just past a zebra crossing and this lady was halfway across my lane. What a way to save 30 seconds and a stupid place to cross, vehicles are hidden from both directions
Belfast has been desperate since the changes to priority. I've been walking across junctions when cars that have been nowhere near the turn when I started have zoomed up past me blasting the horn. There are junctions so bad I wouldn't even try crossing at them at any time.
I thought you said most people don't know about the new rules. So you're claiming a select few out of the very few that do are using it as an excuse to walk out. Seems unrealistic.
A couple of weeks ago, I was in Kaunas in Lithuania. Along with an elderly couple, I crossed the street with the red man showing. They crossed, because they grew up in the Soviet Union, and delighted in any petty rule breaking. I crossed because I'm British. 😊
I do think that pedestrians who don't understand the changes to the highway code are blithely assuming priority before it's given and putting themselves and others at risk.
Years ago in the adult comic ‘VIZ’ they would have a spoof reader’s helpful tips page.
One tip at the beginning of the page said…
“save time when crossing the road in a one way street by only looking in one direction, Edward from Surrey”
At the bottom of the page it had another tip that said….
“Always look both ways when crossing a one way street to avoid being run over by a lorry reversing the wrong way up the road, Edward From Surrey Royal Infirmary”
haha brilliant... I used to love the Viz top tips they were utterly hilarious.
"Don't waste money on expensive carpets, simply glue two samples to the bottom of your feet and walk around your home!"
One of the best was, "Don't waste time boiling a kettle, simply pour a box of tea bags into your hot water tank and hey presto, instant tea whenever you turn on the hot tap!"
🤣🤣
Tailgate another motorist to get free windscreen wash 🤣
A favourite is “save money on batteries by only putting them in your clock when you wish to know the time” 😂
Years ago whilst doing Bikesafe a police officer told me something that has stuck with me ever since:
“Every driver is a pedestrian but not every pedestrian is a driver.”
I always cross roads with the mind of a driver, i.e I won't wait for the green man if I can see the light is already on red
Hi Ashley, I was taught the Green Cross code when I was a kid. I still use this technique today. It has saved my life twice, from car drivers jumping the lights at a pedestrian crossing.
Another problem is people are easily distracted by their mobiles phones and this self entitled attitude.
Grate content. All the best.
The new rules have given cyclists a new sense of entitlement, youtube cyclists loving it. They ignore pedestrain saftey thus they are ,in their heads, most vulnerable road users, every incident being a motorist's fault.
I'm so old I remember, "Look right, look left, look right again. If it's all clear, then quick march!"
@@wowbaggertheinfinitelyprol6262 Kerb drill, wasn't it?
@@wowbaggertheinfinitelyprol6262 nowadays they don't seem to teach it, they just wanna lower every speed limit to 20 and put up LTNs instead
If it's good enough for Darth Vader then it's good enough for eveyone.
I bet if you asked any of these people they would say “What Highway Code changes…?”
Most people are totally unaware of them or don’t care, and I don’t think that’s why they are behaving as they are in these clips.
Agreed
Ultimately I think the message should be; when driving you are the one in control of heavy/potentially dangerous machinery, and as part of your training you should be expecting to come across people who are not trained/licensed. This also includes children etc. so drivers should always be vigilante.
Many drivers behave worse than Ashley's viewers who've submitted these clips. And I don't think the tone of Ashley's message on these clips is helpful. Drivers will feel empowered to beep and drive "at" pedestrians they view as not following the rules.
@northeastcyclist1507 sure but it's also on the pedestrian to understand that roads are dangerous and vigilance must be taken when walking into them
nobody actually knows what the highway code is or what changes have been made
@@therealryan1329 yes, but it's never acceptable for drivers to behave aggressively/intimidate pedestrians because they make mistakes or don't know the rules, something I see all too often. More onus is on the trained and licensed drivers. Besides, there are vulnerable people who simply cannot know the highway code, disabled, elderly, children, animals, inebriated etc. So the only way to drive is in anticipation of others making mistakes.
Unfortunately too many people drive completely oblivious to their surroundings. It's worse as modern cars are very insulating from the outside environment and people drive more dangerously the more safe _they_ feel without considering the impact on others. Then they act surprised when somebody "steps out in front of them" but it's actually at a junction where the driver doesn't have priority. But the driver is o lying looking for other cars which would affect their safety, they're not driving with a view to look after vulnerable road users.
@northeastcyclist1507 everything after the yes is irrelevant
The first one is giving big New York "I'm walking here!" energy. Thought that only existed in the movies!
One of the best improvised reactions ever 😊.
@@Oligodendrocyte139 Yep, that scene in Midnight Cowboy was improv and a real taxi driver cut into the shot. A lot of people don't realise that because it was so smooth.
I'm not convinced attitudes have changed. I remember back when I was a student in the 00s, we had a mate in our group who was convinced that walking out onto a busy road was ok - ideal even. "They have to give way to you! See...it makes them stop."
When pointed out that the obvious his response: "you'll get compo so it's OK". When pointed out that you could get seriously injured possibly permanently it was "yeah but you get lots of money!"
Some people are just hopeless.
I've had three people do the I'm just going to walk and car be damned thing. One time they came out between parked cars and I slammed the breaks on. Another two times I saw them coming and called their bluff. They both stopped, it's actually pretty hard to step in a front of a car that will clearly cream you.
One of my friends often said "They're not going to hit you. They don't want their insurance premium to go up."
@@nekomatafuyu A lad I worked with a lad who did someting like that and ended up with a bill from the insurance Co. for the damage to the car. He also got a broken arm to boot.
I think blaming the DVSA is a bit of an easy thing to do. There’s also these things called “self-preservation” and “common sense”. These two things SHOULD tell a person that wandering in front of a multi-ton lump of metal, either through entitlement or otherwise, is a bad idea and isn’t likely to end well for them.
