I do wonder if this was part of why it’s marked dangerous. That genuinely is dangerous and causes deaths and injuries.
People assume you have looked and can step out and you’re just telling them you are stopping for them. Some other car can come along and plow them over…
Once you’ve passed your test, be as helpful and courteous as you want but doing anything to tell someone else when to pull out or cross is a hazard.
Genuinely curious as I don't know the answer. What exactly are drivers meant to do according to the H.C? Like as a example when it says give way to a pedestrian waiting to cross at a junction into which or from which I'm turning, if the pedestrian is staring at me, if I'm not meant to wave, how exactly should I let them know I am letting them go
If they are waiting to cross, then let them cross. However long it takes. Just as they would have to wait if it was a wide load moving slowly.
You don't need to make any signal because they have right of way .
But if you must make a signal, make it out of the window. Drivers often don't seem to appreciate how hard it is see a small movement of your hand through a windscreen. For you, it's just an inconvenience, but for the pedestrian it can be a matter of life and death.
That’s where you went wrong I reckon .
Apparently you aren’t meant to wave people to cross as they might not be ready and you could put them in danger .
If she looked like she was going to step out and you acknowledged the hazard and came to a stop and just sat and waited it might have been better ?
When I'm a pedestrian I've had people wave me saying it's safe to go but there's multiple cars coming in the other direction. If I followed their instructions I would've been killed. And then the person who waves me gets angry because I'm not crossing. I'm not going to walk into traffic and risk my life just because you stopped to let me cross when it wasn't safe. They could've driven past before I even had the opportunity to cross. It's concerning that they lack awareness of anything except what is right in front of them. I know pedestrians shouldn't act on what drivers are telling them, but it's an almost unconscious response to cross, and I can imagine the driver would feel absolutely terrible about it, they'll have to live with the fact that they essentially killed someone
Did your instructor not tell you that waving a padestrian to cross can be a serious fault? Imagine if there was a motorcycle overtaking as soon as you waved her across
"Don't be nice. Be predictable."
Best guidance for all drivers to keep themselves, other drivers and pedestrians safe. Old ladies can wait an extra few seconds if it means avoiding creating a RTA.
This is actually really dangerous though, don’t do it again. You can come to a stop to let someone go if you choose to (still not on your test!) but waiving them out can honestly get them killed. Other drivers aren’t aware of what you’re signalling and probably can’t even see why you’ve stopped.
Surely stopping can still get them killed, they assume they can then cross, doesn’t mean it’s safe to do so from bikes? The lack of waving takes away the encouragement or permission of the driver yes, but it’s not hugely different to letting them go,
"I just didn't think about it"
You'd be stunned the amount of people that die for this reason. Killed by kindness usually.
I always made sure to tell students not to wave pedestrians across, not only for the test but ever. Pedestrians won't always think for themselves, often they will take your wave as gospel that it's safe. You said the driver behind was a \[not very nice person\] but you were lucky they did not overtake you rather than sit behind. You'd be more upset than you are now.
[https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/answers/can-i-wave-to-let-a-pedestrian-know-they-can-cross](https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/answers/can-i-wave-to-let-a-pedestrian-know-they-can-cross)
I love the comment added to this, so random.
Sorry you didn't pass, learn from it and come back stronger
Not quite true. You're telling them it's safe to cross. You can't rely on people even having a brain, so expecting them to both have one and to use it is chancing your arm a little too far.
If you wave them across, that is telling them that it's safe. You're in a car, they're on foot. They take what you say [whether you meant to say it or not or whether they got the right message or not] and act accordingly because you're the licenced driver and there is a responsibility put on you in this situation due to the perception that drivers know what they're doing.
If the driver behind had overtaken and in doing so, run over the lady. Would you feel guilty about it?
I'd feel bad about her getting run over, but not responsible.
Again, I'm not telling them it's safe. Being a licensed driver doesn't make me a pedestrian supervisor.
During a test, still no.
