Types of dangers on the road leading to accedents

[Keith]

I think there is some confusion over controlled pedestrian crossing and situations where a pedestrian is simply crossing the road (I.e. Where there is no controlling lights.) rules 170, 182 above cover the situation where there are no lights.

Certainly, in the UK, there is NEVER a situation where both pedestrians and cars have a green light for the same piece of road and there is NEVER a situation where a car can go through a red light.

Imagine a traffic lights controlled crossroads without filter lanes (I.e. No left or right turn arrows, just a go or stop light. If the traffic going North/South has green lights traffic going East/West has red. A car heading North but turning right (East) will have to wait (Give Way) for a gap in the Southbound traffic traffic to turn as in this situation both north and south vehicle directions have green lights. Pedestrians waiting to cross those East/West roads will not have a green light even though the East/West traffic is stopped because of the traffic that might turn. In practice if there are pedestrian crossing lights at this junction there is a pedestrian phase where the pedestrian lights will only go green with all of the vehicle lights red. 

If there are left right filter lanes and left/right green arrows then there will usually be a pedestrian island in the centre of each carriageway and the pedestrian lights will be green for each half of the road when that half has its traffic stopped.

Alternately, there may be Zebra crossings (black and white stripes across the road) instead of pedestrian lights. In that situation pedestrians have right of way as soon as they put a foot on the crossing (as long as the driver can reasonably stop ( I.e. Without a screech of brakes!) If Zebra crossings are located at light controlled junctions they are usually a little way down each road such that a car would not block the junction when it stops. That certainly seems to be different to Paris when I was last there - the black and white striped sections of road appeared to have absolutely no meaning at all and I saw a young girl very badly injured on a Zebra crossing right outside the Gare du Nord station - but this was nearly 15 years ago.

[Mono]

4 minutes ago, Keith said:

Pedestrians waiting to cross those East/West roads will not have a green light even though the East/West traffic is stopped because of the traffic that might turn. In practice if there are pedestrian crossing lights at this junction there is a pedestrian phase where the pedestrian lights will only go green with all of the vehicle lights red.

That seems quite a particular way in the UK then. 

7 minutes ago, Keith said:

That certainly seems to be different to Paris when I was last there - the black and white striped sections of road appeared to have absolutely no meaning

The main difference is probably the larger gap between formal and informal rules in France. The (informal) almost complete disrespect of Zebra crossings by car drivers is however, even in France, quite specific to Paris.

[Cloud]

3 hours ago, Keith said:

I think there is some confusion over controlled pedestrian crossing and situations where a pedestrian is simply crossing the road (I.e. Where there is no controlling lights.) rules 170, 182 above cover the situation where there are no lights.

Certainly, in the UK, there is NEVER a situation where both pedestrians and cars have a green light for the same piece of road and there is NEVER a situation where a car can go through a red light.

Imagine a traffic lights controlled crossroads without filter lanes (I.e. No left or right turn arrows, just a go or stop light. If the traffic going North/South has green lights traffic going East/West has red. A car heading North but turning right (East) will have to wait (Give Way) for a gap in the Southbound traffic traffic to turn as in this situation both north and south vehicle directions have green lights. Pedestrians waiting to cross those East/West roads will not have a green light even though the East/West traffic is stopped because of the traffic that might turn. In practice if there are pedestrian crossing lights at this junction there is a pedestrian phase where the pedestrian lights will only go green with all of the vehicle lights red. 

If there are left right filter lanes and left/right green arrows then there will usually be a pedestrian island in the centre of each carriageway and the pedestrian lights will be green for each half of the road when that half has its traffic stopped.

Alternately, there may be Zebra crossings (black and white stripes across the road) instead of pedestrian lights. In that situation pedestrians have right of way as soon as they put a foot on the crossing (as long as the driver can reasonably stop ( I.e. Without a screech of brakes!) If Zebra crossings are located at light controlled junctions they are usually a little way down each road such that a car would not block the junction when it stops. That certainly seems to be different to Paris when I was last there - the black and white striped sections of road appeared to have absolutely no meaning at all and I saw a young girl very badly injured on a Zebra crossing right outside the Gare du Nord station - but this was nearly 15 years ago.

I always wondered how the Beatles looked so worry-free crossing that road on the cover of Abbey Road album. Now i know - they didnt have to worry about cars running them over. If they were recording the album in the present time, $10 says they'd be riding an euc. 

God save the queen and the land of safe euc road crossing!!

[DS]

3 hours ago, Keith said:

Certainly, in the UK, there is NEVER a situation where both pedestrians and cars have a green light for the same piece of road

Thank you Keith, for clarifying this.