The fact that people would rather put their own safety in the hands of total strangers is baffling to me.
Any change of public policy or guidance that aims at a paradigm shift requires a campaign of some kind around it.
Post-WW2 governments wanted to cut down the railway network and build a truly mass market for private cars. In unreconstucted working-class areas of cities, that implied clearing the streets, where previously playing children outnumbered motor vehicles. Step forward Tufty Fluffytail, and for over-5s,, Green Cross Man. That self-preservation had to be taught, in Tufty's case with the message that going in the roadway was both naughty and stupid.
But lessons learned early tend to die hard. There was to be no equivalent re-education for Tufty's graduates when they got their full-sized bikes, or their driving licences. For much longer than Tufty ran, traffic management professionals have struggled with his unsustainable legacy.
Even if they did have priority its not gonna unbreak your bones, the amount of times when I *should* have had priority but would have got hit if I hadn't used some basic common sense and a little bit of patience is insanely high, its a miracle that these people aren't constantly in hospital acting like that.
I personally think Ashley is reading too much into the HC changes from some of these clips, and they would have happened without the changes as people can be stupid and selfish.
I agree! Survival of the brightest! At least the most stupid in society won’t be passing their genes on. Not when they are under a two ton trick!
Some people simply lack those. Back in the day, the sort of people you see in these videos are the same people who would've ended up being eaten by a large carnivore or gored by a bull or something.
Thank you for using my clip at 5:55
One thing with this clip is I kept my following distance around double to the larger vehicle in front which allowed me to see the pedestrian sooner and be able to slow and move in a more controlled manner than following closer.
Remember, 2 seconds is the _minimum_ recommended distance and doesn’t mean it should be standard distance and adjust to what is around and the conditions 👍
Nice one washing your windscreen just as a hazard appears, has Ash taught you nothing
@@123MondayTuesday Nonsense.
Yeah, I often keep 4+ seconds distance if the situation allows, especially behind a lorry, van or SUV.
@@123MondayTuesday "Never wash your windscreen ever, just in case a hazard turns up as you do it"
No, the Highway Code changes are not responsible for the pedestrians at 04:12 walking out onto a crossing _when the red man is showing_ . That is just pedestrians seeing traffic stopped one way, no traffic the other way, and jumping their red light; which was happening long before those changes.
Fair points but I tend to agree with Ashley. When I first heard about the HC rule changes (thanks to Ashley) I immediately said they would encourage entitled behaviour by pedestrians.
I live in Northern Ireland, the part of the UK that did not implement the new HC rules. I see far less of such entitled behaviour here. Pedestrians here seem to have a higher awareness of the danger they potentially step into when entering a road. I think GB should have kept it that way.
@@R04drunner1They have not encouraged _this_ behaviour. I speak from many years's experience of being that one lone pedestrian who hangs back until there is a green man when many others are just chancing it when they see that some cars have stopped. This has been widespread pedestrian behaviour for a _long_ time.
@JdeBP especially in cities. In London people will cross at any opportunity, and usually everyone else starts following because they aren't really paying attention to anything. Driving through a green light is a hazard.
@@Rover200Power you just have to laugh at the pedestrians that have to cross in front of your vehicle, thereby stepping into the main road, when you stuck trying to get out of a side road in London. The ped's that insist on using closed off zebra crossings in temporary roadworks that always means cars are stuck when the lights change. The most recent near miss is a ped almost being wiped out by an electric scooter user because the scooter user was riding against the flow direction at speed, luckily the ped didn't have earphones in so they heard the shout of warning.
I don't think it was the rule change that lead to (most of) these. I don't believe most people really understand the change. I think the weather exacerbates it but also older people - like the nan walking her grandkid - tend to think sod it, they can wait. Then you have phone zombies, drunk people etc. I believe the rules were introduced to protect phone zombies from themselves.
It’s lucky the viewer at 6:00 didn’t use those washers 10 seconds later or that pedestrian might have been missed until it was too late.
In fact, they might very well have used the washers to get a better view as their eyes might have been deceiving them! 😅
I don't think many of these are down to the DVLA changes regarding pedestrians; in my experience, most _drivers_ don't know about the changes and even less pedestrians are aware of them.
I dunno the no look pedestrian cross at a side road incidence seems to be going up in my area, as is the expectation of pedestrians to be let across even if they don't look. Knowledge of the change seems to be going up here.
@frankhooper7871 I completely agree, are some people just noticing the behaviour and blaming the DVLA changes.
I think some of the pedestrians here probably are aware of the changes, but in the worst way - second-, third- or umpteeth-hand reporting. They've never checked the text and act as though their priority trumps everything. The DVSA's and indeed government's failure to own and promote the changes left the vacuum for them to be spread and scrambled by gossip.
@@ChrisBrown-px1oy exactly - well said
@@frankhooper7871 Fair point but I tend to agree with Ashley. When I first heard about the HC rule changes (thanks to Ashley) I immediately said they would encourage entitled behaviour by pedestrians. What makes it worse is the poor publicity by government, meaning people act from (often incorrect) hearsay.
I live in Northern Ireland, the part of the UK that did not implement the new HC rules. I see far less of such entitled behaviour here. Pedestrians here seem to have a higher awareness of the danger they potentially step into when entering a road. I think GB should have kept it that way.
I'm a pedestrian - a very careful one who was in the Tufty Club as a boy - and I see this kind of thing all the time. It is quite scary to see just how ignorant they are about their own safety. The worst example I've seen was a woman with three youngsters in tow. Her face permanently glued to her phone and totally oblivious of anything else around her. She just stepped out onto a very busy main road with her three kids and not once did her eyes leave her phone. You'll be pleased to know that she did not get away with this as I immediately shouted at her to wake up and pay attention when crossing the road with her children. She threatened to call the police so I said "Go right ahead and I will tell them what I've just seen you do."