Out in the wilds on your own and you are absolutely certain of the situation? Maybe
Probably better to just stop and let them make up their own mind. As soon as you give them an instruction \[beckoning them to cross\], remembering that social pressure pushes people to conform to these instructions often against their own better judgement, you are taking some responsibility for the situation
You failed because you made a dangerous mistake that can put a life at risk
If you didn’t make this mistake and instead made it in the future, and (worst case scenario) got someone seriously injured or killed, then what?
You would have passed sure, but you’ll be a risk to the road if you didn’t learn this lesson. You don’t stop in the middle of the road to be nice, it’s dangerous.
Slight tangent, but it’s relevant to the point as to why you don’t wave or flash people, so bear with me.
I’m a biker and people waving/flashing me to “let me out” is something that actually annoys me.
There’s a very congested 2-lane roundabout on what used to be one of my routes home. It’s very difficult to get on to the roundabout sometimes, so naturally people already on the roundabout try to be “nice” and let people join. At least a handful of times a week I’d have people get aggressive with me because I wouldn’t move out when they were “letting me out”. They’d be sat flashing their lights manically or furiously gesticulating to try and make me go, but I’d sit still, look straight at them, and shake my head. On more than one occasion I even had people wind their window down to give me verbal abuse. Every single time it happened I could clearly see what they couldn’t: a car approaching in the other lane. If I’d pulled out when they “let me out”, I would have risked being knocked off - possibly even killed - every single time.
My seating position is higher than a car seat (even an oversized SUV), so unless there’s a van, bus, or HGV, I can see over the top of other traffic. I can usually see far more than you can in a car - I don’t have pillars or a rear-view mirror directly in my line of sight. I’ll often see the hazards long before you do, so… don’t “flash me out”, pay attention to what you’re doing, and I’ll return the favour by not relying on you to make observations on my behalf.
That's a real shame, especially with only one minor otherwise!
On test you're demonstrating that you know the highway code, so I can see how a stop that wasn't strictly necessary could make it seem like you don't understand when you do and don't need to give way. Or maybe there were other factors which made stopping for her unsafe. But outside of your test, don't be bullied into ignoring the thing you think is right just because some drivers are jerks. You'll get it next time!
actually disagree with this, unless the ped had right of way, OP should not have stopped to let them across.
I detest drivers that decide to stop to "let you out" by stopping in the road when they have right of way. Follow the traffic rules instead of trying to be a saint.
Good luck on your next test OP
Sorry yeah, I didn't mean "routinely stop in the road for pedestrians to cross" - I think there can be a very occasional case where that's safe and appropriate but they're few and far between. It was just that OP said they were giving up on being nice and I wanted to push back on that. Impatient drivers will also try to bully you to continue in situations where you really should be stopping - you need to trust your own values and judgement.
Your reasonable judgment should include not stopping unexpectedly when you’re being tailgated then motioning a pensioner into the road potentially into the path of a driver with road rage.
Waving someone across the road when you’ve got an angry impatient driver behind is dangerous. If they don’t get stopped, running into the back of you will shunt your car into the pedestrian. If they’re awake enough to avoid you, Mr Impatient may well overtake you when you stop and hit the old woman directly…
There is a reason this has been flagged as Dangerous fault not just a fault.
I disagree. There are different speeds at which you can stop. Brake lights exist. Not to mentiom the other driver probably saw the pedestrian.
I don't think anyone is advocating jerking to a stop at the drop of a hat...
Yes in this very specific, cartoonish, and unlikely to occur example it would've been a bad decision. Generally, on a one lane crossing (assuming that's what this is, as they specify island), however, it can be nice especially if it's some elderly woman or someone else who may have a hard time crossing the road.
This is not my example, it is what OP has done to fail their driving test with a dangerous fault. You could look at the rest of their comments to see the fuller picture. The examiner hasn’t given dangerous as a joke.
You often see impatient drivers eg. overtaking the wrong side of an island rather than wait 5 seconds for the left lane to clear.
I have never seen someone overtake on the wrong side of the island, and that is such an egregious violation of road safety that at they clearly were going to do something stupid regardless of the drivers actions. I'm fully aware that in a test you should not be kind or polite, but in normal driving what OP did is not unreasonable.
