'Some' old people...unbelievable!

[TomWilko]

Driving down quite a busy shopping street called Bramcote Lane in Nottingham, its a 30 road and my turnoff is a 90 degree left turn. Anyway, approaching this corner, there is always lots of cars and people round, you have to keep your wits about you so as not to hit someone or something!

Anyway, yesterday, rounding the left corner at about 15/20mph, some random old women just walks out into the middle of the road in front of me! She doesn't even look and obviously didn't relaise i was there. Needless to say i had to jump onto my breaks and came to rest about 4 feet away from her. (May i add she still didn't notice me) Anyhow, not wanting to cause a fuss i just caught the eye of a passer-by who was shocked at what happened and just shook me head instead of beeping the horn and just carried on.

Anyodoy else get random horrible situations like this? After i was driving off, i realised how close i had come to knocking this women over, all it would have needed was 0.5 seconds more!!

[Atomic]

I get it all the time, but the other way round. Old people in cars not realising im there on my bike, Ive almost been taken out a few times by them. If its not the size of a car they dont see it (me)

[spazman]

Old people are often (not always) very poor drivers.

[Atomic]

I think anyone over 65 should have to retake their driving test to be able to keep driving.

[Tumble]

not an old bloke, but bloke with family logged a complaint about me when I had to stand my van on it's nose to avoid wiping him and his spawn out as they blindly leaped out in front of me off the kerb.... had the cheek to complain that "I made a loud noise with my tyres by braking really hard"


He got laughed at and told that he should be grateful that he wasn't complaining from the hospital... nutters..

[5lab]

nagh i accellerate when i see old people in the road. volvos are great, you can take out peds with little-no damage. my record is 11 oaps taken out before someones arm got jammed in the driveshaft - outside the local post office @ 8.55am

[Raz316]

11, with a classic OAP based driveshaft jamming. God knows how many you could have got!

Never had a problem with old people but there was a young cat sitting in the middle of the road near my house recently, I drive towards it normally expecting it to move, but it doesn't so I have to stop. I beep the horn and instead of running, the poor thing freezes. I have to get out pick it up and put it on the path. Was a pity some fine lady didn't see me do it :/

[Rave]

The rules governing junctions are here:

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/16.shtml

I'm not sure what your situation was, but remember that you certainly do not always have right of way. Quite often I don't look round behind me before I cross a side road, why should I wait for a car to cross in front of me? I've as much right to carry on with my journey unimpeded as the driver has. When I'm turning into a junction in my car, I look out for pedestrians in advance and wait if they look like they're going to cross.

I'm not saying you were in the wrong here Tom as I don't know what the road layout where the incident took place is, I just want to remind everyone that pedestrians have right of way sometimes.

Rich :¬)

[5lab]

i was about to say that - but he didnt mention junction, just corner.

[Zathras]

Turn off? Sounds like a junction to me. Not having a go at Tom but lots and lots of other drivers seriously need to learn this rule and stop being so arrogant because they're in a car and the pedestrian isn't. If the cage of steel wasn't there, the vast majority of drivers wouldn't be anything like as quick to give abuse to pedestrians/cyclists/etc when it's the driver themselves who's in the wrong. This includes a police officer who flashed his lights and siren at a group of us legitimately crossing a road in front of him and calling us to get out of the way. Unfortunately for him there was both an ADI and a lawyer in my group and he got given chapter and verse at length, and ended up meekly driving off.

[Zak33]

I'm gonna stand in the middle of this.....( like an irritating Policeman, arms up, holding up traffic)

One thing you NEVER wanna do is hit a pedestrian....and whether its their fault or not, whether they deserve it or are totally innocent.....you gotta live with it...cos they won't

So....the REASON you must drive slowly around towncentres is because THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE CLUELESS and they don't read sites like this...they dont KNOW we discuss safety and driving skills and emergency braking and that ilk of subject...and they dont care.

They simply carry on regardless.....and the driver WILL be in the wrong. It wil take so much effort to prove you were right...and the ped was wrong.....

so....simply put......be ultra ultra alert and super cautious....in towns.....dont be afraid of 20 mph or lower.

[TomWilko]

The junction is very similar to this one as shown in 'raves' post:



However, the single dashed line on the road being entered into isn't there - is that correct? I am not sure who has priority in the situation i was in...

However anybody looks on it tho, whether you take the pedestrian or my opinion, you can't just walk into the middle of the road care-free and expect something that is going about 20MPH to just jump out your way! The reason why this corner is slightly weird is because cars park all around it and visibility isn't the clearest at all times anyway, thats mainy why i was taking it at a slower speed. (See...i am thoughtful )

[Zathras]

There doesn't have to be a dashed line, merely turning off the main road constitutes a junction. The HWC is very clear - the pedestrian has right of way, no matter if you're riding a bike or a 44-ton HGV. It's just as well you were driving slowly. Hopefully this thread will help educate others about junctions like this.

[unrealrocks]

M8 - I know the place your talking about

I also know the situation you we're in, the people aren't actually crossing at the corner, there crossing a few meters up from it, you've allready started going round the corner and the person steps out?

I have this happen at the bottom of my road often as its the road leading out from Beeston town center, you slow down for the corner, people are about 2-3 meters in from the corner (or thats where they'll cross) then you start taking the corner and suddenly they'll jump out ... its as good as them jumping out a meter infront of you while going along a normal road - only your not going as quick!

[[GSV]Trig]

The path belongs to pedestrians, step onto the road and until u pay walking on the road tax your a target

[TomWilko]

M8 - I know the place your talking about

I also know the situation you we're in, the people aren't actually crossing at the corner, there crossing a few meters up from it, you've allready started going round the corner and the person steps out?

I have this happen at the bottom of my road often as its the road leading out from Beeston town center, you slow down for the corner, people are about 2-3 meters in from the corner (or thats where they'll cross) then you start taking the corner and suddenly they'll jump out ... its as good as them jumping out a meter infront of you while going along a normal road - only your not going as quick!

Yep, your exactly right! It was just unbelievable how she actually walked into the middle of the road without even looking or watching either flows of traffic. I could understand it if it was a small child, who has little sense of danger. But a fully grown/old women - very scary!

Zathras - I can see where you are coming from, however a driver should not be relied upon to look after the safety of someone who is making a total disregard for their own safety by carelessly stepping out I didn't realise this rule myself, and will be much more aware of it particularly at this 'junction.'