I have bad arthritis in my neck but that still doesn't stop me moving my head around all the time when crossing the road. I still stop, look and listen after all these years and it has kept me alive when the roads are so full of dangers. The simple fact is that all road users need to pay attention all of the time - pedestrians included. I would ask any pedestrian today have you ever heard the words "find a safe place to cross" because that is key to road safety for a pedestrian. I'm one of those rare pedestrians. One who does actually value his own skin. My mobile phone stays at home too. No call or text is that important that it can't wait.
Keep safe out there.
I too am both a driver and a pedestrian. When out walking and crossing busy roads i stand well back and wait for a decent gap in the traffic to cross without running and without forcing drivers to slow down. But my main annoyance is this, the amount of drivers who never use their indicators at roundabouts that turn in where i'm trying to cross.
We're all pedestrians.
@@valholmes6659 Drivers not indicating for pedestrians is a pet hate of mine too. There's a roundabout near me that I cross a lot, and so many drivers turning left that don't indicate when I'm wanting to cross. I usually make a point of walking out in front of them and point at their indicator (I have my little JV Karen moment!).
When I did it to a non-indicating driver once, they shouted out of the window that they don't need to indicate as there's no-one else around. So I asked them, who are you talking to then, the invisible man?
@davem9204 , good for you, i was half way across the road near a roundabout and this driver turned up the road without indicating, he wound down the window amd called me a stupid bitch, i promptly replied, at least i know how my indicators work! He mumbled something i didn't catch and drove off, so i was pleased to get my point across.
3:31. There is a thing called herd mentality where people’s sense of vulnerability disappears because they are in a crowd.
[from primal ancestry in the wild when we felt safety in numbers]
You see this a concerts or football matches when the crowd kicks out of the stadium all at once, they starts off on the pavements but soon people start to occupy the road and then they just wander out without even looking.
You get the same effect in busy tourists towns where the footpaths are full, people just step out without a care.
I believe it was Socrates that said "a car bonnet always has right of way over your pelvis"
Not Socrates, just a bully.
I think you're confusing Socrates with Clarkson.
Some of the car drivers STOPPING to let pedestrians cross might think they are being nice, but they are encousaginf pedestrians to go when it is not safe. I prefer to try to stick to the rules and don't give "nice guy" priority when it can cause confusion.
Now imagine if the drivers were looking at their phone as the pedestrians walked in front of the car.
Or even some of the things you are supposed to be looking at as you drive. A quick mirror check if you see something behind you could be enough time to miss someone who steps out at the last second.
What about pedestrians looking at thier phone and walking into the road?
@@therealryan1329 Some people walk through pedestrians and across roads without ever looking up. I wonder if they do the same on cliff top walks😆
In Darlington we have a major issue with cyclists during the night. No lights, not even reflectors; dark clothing; dark coloured bikes. There seem to be loads of them.
I nearly opened my door into one who was just about to pass. I checked my mirror but the lighting & car headlights actually made him disappear into the other shadows even more. That's counterintuitive but it happened. He briefly moved across a car headlights & I spotted his bike & legs, just black shapes to me. But that was enough, luckily. That was a shock: how 'camouflaged' someone can be.
Edinburgh, at the start, has been like that for years! Walking out at pedestrian crossings when the lights are clearly not in their favour.
That clip happens at every light cycle with a bus at waverly in August.
@ not just August!
Yup instantly recognised Princes Street and that corner, which is god awful at the best of times
Correct me if I'm wrong but I didn't think the new laws applied to controlled crossings
Exactly. That's the mistake those pedestrians make.
I actually think those changes to the Highway Code made life MORE dangerous for pedestrians. Entitled behaviour and ignorance of the rule changes are a potentially lethal combination.
They don't.
Controlled crossings are just a help for people who hesitate, basically the whole of the UK. They aren't a rule thing
I can't see any distinction between signalled and unsignalled junctions in Highway Code. Am I missing a rule somewhere?
Most of the Highway code rules are advisory UNLESS prefixed with MUST or MUST NOT. For example, rule 21 for pedestrians, states:
At traffic lights. There may be special signals for pedestrians. You should only start to cross the road when the green figure shows. If you have started to cross the road and the green figure goes out, you should still have time to reach the other side, but do not delay. If no pedestrian signals have been provided, watch carefully and do not cross until the traffic lights are red and the traffic has stopped. Keep looking and check for traffic that may be turning the corner. Remember that traffic lights may let traffic move in some lanes while traffic in other lanes has stopped.
Personally, I think people misunderstand the intentions of the rules H1 to H3, they're intended as guidance to ensure that users on cycles, cars and lorries take more care around people in more vulnerable modes of transport - with pedestrians being the most vulnerable. However, it's not intended to give the more vulnerable users carte blanche to do what they want.
Every road user should be using the road in a sensible manner and looking after themselves as well as other road users. As a pedestrian I would not want to be stepping out into a road unless I was sure it was safe. Likewise, as a cyclist, I would not want to be cycling madly on a shared cycle path near pedestrians, and if I was a pedestrian on that same section I'd want to try and keep to one side to allow cyclists to get past with minimum of inconvenience to them.
I had one near me back in August. A young guy with earphones in just casually strolled across the road in front of me without looking. It looked like he may have even had his eyes closed. He was in a world of his own, like the road wasn't even there.
The worst thing is cyclists at night with no lights dark clothing and riding on the wrong side of the road, they really do have a death wish.
@3:30, it doesn't help when the Range Rover is parked on the pavement.
And starting to move while surrounded by pedestrians
@@GeorgeFoot That's my clip. There was a perfect storm of issues that could have added up to a very bad situation. I didn't know whether the driver of the SUV had seen the people behind it, or the pedestrians realised the vehicle could have reversed suddenly. Either way, the child was at considerable risk for a few seconds.
Ambleside?
@craiglang3492 Oh no wonder it was raining!