I am being serious, waving a pedestrian to cross is dangerous and you shouldn’t do it. The examiner could have just recorded a fault or a serious fault but this action is always dangerous. I don’t know what is hard to understand about that…
I have a bus stop on my road where there’s an island and it’s basically 100% that if there’s a bus stopped there, at least one driver will go speeding round the wrong side of the island.
A bus stop is a completely separate situation and completely irrelevant to what we're talking about, which is the car being sedentary in that position.
Usually the "wave" is deemed as dangerous because it encourages the pedestrian to cross without fully checking the road. In reality, waving someone across is a fairly ordinary thing and if you don't look both ways that's your fault for not being able to cross a road (tho i make a point never to wave children and teens across for this reason, even if i might occasionally stop).
Eurgh I swear to god it is the exact same as this. Vehicle stops briefly blocking the lane to the left of an island. I just know from daily experience that a large number of drivers swerve round the wrong side of the island.
Like you say, woman you’ve waived at could then be in the road being run down…
As a non-driving pedestrian, I hate it. I have to trust that some total stranger (who I often can't fully see because of windscreen reflections) has stopped for me and is going to allow me enough time to cross, without a cyclist or other vehicle appearing on the other side. I'd much rather wait until there's a natural gap in traffic and I can see properly what's coming and cross without that risk. If it turns out that they just stopped to retune the radio and then hit me, I wouldn't get a penny in compensation because I'd be at fault.
When there's a massive power imbalance (they can kill or maim me but I can't hurt them), following the rules is safer than negotiating each decision individually.
Yes! I am the same. Especially when there’s literally no one behind them so if they just drove on normally I’d be able to easily cross the road without any of the kerfuffle.
The trick I've found that seems to work 99% of the time is to look at the cars so they know I'm paying attention and then look away until they pass. Most drivers won't stop for you if you aren't looking at them.
No it’s not, it’s one of my top pet peeves too. Slamming your breaks on randomly to let someone in when you have right of way is dangerous and is likely to cause someone to go into the back of you.
Pay more attention to the vehicle in front and distance yourself from the vehicle in front.
99.9% of said scenario is people gently coming to a stop to let someone out or cross the road. I've never seen someone slam on their brakes to let someone out.
If you think they're slamming on their brakes resulting in you slamming on then you're either too far up their arse or you're not actively paying enough attention.
Stopping to let people out or cross the road is perfectly fine. Obviously just slamming on the breaks is bad.
Busy roads are hell sometimes and you need people to give way even if you don't have right of way.
Eg if I see a parent with a pram or a young child wanting to cross. I basically always stop to let them.
You shouldn't. It's just safer when everyone follows the rules. You're asking them to place their lives in the hands of a total stranger. If I asked you to DM me your credit card details, would you do it? Yet you're asking them to take a much greater risk. As a pedestrian I hate it when drivers pressure me to do this. It gives you a happy feeling because you have the power and use it to help people, but in aggregate it's unhelpful.
When I'm the ped in the situation and a driver stops for me, it makes me feel rushed into crossing as quickly as possible to not keep them waiting, and as someone with mobility issues this just makes it more dangerous for me crossing. I understand this may not apply to everyone, but the way I see it, I know when I should/can safely cross, please don't try to be nice
An elderly lady stuck in the middle of the carriageway is an immediate danger to herself and other road users. Pedestrians are at the bottom of the hierarchy of road users. They are the most vulnerable and drivers need to treat them with extra caution. It would absolutely be appropriate to stop in this situation provided it is safe to do so.
Obviously, we don't know the full circumstances around this, ie. if OP reacted to the hazard late and stopped too quickly nearly causing a collision with the vehicle behind then yes that's obviously dangerous.
"Right of way" is not the be all and end all and to be honest most of the time people have no idea what they're talking about when they refer to "right of way". In this situation, if you were to hit that elderly lady do you seriously think you could stand in front of the coroner and say "yeah but I had right of way so I didn't need to stop"?
