Courtesy Crossings.

[j0nb0y]

Could anyone clarify what the law is regarding courtesy crossings. While crossing on one today, both lines of traffic stationary due to heavy traffic, Halfway across, a car on the far side starting moving forward, nearly hitting me. I held my hands up to get his attention (he wasn't even looking at the road, too busy having a conversation with his passenger), he stopped and apologized, then once I reached the pavement, starting shouting that he didn't have to stop and if he had of hit me, i would be to blame. Any ideas who would have been at fault here?

Thanks in advance.

[Zacs-Master]

Not mentioned in the highway code (must admit Id never heard of them). HC does state:
At all crossings. When using any type of crossing you should
always check that the traffic has stopped before you start to cross or push a pram onto a crossing

[boxtops]

what's a courtesy crossing? I've never heard the expression.

[Baldric]

Are you meaning the type of x-ings you get outside supermarkets, no beacons, just white paint on road?

[Zacs-Master]

apparently Bal;ders, it's a dropped kerb with the road painted (sometimes and most often red, I believe) to alert its presence to drivers.

[boxtops]

Never heard of it

[Buenchico]

A great deal of traffic laws aren't explicitly written into statute. For example, there's no law whatsoever that says you must drive on the left-hand-side of the road. (Driving on the right isn't actually an offence; if you're seen doing so, you can only be charged with 'careless driving', 'dangerous driving' etc, if any such charges are relevant).

So there are no specific laws regarding priorities under the circumstances you describe. However any driver has a duty of care to other road users (including pedestrians). If he had hit you you could claim damages from him, and he could be charged with (at the very least) the criminal offence of "driving without due consideration for others".

Chris

[Old_Geezer]

Precisely. A road is still a road not a pavement but nevertheless one must drive with due care.

Seems to me most folk, particularly youths know this as in my day one didn't, as a pedestrian, spend more time crossing a road than one needed to, but these days they stare at you dawdling along daring you to do anything but stick there. Courtesy/decent behaviour having gone 'out of the window'.

[hc4361]

Is a courtesy crossing dropped kerbs either side of the road and a refuge in the middle, without and traffic signals or zebra markings?

In any case the driver is nearly always responsible if he (or she) hits a pedestrian. The driver is expected to be vigilant and aware of potential hazards.

[j0nb0y]

a courtesy crossing is two dropped kerbs, it has broken white lines in the road about the width of a zebra crossing. It is down a heavy traffic and pedestrian shopping street. I always give way to pedestrians if possible down this stretch of road. The traffic is usually slow moving anyway, as it was tonight, both sides of the road were stationary because of heavy traffic. The crossing was clear, which is why I crossed. This guy was busy chatting and just didn't see me. But then got quite annoyed.

[Andrewmw]

They have just put six, yes ... six of these courtesy crossings in Hackbridge, Surrey on a stretch of road that is extremely short, and even on the ends where a roundabout is (there didn't used to be one). They are also planning on getting rid of the lollypop lady for the local primary school too! They really don't work, there is no signage, no reflective posts .... basically its ridiculous! Oh ... and they have also narrowed the road too, so there is no way of putting traffic islands in either!

[zepsdad]

We have one particular road in Hull which has 13 crossing points, many of which are of the courtesy type i.e. dropped kerbs and dashed white lines across the carriageway. As a driving instructor I always tell my pupils to treat them exactly the same as zebra crossings and to give way to pedestrians both using and preparing to use them.
If a pedestrian were to be hit by a vehicle it would be up to the police to determine culpability if any injury were caused but with regards the hierarchy of road users it should be remembered that pedestrians are top of the tree!