I noticed that too - I thought for a minute the little girl in the red jacket was going to step on to the road!! 😬
I had a long discussion on Nextdoor with someone who as convinced those regs (cannot call them new) meant they could walk across the road with impunity.
I had the same conversation with someone on this very channel. I pointed out that while everyone had a duty of care to avoid an accident that is different from right of way. She wasn't having any of it, and weirdly brought race into it.
Highway code says pedestrians should wait at pedestrian crossing not seen anything that clears it up
@Slaeowulf if you lose a argument just call your aponments raceist lol
No one asked@@Slaeowulf
@@Slaeowulf She was probably having a day off from Brexit
Count yourself lucky
It's incredible the amount of pedestrians who just walk out, expecting you to stop for them, not realising the danger they put everyone involved, i saw a car get rear ended because they had to brake sharply to avoid hitting a dumb pedestrian who just walked out, he walked off as if nothing had happened, leaving two drivers and two cars to sort the mess out. Surley he could have been charged with causing this accident in some way?
You know what the insurers would say though, that you should be prepared for the vehicle in front to pull up suddenly and drive accordingly. It may be that the pedestrian caused the sudden stop, but he didn't cause the collision.
@@PedroConejo1939 Yes. This is also why I take nearby pedestrians (even just walking down the path) into account when judging my speed through busy areas.
I've seen something similar happen a couple of times too. One involved a pedestrian stepping out right in front of a car. The car had to swerve out of the way as they were far too close to brake in time, but ended hitting another car on the other side of the road. The poor driver saved the pedestrian by avoiding them, but badly damaged their own car and other stationary car. The pedestrian just wandered off without a care in the world, even though they caused the collision.
Before any says "that's why you shoudl always keep enough braking distance", the pedestrian was pretty much next to the car's bonnet when they stepped out, and most drivers wouldn't have even spotted them in their peripheral vision. Not everything jumping into the road happens at a convenient braking distance in front of you.
@@davem9204 It may not seem fair, but you're running the risk of ending up in court if you hit an unobservant pedestrian, and even 50/50 blame is going go hurt, not to mention the whole process and after effects.
We have to anticipate (like it or not) that a pedestrian my walk into the road without looking. If that means being super-alert around pedestrians, I'd rather put that extra energy into not hitting someone than having to explain why I did hit them and then having to live with the outcome.
My advice: extra caution anywhere near pedestrians, and fit decent dashcams, oh, and absolutely don't rely on a court to take your side.
Still amazing how some of these people manage to live to the age they do with the way they carry on.
I constantly have commenters on my cycle channel telling me that pedestrians always have the right of way. Even before the new hierarchy guidelines were released. There’s a big public misconception.
The new guidelines state “The hierarchy does not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly”, yet many chose to ignore this bit.
Rule 7 (especially 7d) of the Code state that, before crossing Pedestrians must stop, look, if traffic is approaching then let it pass, and wait for a safe gap before crossing. At pedestrian light operated crossings the rule (23/24 I think) clearly states that if the red figure is showing, do not start to cross.
Pedestrians still must follow these rules despite the new Hierarchy of Road Users guidance.
That's the bit that many people seem to conveniently forget about - I'll just walk out even though it's clear unsafe - if i get it the blame will be put on the driver.
Also a lot of people don't know what "right of way" means. All it means it that's you're allowed to use that route, it doesn't mean you've got priority or permission to actually move along the route at any time.
@ Exactly, sadly some think it means they can just walk into the road at any given moment, without looking, and it’s everyone else’s responsibility to avoid a collision. 🤦🏻♂️
It's always so stressful whenever someone decides to cross just as I pass like in 3:54. I can see it coming, but it's so unnecessarily risky.
I kinda disagree, I think so long as you've both made eye contact and you aren't meeting at the same point then you've both made an agreement on how it plays out, without the eye contact it would be a different story though.
@@JustOneQuestionNo because what if they’re one of those climate lunatics that are crossing in the middle of the road so they can swipe your wing mirror off? That guy kinda looked threatening if it wasn’t for the fact he only had one free hand
Want to see dozy pedestrians? As an Instructor I always let clients drive through a busy supermarket car park.....That encourages them to look and anticipate !
Happens all the time in car parks, people get out their cars then walk around blindly
Drivers are way too fast in car parks. Like 15mph in a 5mph.
In the rainy clip in Barmouth(time 3.32) the behaviour of the silver Range Rover B231 TR "parked" across the pavement is shocking. Pedestrians are forced to go on to the road to get past and worst still they start up the car and put it into reverse whilst there is two small children right behind the car!
Totally agree with the comment about it getting worse since the new rules were introduced. I have noticed pedestrians who ould also look swhere they were going, look before crossing are now fixated on their phones and do not bopther looking before crossing the road. I have had at least two incidents of a pedestrian walking out in front of me who had a hood up, large headphones on and looking down at their phone. It actually feels like some (not all) people know they won't be held responsbile if they get hit (with the heirarchy of road users) and so they now just do what they want.
but is that causation or just correlation? here, it was pandemic reductions that correlate with worse behavior.
I've personally not noticed much of a difference -- stupid people always walk out, stupid drivers assume they won't. From my POV I understand the rule changes, but as a pedestrian I assume that drivers aren't aware and behave accordingly.
IMO the main difference between now and even 5 years ago is that a noticeable amount of folks are glued to their phones while out and about, and it's not just teens/young adults -- I see people in their 30s and 40s doing it. I find it baffling. I'm not talking about someone quickly checking messages and putting their phone away -- they're literally staring at the screen and not present. Zombies.
3:00 , you're spot on. When its raining & you have your hood up, you lose all peripheral vision but as a glasses wearer I hate having to actually turn my head fully to look as then my glasses get covered in rain, for this reason, sometimes it's tempting to just cross without really looking
Doesn't stop a lump of metal from moving does it, change your approach, that same rain obscures a drivers vision as well. Stay alive.