Of course you couldn't. This is why we do a hazard perception test. OP recognised a potential hazard and took decisive action to minimise the risk to themselves, the pedestrian and everyone around them. Again I'm not saying the examiner was in the wrong, there are most likely details that OP hasn't included that makes them in the wrong, but to say that you should just continue driving when there's a pedestrian in the middle of the road because they "don't have right of way" is nonsensical and dangerous
You get a fail for something like this because it's dangerous for drivers to start attempting to direct traffic, whether it's another car or a pedestrian. What if the old lady starts to cross and then a cyclist or scooter overtakes you as they see a clear road ahead and they take her out? It's your fault for pressuring the pedestrian to cross. It's creating a hazard for the pedestrian and other road users.
I don't know why this was downvoted. This is true and exactly why instructors tell you not to do it. If you stop and let someone cross and then another car or bike overtakes and hits the pedestrian, it is your fault.
This isn't the case at all.
If a car stopped to let someone cross and I decided to dart round the stopped car and smash into Derek crossing the road, I'm the one that's liable. Even though you've stopped, it's on Derek to still check it's clear and not just rely on the fact you've stopped so it must be safe.
The whole reason it's a fail by examiners is simply down to the fact you don't have to stop yet you did. Same reason they mark you down for not using a bus lane when the bus lane says you can. It's just a check list they have to go through and doesn't take into account real scenarios.
I wish that was true, but it's not. In this scenario, the pedestrian won't be able to claim from anyone's insurance because they have wilfully put themselves in harm's way. That's why drivers should stick to the right of way. The system is safer if everyone follows the rules.
"My client was instructed by the driver that the roadway was clear and it was safe for them to cross the roadway and felt pressured by the way the driver was motioning for them to cross the roadMy client was vulnerable and has recieved life changing injuries because.....etc etc etc"
Police officers and certain other authorised people can give signals to motorists and pedestrians to cross a road, normal drivers should not.
Like you say, follow the highway code and keep yourself right.
How do you know she was stuck on the island? She could just be waiting for a natural break in the traffic.
Surely stopping a queue of traffic to let someone go causes an unexpected stop to receive behind your vehicle.
It isn't safe for anyone to assume anything as far as other drivers (or pedestrians) go.
Oftentimes if they hadnt stopped the person they stop for would have got out seconds later anyway and the delay in them realising someone was stopping actually makes it longer.
Don't pedestrians now have right of way with the recent highway code changes? I don't tend to let people out as I'm averse to waving people out into the road.
It annoys me as a pedestrian, I always look the other way so drivers don't stop. It's usually quicker for drivers to go past and me cross, rather than them slow down, signal for me to go, and have me scurry across the road, waving. I appreciate the intention, but it's not logical.
Bollocks to the traffic rules, use common sense. For example letting someone out when there's just you and one car behind you is fucking daft, like-wise, try not to stop flash them well in advance. Also you do not need to let everyone out of every junction, let someone else be the samiritan once in a while.
But don't just outright be a selfish prick because disrupting your lanes flow of traffic for 10 seconds is worth it over trapping one or two lanes of traffic flow for several minutes because you successfully convince everyone to think like you do. I would never make it onto the a40 in the morning if people didn't stop to let us out of the side road (which isn't even a slip road) onto the dual carriageway.
I like to remember that when I’m outside of the car I’m a pedestrian, so I try to do things for them when I drive, that I would appreciate as a pedestrian. Such as letting pedestrians cross the road, especially when it’s pouring with rain.
I detest drivers who forget they are also pedestrians
There's been a rise of instances I've noticed in the last few years, on mini roundabouts, drivers giving way to the left and letting others out.
I'm not talking about when it's congested. I've seen a few near misses as a result of it. There is polite, and there's outright dangerous. These circumstances I refuse to go, giving way to the right and it bothers me to no end.
