Advanced Driving Hub

Horse wrote:I can't see through other vehicles, can you?

I can often see under them

It is also phrased in such a way (by the RAC) that the lights are going green - so what happens if you are both stopped at the red lights - the pedestrians have finished crossing and the car to your left stalls or breaks down - do you have to wait for it to go first? of course not - common sense is, as so often, the way forward!

Alasdair

There seems to be a semantic subtlety (at least in Horse's quote from HC) that if the stopped car isn't giving way to pedestrians, it's ok to overtake. Are we also getting confused between traffic light controlled crossings and zebra crossings?

not sure we are confused - I think the RAC might be

Alasdair

Horse wrote:I can't see through other vehicles, can you?

Sometimes - over/under/round/through. So if it wasn't a car and it was a motorcycle or a bicycle (with a quite small rider)...........then you could see there was no one there - or does the law (not the Highway Code) not differentiate?
Or the other car starts moving - implying there's no one crawling across in front of it - is is illegal to pass on the limits of the crossing?

akirk wrote:it is very badly phrased...
multi-lane road

I take it to mean more than one lane in the direction of travel.

The HWC says:
"You MUST NOT overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians"

...so it's backed by law (is my understanding). I've always understood it to mean 'powered vehicle' - i.e. overtaking a cyclist is OK but that might just be my imagination. Anyone find the right reference in the RTA?

Edited: found it!
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/2400/regulation/24/made

jont- wrote:

Horse wrote:I can't see through other vehicles, can you?

I can often see under them

Unless it's a hovercraft, presumably it will have some contact with the ground?

'Motorcycles' have been suggested as not obstructing view. Well that's plain daft - since when did bikes ever get left behind at a [ped controlled] traffic lights grand prix?

martine wrote:The HWC says:
"You MUST NOT overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians"

...so it's backed by law (is my understanding). I've always understood it to mean 'powered vehicle' - i.e. overtaking a cyclist is OK but that might just be my imagination. Anyone find the right reference in the RTA?

Edited: found it!
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/2400/regulation/24/made

To be read in conjunction with 23,25 & 26.

'Motor vehicle'
And stopped because of a red light or pedestrian precedence

Horse wrote:

martine wrote:The HWC says:
"You MUST NOT overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians"

...so it's backed by law (is my understanding). I've always understood it to mean 'powered vehicle' - i.e. overtaking a cyclist is OK but that might just be my imagination. Anyone find the right reference in the RTA?

Edited: found it!
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/2400/regulation/24/made

To be read in conjunction with 23,25 & 26.

'Motor vehicle'
And stopped because of a red light or pedestrian precedence

So once there are no pedestrians on the crossing and the light is green, there is nothing to prohibit your passing?!
Back to common sense - as long as you have clarity in knowing that there is no pedestrian there, then proceed - if uncertain, wait until you have clarity...

Alasdair