It is scary how so many people are totally switched off from their environment by mobile phone use. As you know, I'm a cyclist so am extra wary of peds. I try to read what they're going to do but on the odd occasion they do things totally unexpected. A slower speed and bit more distance from the kerb is key here. It gives me time to respond.
They are also less likely to hear you coming on a bicycle.
The crazy thing about people who just walk out in the road is not just their sense of entitlement, but their ignorance. When I'm crossing, even when it's a green man, I check the cars in both lanes (including the cars behind) are coming to a stop and briefly make eye contact with the drivers where possible.
Why? Because I frequently see motorists on their phone. I saw someone nearly crash into barriers at 40 mph a few months back at a busy crossing (the driver was veering into the verge and then did a jerk correction -- I saw the phone in their hand). If the light was red, I have no confidence they would've noticed -- they could easily mow somebody down.
Crossing without looking/caring when you don't even have right of way is next level stupidity.
Agree with you Ashley, my biggest worry is not only pedestrians stepping out but vehicles behind, this will only get worse .
What I noticed in the UK, different vs South American pedestrian, "apparently all the pedestrian in the UK have an insurance". and willing to do a claim. I am shocked how a lot of them cross streets without look right and left, sometimes when they check right and left is in the middle of the road too late. In South American that is a ticket to heaven.
That last clip 😂 Ever since 20mph come out they are like that everywhere in that town 🤣
4:00 This one reminds me of an incident a few weeks ago in my town centre where I assumed a guy crossing on the right was going to finish crossing once I had passed, but for some reason, he moved over to my side of the road while I was still approaching, he was looking right at me as well. I had to come to a complete stop, and he put his hand up in apology, so he knew he’d made a mistake. I can only think that he was looking at the bus station directly behind me and hadn't noticed me.
phone zombies, theyre a nightmare, ive had them literally walk into my stopped car on several occasions
Walking towards traffic as a pedestrian in a country lane is NOT always best. On bends, walking on the outside of the bend gives drivers more time to see you. And walking where there is a verge to escape onto is also handy.
Agreed. Always try and think how far away can I be seen when walking along a country lane.
@@davem9204 Wear something white at night. I remember that campaign.
Absolutely pertinent post Ashley!
The dangers if 'unwitting ' pedestrians and the downright 'risk takers' are astounding...Will direct my pupils to you post.
Thanks
The clip starting at 02:58 is in Barmouth and as soon as I saw this crossroad I laughed because I know it very well. The pedestrians coming from the left are coming down one of the busier roads in town, most of the traffic through town will be taken up that street by the one way system and as you can see with parked cars and pedestrians it is already a tight street and in high tourist season on a sunny day it can be much worse than that. The problem with coming from that direction at the crossroad specifically is the building on the left completely blocks your view of the street, you have the cars coming from the right which can be partially blocked from view by pedestrians waiting to cross and the railway station, and you also have to think about the cars on the other side of the road that are trying to turn in the same direction as you into the the same lane. I wish you had a clip of that junction when it is really bad. Luckily most people drive around Barmouth at a snail's pace because pedestrians are well known for just wandering into the road like it is pedestrianised.
I had a lady push a buggy out Infront of me yesterday. She looked at me and just walked out. Luckily I was going slow being in a carpark. Then she gave me the middle finger for looking at her. These new laws have made pedestrians more dangerous.
It's like "I. Can do anything I want but the new rule means its always going to be the drivers fault"
@@arealscotsman I have expected it from drivers as I rode motorbikes but at least pedestrians were more careful, but now it's changed, I've been riding and driving for 50 years, and have seen a distinct change in their behaviour since the new regulation has been put in place
@@stephenhill8790 Sorry I was talking about F1. I am getting the posts mixed up. I do have a excuse as i had motorbike crash when I was 17. I had a serious concussion and it affected my memory. Also lost my right knee.
@arealscotsman sorry to hear that, I was some might say over cautious when riding, so survived 25 years without a major accident
Great clips, great comments. I'm reminded of the song from the 80s by John Farnham "we're all someone's daughter, we're all someone's son." So important we ss drivers look out for pedestrians and look after them, even if they're not in the best shape to look after themselves.
I owe my life to an attentive driver of a white VW Polo who slammed on the brakes when I stepped into the road one Saturday night about thirty years ago (yes I'd had a bit to drink). They'll probably never know my gratitude. How many others watching this video could share a similar story?
Pedestrians treating crossing the road as a Sunday afternoon stroll always gets me.
I've just started bus driving in Leeds and its all to common with people just walking out into traffic without looking. We've had way too many incidents around the city centre from people getting hit by buses because of it. We've implemented lots of safety precautions but you can't always predict the stupid. Phone usage is definitely worse now
Absolutely brilliant video! It certainly does seem that the change in Highway Code rules has emboldened pedestrians into thinking they can step into the road and force vehicles to stop for them. This video shows how much care drivers need to take. Thank you for this and all your educative videos.
I had the weirdest incident a couple of weeks back. As part of my job I drive a bright red van. Whilst I was waiting to pull out of a side road, I suddenly hear a thud behind me, and when I look in my mirror someone with a cane has just walked straight into the side of my van. I then have to stay completely stationary for several minutes as he literally gropes his way around the van.
Shoutout to the final clip being in my hometown of Wrexham 😂😂.
Big up the Wrexham 😂😂 we’ve got a lot of special characters here
I agree with the point about the problem when it's drizzle or raining - pedestrians will want to do what they want to do, well, because they're getting wet! And, that brings me to a point about people seeming to drive like they are getting wet and not the outside of the car
There has been a shift in attitude. Go back 30 years and many drivers took the view that if they could manage to hit a pedestrian, it was the pedestrian's fault, often de facto backed up by the police report.