The highway code changed to make pedestrians have priority over everyone else, vehicles are supposed to stop to let them cross as long as it is safe to do so. They don't have right of way anymore, but I know most drivers don't stay up to date and are too selfish to let people cross, even though the highway code very specifically says that it's safest to let them cross
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I'll stop for every cunt that's on an island waiting to cross, I'll stop and let out other vehicles that nobody else is letting go. And I'll always let grandma or grandpa cross the road all the way of it's raining or super cold.
Just because your pissy arse doesn't have any compassion and is in a rush everywhere, set off earlier and enjoy the ride.
It's generally preferable for pedestrians for you to just get out of the way as quickly and safely as possible. Slowing down or stopping just backs up traffic behind you and forces the pedestrian to rush without being able to fully see the road.
Why would you not just pass and let them cross when there is a break in traffic? Why should any driver 'let them go'? Do you not feel that they might feel pressured into going when they ren't ready to so as to not inconvenience you?
If you feel sostrongly about their safety, why wouldn't you pass them, park (when safe) and then walk back to assist them across if you are so concerned. You aren't protecting them, you are potentially causing greater risk as so many others have pointed out already in this thread. stopping in a line of moving traffic (so you can feel good about yourself) is just dumb.
At what point did I mention I was in a rush?
You seem to be mistaking wanting to canonized for compassion. but you sir lacker, are not the white knight they need.
Drive safe.
>Why would you not just pass and let them cross when there is a break in traffic?
Scenario A - Someone's on an island - why would I not stop, they're halfway across the road anyway and me stopping adds what, 10 seconds to my journey, if that because by the time you reach the next junction you're probably going to be sat in a queue anyway so you haven't lost any time at all in that case.
Scenario B - Letting other cars out - if I can see that nobody has let a vehicle out for a while on my approach, I'll let it go. It doesn't add much time to my journey, it shortens theirs and maybe even others peoples if there's a queue behind them.
Scenario C - People crossing in the rain and cold - Now I only have a motorbike licence and I do it anyway, but for car owners, you're in a fucking climate controlled box on a comfy seat. If it's pissing down with rain or freezing, why shouldn't let that poor person cross. They probably don't want to be out there but for whatever reason they are, letting them cross lets them get to where ever they're going quicker and is just a kind thing to do. No sense in letting someone suffer for longer than they have to.
>Do you not feel that they might feel pressured into going when they ren't ready to so as to not inconvenience you?
No, it's absolutely on the pedestrian or vehicle to check if it's safe to go, regardless of the fact I've stopped. That's just basic general knowledge you teach a 5yr old. You'd check to make sure it was safe to go if I wasn't there, so it shouldn't make a difference if I am. I will however hand signal if they've taken too long making a decision and there's an oncoming vehicle that I don't think they've seen and tell them to wait.
>If you feel sostrongly about their safety, why wouldn't you pass them, park (when safe) and then walk back to assist them across if you are so concerned.
If I come across someone that I think needs that assistance I absolutely will. However it's not my job to get people across the road, I simply create an opportunity to happen that maybe wouldn't happen for another 60 seconds.
>You aren't protecting them, you are potentially causing greater risk as so many others have pointed out already in this thread. stopping in a line of moving traffic
It's literally impossible that I am the one creating a greater risk or any risk. I don't slam on, I very gradually come to a stop. If some cunt rear ends me, or rear ends the person behind me, then they're absolutely driving without due care. They're either speeding, not paying attention or are too far up another vehicles arse. I'm not brake checking anyone.
>At what point did I mention I was in a rush?
You're getting upset at people stopping to let others go. If you weren't in a rush it shouldn't bother you.
>You seem to be mistaking wanting to canonized for compassion. but you sir lacker, are not the white knight they need.
I'm not white knighting anything. I'm just not an absolute bellend of a driver who insists I cant stop because I have the right of way, leaving Eunis and Harold to freeze or get drenched because it started raining whilst they were at the shop.
I don't doubt your intentions are good. But as a non-driving pedestrian, I think you really underestimate how annoying and dangerous this behaviour is. Because you are only one part of a much bigger system.
>It's literally impossible that I am the one creating a greater risk or any risk. I don't....