I knew that there are more reasons than just the left traffic for UK to vote in or out EU 

[Tomek]

16 hours ago, Chuts said:

These are not the same rules.  Read the details carefully before you jump the gun and accuse anything, SHAME ON YOU.  As I mentioned on an earlier post pedestrians who have started to cross (Edit: As in they have stepped out onto the road) as you are starting to turn have right of way.  However if they are still on the sidewalk when you are turning in then you have right of way.  It states clearly in rule 170 under the photo they have there.

Rule 182 is about using your signalling lights well before making a turn into a street so that other road users will know your intent of turning.

 

 

1. if you're riding a bike (or a unicycle) on the road or bicycle lane, and the car next to you wants to turn right (left in UK) you have the right of way, he can't cut in front of you - rule 182

2. if you're in the same situation walking and there's a zebra crossing ahead of you, you also have the right of way (always on a zebra)

3. if there's no zebra crossing, you also have the right of way, unless the car has already started turning when you're approaching the crossing - rule 170.

[Chuts]

On 6/3/2016 at 8:58 PM, johrhoj said:

Since you never came accross the double green lights, i guess you live in a place where they do not have this. Just be careful with this when you drive where you never driven before.

1 These are situations (edit - when you and other traffic are both on the road) which do not match the original scenario.

2. Why have you added a zebra crossing? Again original scenario did not have this.

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

6 hours ago, Tomek said:

2. if you're in the same situation walking and there's a zebra crossing ahead of you, you also have the right of way (always on a zebra)

In this situation I think you would have more serious problems to be concerned about instead of traffic as you would have accidentally ridden off into the African wild so instead you should be shoulder checking for hungry lions looking for a quick meal on a wheel. 

[Jurgen]

11 hours ago, Tomek said:

1. if you're riding a bike (or a unicycle) on the road or bicycle lane, and the car next to you wants to turn right (left in UK) you have the right of way, he can't cut in front of you - rule 182

2. if you're in the same situation walking and there's a zebra crossing ahead of you, you also have the right of way (always on a zebra)

3. if there's no zebra crossing, you also have the right of way, unless the car has already started turning when you're approaching the crossing - rule 170.

You shouldn't take it too literally when I started  talking about a zebra in the hallway, it  was just an example

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but after pulling an Amazing Race trick during a rainy day I thought I'd add it to the list of dangers to be aware of!  I was rolling around last week, and it started to rain lightly so I opened up my umbrella thinking that I would be like those contestants on the Amazing Race and ride home nice and dry.  Well sure enough I did not factor in the wind while traveling and whoa I almost lost my balance as the umbrella opened up and acted like an air brake on one side!   

Luckily I leaned and twisted to compensate so I didn't crash, but learn from my mistake to use caution if you decide to use an umbrella while riding at speed.  It's not too bad while going slowly, but it's quite unstable at higher speeds!  I was able to get it stabilized and roll home safely and keep the light drizzle off myself.  I ended up closing it while riding as the rain let up on the route home.

 

[Gimlet]

Obviously never watched Mary Poppins!

[The Fat Unicyclist]

1 hour ago, HunkaHunkaBurningLove said:

if you decide to use an umbrella while riding at speed.  It's not too bad while going slowly, but it's quite unstable at higher speeds!  I was able to get it stabilized and roll home safely and keep the light drizzle off myself.  I ended up closing it while riding as the rain let up on the route home.

Had you used it like a sail, you could have rolled home while regeneratively charging your battery at the same time! 

[DS]

On 5/29/2016 at 4:15 AM, EUCMania said:

4.  Sudden stop of an object in front of you.

Twice already happened to me while riding behind the bikers. Imagine the situation: clear nice bike line, no obstacles ahead and...the female biker abruptly slowed down to allow some pigeons to fly away from the path...oh f...

We have to never forget that bikes brake faster than EUC's.

Another close call from today: I was approaching laterally a car on the parking lot and at the spot behind it, the car moved backwards....oops. Well, the driver looked at mirrors, saw nothing and started to move...and a flying object cross it's path

Prevention: enough distance from the cars (not always possible) and glance inside the vehicle for the driver and if there is one, use even more caution. 

[Frode]

As with motorcycling: Raise your eyes and see 10 to 12 seconds ahead of where you are, anticipate what might happen and then drive according to your observations and expectations. Drive defensive and expect unexpected behavior from other traffic/people. In addition: Practice breaking and evasive maneuvers.

And in traffic, drive only up to 80% of your skills, saving the last 20% for the rare, but unforeseen situations. 100% and above (pushing limits) in safe areas only.