There is more of an attitude of 'pedestrians rule' now. Frankly, I rather like it. It's even more so in Wales with the 20 limit off main roads in towns, if you want to cross the road, you can, and traffic is already slow enough that most will make a minor adjustment to help you. Even those powering along at 35 ("I just ignore the new limit and I've never got a ticket. What's this brown envelope?"), suddenly realize this might not go well and slow down for pedestrians.
But to blindly walk out is complete nonsense. Even if it's technically the rules
@@therealryan1329 It's not technically correct to walk out without looking, never has been.
@@PedroConejo1939 then it's even more ridiculous
@@therealryan1329 It's not within the rules, but Health and Safety (a good thing when cutting out work place injuries) has brought the idea of a 'duty of care' into our view of situations and the Court's view of driving.
I agree. People have the right to move around, and not everyone is able to drive, so it _should_ be the way that those who are able to use a motor vehicle give due care to pedestrians.
If you're not factoring in the quantity and movement of nearby pedestrians into your driving, then you're not anticipating and planning well enough.
Good to know my thought processes are correct.
To add to the bad weather clip, be mindful that with hoods and umbrellas the pedestrians usually do not have peripheral vision to the sides or blocked by the umbrella depending on the direction of the wind and rain.
With regards to hoods, if you see a cyclist riding with a hood up, they definitely do not have peripheral vision and be wary of them as they likely cannot see you even if they do shoulder checks.
And for cyclists, filter slowly in heavy traffic. I know the temptation to ride fast is great when all the cars are backed up and you have a clear path ahead, it feels good to beat all the cars stuck and you are blazing along. But this is when you need to be the most vigilant as it is the likely time when pedestrians will walk out, as in their minds if the cars are not moving it is safe to cross and they never think about cyclists.
Be wary of small children and dogs, as they will move in unpredictable manner and change direction suddenly.
Slower speeds, fast assessment, quick reactions and a non confrontational attitude will make non events of many situations.
As a pedestrian, it's not DVLA changes, but an increase in pedestrian friendly road infrastructure, such as continuous crossings that bring the road surface and similar, along with promotion of active travel by local & national governments. It's no surprise there's more incidents when there's more pedestrians.
Very few drivers, let alone pedestrians know about the updates to the highway code.
In Victoria, Australia the only time we have to give way to pedestrians without crossings is on the road we are entering when turning left or right.
We don't have to give way on the road we are leaving, and we don't have to give way at roundabouts unless there is a crossing.
We get a fair few pedestrians walking without care but it's nowhere near as bad what we see here in these videos.
I live in Germany where the vast majority of pedestrians won’t cross the road against red at crossings and it makes it much safer for drivers. Mind you there’s some other aspects of driving here which I think the UK does much better, clear and better positioned road signs being one of them.
German traffic lights are green for pedestrians more frequently, so I don’t find waiting for green as problematic in Germany. I would say the pedestrian wait in the UK is twice the wait in Germany at a standard crossing.
I'm glad you said it. I'm always banging on about Germany!
@@orattab3778part of this is because crossings at junctions don't stop traffic on both sides as we do here. If there's a green and someone is turning right, the crossing on the adjacent side may also be on green so the driver has to give way to the pedestrian. It works there because the standard of driving is higher (imo). It also helps to keep the traffic flowing.
I was a street cleaner for 46 years and I don't think the pedestrian priority changes has made pedestrians take more risks.
I was saying long before the updates that I thought a lot of pedestrians looked like they have a death wish the way they cross roads.
I remember one occasion working on a road that features often In you're videos Rice lane I had to physically pull one phone zombie back by their hood as they where about to walk behind a reversing lorry.
Park up around Kensington and spend half an hour between McDonald's and Holt road if you want to see pedestrians taking stupid risks you would get enough for an hours video in ten minutes
1:37 yes she didn't look but should the BMW be trying to turn right from there or overtake?
Probably the most important video you have ever posted Ashley, in terms of saving lives.
Pedestrians are most at risk of being hurt and also the least likely to be roadsmart. That's a potentially lethal combination.
Excellent video with lots of learning points.
3:44 Regarding the well timed pedestrian, it's not ideal, but I have sometimes used this technique crossing busy roads where finding time when both directions are clear is hard. The times it has been most dangerous is when drivers slow but don't stop, which blocks a carefully timed walk and leaves the pedestrian stranded in the middle with traffic on both sides. My advice to drivers is that safety comes in driving predictably-either maintaining speed or, if you need to slow for whatever reason, to come to a complete stop (0mph being the most predictable speed) before the pedestrian so they don't need to second guess going in front or behind.
I often cross the road like that and I rely on the drivers carrying on at the speed they are going to get the gap I need. I'm crossing the road as safely as I can without impeding anyone else. So if a driver suddenly slows down to wave me across it just messing everything up, wastes time and causes more risk.
@davem9204 I agree, that's why I gave the advice I did. Simply slowing to wave across, or slowing in uncertainty makes it dangerous. But sometimes a driver will need to slow down for other reasons; just because we have chosen to cross shouldn't compel a driver to maintain speed absolutely, so my advice was to come to a full stop before the pedestrian so our way to cross perpendicularly is unimpeded. I'd prefer constant speed too, but not moving is as predictable as constant speed. As long as they don't dither in the middle, which invariably blocks the path.
I remember when I was ten, 4, almost 5 years before you were born, getting taught for the first time the Green Cross Code in primary school. The generation today doesn't seem to know about it. It must be worse now, as you say, after the introduction of the new rules in the highway, and the misinterpretation by the pedestrians.
In the wet, the use of hoods, scarfs etc seem to shield people, on top of what phones already do,
from reality around them.
Great video, this really is such important stuff to look out for, worst are the ones at night that are hard to see, that one on the duel carriageway was a shock ,WTF would anyone be doing walking there you'd never be expecting to see a pedestrian there
0:01 - arrogance plus stupidity is never a great combo.