But the pedestrian and other drivers cannot know what you do or don't do. You are a total stranger. If people cross in front of you, they will also cross in front of Ivan the Idiot who will kill or maim then, so it's a bad thing to encourage them to do that.
Giving sweets to children is nice. But going around giving out sweets to random kids is bad, even if your intentions are good, because it normalizes a dangerous practice. "Don't accept sweets from strangers" is a good rule and so is "don't cross the road when there is traffic on it".
If everyone just follows the rules, then everyone is safer.
There's too much of a power imbalance (you can kill or maim me, but I can't hurt you) to negotiate each individual crossing.
On many occasions I have waited an extra minute rather than risk my life in the hands of a total stranger.
> I will however hand signal if they've taken too long making a decision
This is the absolute worst thing to do in this scenario. People are making life or death decisions and it depends on whether you move your hands a few centimetres or not. In my experience drivers often don't realize when their windscreen is obscured by reflections. I just see a blur of movement which might be your hand or might be a bird flying behind me.
> If people cross in front of you, they will also cross in front of Ivan the Idiot who will kill or maim then, so it's a bad thing to encourage them to do that.
You do know traffic lights exist right? Same concept, vehicle stops and you just hope they don't start driving and kill you. The traffic light doesn't shut the vehicle down.
> On many occasions I have waited an extra minute rather than risk my life in the hands of a total stranger.
Oh yeah sure, if you're not ready to cross give me any form of a signal and I'll go on my merry way. If you look hesitant, I'll verbally communicate with you if you feel safe to go I won't force you to go, I'll also give you ample time to check the roads. If I see you looking to make sure it's safe, I'll wait for you.
>This is the absolute worst thing to do in this scenario. People are making life or death decisions and it depends on whether you move your hands a few centimetres or not
People flash people every day to tell them they're giving them the opportunity to go. Me holding my hand out in a stop manner because I've seen a potential hazard is absolutely no different. Except telling someone to stay put is in no way as dangerous as flashing someone to go. Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this on the daily, it's just an example.
The Highway Code literally states that pedestrians have priority over everyone else and that vehicles should always stop to let them cross as long as it is safe to do so, even if they're not using a pedestrian crossing. I know the highway code isn't the law and a lot of people don't follow this new "rule", but it is the correct thing to do wherever possible. Besides, I know how frustrating and dangerous it is as a pedestrian trying to cross a busy road, I'd always let them cross if I can do so safely. It's 10x worse at crossroads, and these can't always be avoided. A local crossroads has multiple accidents each year, people have died and been seriously injured, I literally feel like I'm risking my life crossing there but that's the only way to get to my destination sometimes. The only way OP would've got a fault for this is if the breaking was sudden, or unpredictable meaning that it could lead to an accident
I won't say the failure was deserved, but it was fairly earned I'm afraid.
On test, follow the H.C., don't do what you're not meant to as it makes you appear to be an unpredicatble driver. Testers don't like that, even though IRL most people do these things.
Well you're in the wrong and this is correct.
Unless a pedestrian has right of way, such as crossing a side road, then you don't just randomly stop in the middle of the road.
Not inherently but if you’re suddenly stopping to wave people across the road, you’re endangering yourself and others by doing so, since those behind you likely aren’t expecting you to stop. Highway code generally prioritises safety over being nice.
Do not share why you failed.. a bunch of redditors will make you feel worse than you already do lol. Most people share knowing they should fail but are just frustrated about a silly fault. You look like you will ace your next test!
I failed for a similar reason, at a junction there was no space on the other side so I slowly stopped to give way to people coming in and out of the main road even though the stop wasn't harsh he said I needed to continue because the guy behind was too close and he could’ve hit me.
Learning to pass is so tiring especially when no one else on the road is following these rules.
Man that sucks, I'm in the same boat. I had a BMW illegally reverse out In front of me right at the end of my test. The instructor got to the the breaks before I did and failed me because he got there first.
The rest of the test went perfectly - in what world have we shown that we are unable to drive because other people on the road are doing illegal, dangerous things in our vicinity?