As a cyclist, a driver and a motorcyclist I see this common stupidity every time at least once. As a pedestrian I never take those kind of stupid decisions to just cross in front of cars and even stare them out. We are soft targets and I do not want to be laid out in a hospital bed consuming hospital food through a drip, so I would advise backing down and crossing safely or as a driver I tend to slow down a little for them to proceed if I can do it safely without being shunted from behind by a driver that can only see one car ahead with their tunnel vision.
I had a feeling the new laws would get a dig at some point. I'd like to kick back a bit on that. I remember this kind of thing years ago long before the new laws. There are old videos on YT of pedestrians literally stepping into the road without looking. If people still do it I presume it's because they are still just as dozy rather than literally risking their lives just to make a point. Do you believe they're thinking "I think I'll just step under this car because I can now" rather than just not thinking anything at all.
To me the whole point of the new laws is to change the mindset of people in cars from the conviction that it is the job of pedestrians to keep out of their way rather than their job to keep an eye out for pedestrians. As the drivers are the ones who are not going to be injured when they hit a pedestrian it's not a bad thing to just make them more aware.
Anyway, apart from children I think it's wrong to divide the world into drivers and pedestrians as though they are two separate groups of people. Most drivers do actually use the pavements sometimes. Most of us are both drivers and pedestrians.
I definitely believe I’ve become a better pedestrian since passing my test. I always stop and look before crossing etc but since passing I’ve started to look at where I’m crossing and making sure I choose the safest place. Can guarantee most days on my drive to work you’ll get a few pedestrians just stepping out not looking plus cyclists wearing dark clothing.
Love this channel, I learn stuff every viewing. Ash, rocks!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
The best thing is in the one with the learner that section of road crawls with controlled crossings
0:58 if the person in the next lane brakes for no apparent reason, there's usually a reason.
On some modern cars that reason could be the driver's assist technology randomly slamming the brakes on as a leaf blew onto the camera.
I practice greatly the new highway code by allowing pedestrians to cross at junctions and roundabouts. Even when exiting roundabouts in car or on m/bike, often making myself vulnerable but it's the only way people will hopefully learn.
In the case of your two clips where pedestrians are crossing junctions on the red man, I am inclined to edge slowly forward in front of them hopefully forcing them to stop and wait. Again it's the only way they'll learn fairness in the system.
That clip at 5:24 is pure nightmare fuel. The pedestrian is basically invisible with his clothing choice and crossing at a corner where you are given a very short window of opportunity to identify him. I'm not confident I'd have noticed him in time. Encounters like these are the main reason I'm scared to drive at night.
The first clip after your intro titles is in Cambridge where I used to teach (now retired) and I totally agree with your comments about the Highway Code. I had someone walk out in front of me on a lesson and a came up banging on my pupils window giving them abuse and also telling them to get a proper instructor who knew the rules of the road! Sadly its symptomatic of peoples attitude today in every walk of life.
Get this a lot when cycling to/from work, I think people rely on audio cues and are even more likely to wander out without looking if they can't hear a car. Never any point getting confrontational though, as your last clip demonstrates!
As electric cars are virtually silent it is more difficult to hear them coming.
1:35 She was more focused on her phone while crossing and only had half her brain engaged in the crossing activity while the rest of her mind was on her phone... I see this happening so many times in recent years…especially with the younger generation.
3:36 Another problem here is the vehicle parked on the left side, causing a bottleneck for pedestrians... I have seen some cars park so much on the pavement that people with any mobility vehicle won't be able to get past...selfish entitlement.
I want to say that many incidents I have as a pedestrian where I accidentally walk out dangerously are because of parked cars. Sometimes its very hard to look round a car without getting in the way and often if it's cloudy, some cars may be less visible due to their colour. I'm still in the wrong, as I need to be more careful, but that's just some things I notice a lot while crossing.
+1 for that wet weather driver, you could see they were keeping those little toddlers in mind.
I think that the changes to the Highway Code have actually made it more dangerous for pedestrians. Some motorists follow the rules others don’t, I simply assume that everyone on the road is trying to kill me. Sometimes drivers are overly accommodating, I had someone that stopped to allow me to cross on a light controlled crossing, the lights were green for the road traffic, I was happy to wait, what he didn’t spot was the rapidly approaching cars on his left that would have seen a green light and passed, good job I looked! I noticed in one of those clips that pedestrians were being forced into the road by another badly parked car, a pet hate of mine is having to walk in the road by vehicles partially or fully parked on pavements often with their hazard lights (I can park anywhere lights) on. It’s up to all of us to be aware of our surroundings, there are good and bad pedestrians and motorists everywhere. Good video Ashley.
The only negative of Ashley's vids and comments is they're usually far too sensible. Keep up the good work Ashley most of these would usually be on a different compilation
The people who walk out in front of you will be the ones normally with the attitude problems
As a new driver almost three years ago I was just approaching Ormskirk from Southport and I was passing a queue. But because of these videos you highlight in your videos I already slowed to 20mph and as I approached a van in the queue a young lad in karate gear ran from behind the van and I slammed on the brakes,luckily missing the lad but getting a blast of a horn from the car behind. Still frightens me thinking about it.
So many people willing to walk out into moving traffic! Regardless of DVLA changes, why would you do something to actively put yourself in danger? Obliviousness? Entitlement? Distraction? All of the above?
From the other perspective, I was once out walking with someone on a narrow-ish country road with no pavement. We were walking single file on the right-hand side on a straight section of road (as advised by the highway code). A car driver coming from behind (who we both heard approaching) took the time to slow down to swear at us, ask if we were trying to get ourselves killed and shout that we should be on the other side of the f-ing road. I seriously have no idea what prompted the outburst. We were well into the side, on the correct side of the road, there was plenty of room and we weren't doing anything unusual at all. I calmly and politely told him to go home and read rule 2 of the highway code. Whether he did or not, I guess I'll never know, but he did speed off with that silly "I'm accelerating hard to let them know who's boss" attitude.
Although it is better to walk on the side facing the traffic, it's not if you're on the inside of a bend. It's best to think how far down the road can I be seen?
@@davem9204 Absolutely agreed. And this is also covered in rule 2 of the Highway code:
"It may be safer to cross the road well before a sharp right-hand bend so that oncoming traffic has a better chance of seeing you. Cross back after the bend."
As I mentioned though, the incident that happened to me was on a straight section of road with a clear view ahead for quite some distance (470m according to google maps). It was even a nice clear day with good visibility and no low-level sun or anything like that.
I always feel bad if I accidentally cross dangerously and always apologise if it happens. There's one road near my house that is almost impossible to cross, because there's a hedge and parked cars and cars often turn onto it. There has been a few near misses on that road because of it. Can't really blame the drivers though, because it's pretty much blind.
As a pedestrian, over politeness is the biggest irk. People slamming on mid traffic to beckon you across, they're then surprised that I just shake my head at them.
Good on you for choosing your own time to cross rather than being ordered across by a driver
I wouldn't say it's my biggest irk (at least they're trying to be helpful in a misguided way). Saying that, motorists have had a go at me for not crossing when they insisted. These days I always stay well back from the road and use body language to indicate that I'll cross at my own pace (e.g. facing away from traffic, look at watch/phone etc).
I do agree it's annoying.
@@defragsbin I do that too now, as drivers stopping abruptly to force me to cross in front of them is becoming more common.
As I always start by saying I can no longer drive since developing epilepsy. But it wasn't until I started driving that I realised how long it takes a car to stop. I also did realise, until behind the wheel how hard to see a pedestrian can be if all in dark colours and at night. The changes in the Highway Code might be making a difference, I know that even I no longer insist on going to a crossing. But I will sometimes just cross where I want to. Always carefully, I'm paranoid about being run over.
Pedestrians that cross like the people in these clips only learn when they spend weeks in hospital and months in rehabilitation.
The idea that the average pedestrian is aware of Highway Code changes is hilarious!
Maybe, but the other 50% may have seen/read/heard something
I personally don't think most of these incidents are even to do the highway code changes, I believe the last few years self entitlement in general within our society/culture has got a lot worse and it's almost like nobody cares or is courteous anymore.
People will now walk out in front of a moving 2 ton vehicle like the guy at 1:00 because quite literally their ego is larger than their common sense.
3:34 - Driver was also really aware of the girl in the red coat. Even after dealing with the group from the right, they were still looking out for other potential issues. Great driving.
It's the problem with society.. either entitled, stupid or both and nobody will take a telling off anymore.
Do you think a 'telling off ' would help ? My friend who might be describe as 'stupid ' she has cerebral palsy and learning disabilities and can sometimes step onto a road without checking. Does that make her stupid ? Would she benefit from a 'telling off ' ?
@robduncan599 yes. What's your point? She still has to be able to function in society.
@@wormwood8071 sure but the more able boddied need to be responsible having a driving licence means responsibility for driving a tonne to of steel at speed around people of all abilities. Extra care is needed .we as drivers don't know how pedestrians might react . It is our duty to take extra care when around pedestrians.
Highway Code rule 147 Be considerate. Be patient. Rule 205 . Rule 206 Drive carefully and slowly when ( lot's of advice ) including approaching pedestrians who have started to cross .
@@robduncan599 I wont be drawn into your silly stawman argument.. your using an example that is only applicable in the most extreme of rare occasions to (attempt) to throw water on my comment that simply makes a point that people will not take a telling off.. which is true.. I never said people shouldn't be carefull. But back to my original point. you only have to look at the millions of public audit videos or dash cams or drive on the roads for a few minutes to see this. Eg someone flys out at a roundabout gets the horn blown at them, it hurts their ego, so they start freaking out.. I see so many videos of people been pulled by the police for a minor wrist slap and they shove a camera in the coppers face and act like children rather that considering they may actually of been a prick. Just sitting in the car shouting "are you detaining me officer"
It's a real problem.
I mean look at cyclist they actively go out looking for trouble then when they are called out they loose their minds.
I was last year riding a motorcycle minding my own business when a white van did the think were they don't stop at a give way.. I slam on wheel locks up and blow my horn.. the van driver then starts throwing insults at me.. I did nothing wrong at all but I hurt his ego. People like this need a slap.
I would be surprised if many/any of the people walking out into the road in this video knew of highway code rule changes - most drivers don't.
I think we need another Green Cross Code campaign like from the 70s!
my state has written into the highway code that pedestrians may not enter the roadway unless it is safe to do so. and also that pedestrians must obey traffic lights in the absence of pedestrian signals.
Driving my truck through a small town on Friday, I was at my trucks maximum capacity of 13.5t, coming round an S bend at 20mph I had just past a zebra crossing and this lady was halfway across my lane. What a way to save 30 seconds and a stupid place to cross, vehicles are hidden from both directions
Those light controlled crossings are not covered by new regulations, a red man is a no to cross!
Belfast has been desperate since the changes to priority.
I've been walking across junctions when cars that have been nowhere near the turn when I started have zoomed up past me blasting the horn.
There are junctions so bad I wouldn't even try crossing at them at any time.
I thought you said most people don't know about the new rules. So you're claiming a select few out of the very few that do are using it as an excuse to walk out. Seems unrealistic.
A couple of weeks ago, I was in Kaunas in Lithuania. Along with an elderly couple, I crossed the street with the red man showing. They crossed, because they grew up in the Soviet Union, and delighted in any petty rule breaking. I crossed because I'm British. 😊
After several pedestrians were killed walking home from the pub, Australia had a road safety campaign with the slogan "Look out for drink walkers"
I do think that pedestrians who don't understand the changes to the highway code are blithely assuming priority before it's given and putting themselves and others at risk.
I think there's a picture of that last person under the word 'CHAV' in the dictionary