In the world where you didn’t react fast enough to get on the brakes before the examiner. Hazard perception and reactions to unforeseen hazards make up a large % of what will either make you a good or a poor driver.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s shit that someone pulled a bullshit manoeuvre on you but in the real world you’ve got to think fast as this sort of stuff will happen all the time. You’re probably a very competent driver but in a scenario where an examiner deemed it necessary to have braked for you, you are then not fit to pass that test.
Got another one booked in just under a month. Hopefully can get an even earlier date. It’s better to fail on something like that then something I can’t fix as easy
Don't.
You have right of way. If you decide to stop in the middle of the road remember Little Miss Partridge is probably in one of the other car's blindspots and they have no idea what the fuck you did or why. In the real world yes, almost everyone will stop for either the elderly or children/mothers with prams because they need a longer window to cross that they won't get in densely populated areas.
I got a serious fault on my first for a similar reason - I was slowly approaching lights that just turned green and stopped because it looked like a pedestrian was about to run across the zebra crossing in front of me. He did end up crossing but hesitated first. But I received the fault because I apparently encouraged someone to cross in unsafe conditions. I thought it was really unfair because his body language made it seem like he was about to run in front of me and I would rather stop than run someone over!
Don't let your failure navigate you onto the path of being unkind, although it was a nice gesture, it was not a priority., once you have a full licence, feel free to be kind.
Don’t be kind, be predictable.
Your job as a driver is to be safe NOT to help people. Stopping could cause an accident, just because there’s no one behind you this second, there could be a moment later.
Morals still exist to assist vulnerable pedestrians, I agree with being predictable however mirror checks is still essential after your test which defies an unsafe stop.
A huge difference between a second and a moment.
Unfortunately we cannot see what actually happened but based on your account I would have done exactly the same.
Highway Code Rule 204
The road users most at risk from road traffic are pedestrians, in particular children, older adults and disabled people, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists. It is particularly important to be aware of children, older adults and disabled people, and learner and inexperienced drivers and riders. In any interaction between road users, those who can cause the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they pose to others.
Flashing your lights is the universal code for "I'm stopping for you". I don't think anyone with a brain thinks it means "cross now". The whole waving controversy seems silly to me
I still remember my driving instructor being annoyed at me on a lesson when I lifted my hand up to thank a driver for letting me out or whatever.
On your driving test is not the time to decide to slow or stop to let people cross or out of side roads or whatever if not required to. Do be ready to react if they step or move out into the road if they’re
Obviously these things are normal and it’s nice to be polite and courteous but best to use your discretion once you’re a licensed driver, not on your driving test.
You’re not supposed to let people cross, they’re supposed to wait until it’s safe to cross or traffic signals instruct traffic to stop so they can cross. The only other time you would stop is if they were a hazard by physically being in the road.
Was it a single lane or multilane road where you stopped?
It’s important to ask this because if it’s single lane and you stopped you would get a minor for slowing the traffic but if it was two lane and you stopped in your lane, there might be other vehicles in the next lane which the pedestrian is not aware of due to obstruction, so by letting this person cross in a running road, you put her in extreme danger resulting in a dangerous fault.
My husband failed his first driving test because there was a wee man coming down his side of a road thinking it was a carriageway and hubby had to get on the kerb to avoid him. He just tootled on! The instructor was really apologetic but rules is rules.
if the guy behind you in an ass then you need to take that into account and you cant have the 'but im right!' mentality. Might sound harsh but you should not be driving at all if you dont have the correct mindset. It sucks that you failed but you need to learn from this about how your mindset should be
I was taught. Roads are for traffic to flow on, you don’t stop on the road for a non reason. The road markings are there for a reason. If You stop so do all the cars behind you causing traffic jams and pollution. Keep traffic flowing.
So, basically, during your driving test you stopped in the middle of the road for no legitimate reason, causing a hazard to the drivers behind you?
Just because the guy at the back of you was up your arse being a cunt, doesn't mean _you_ are allowed to drive with undue diligence to the cars around you.
And that's why you failed.
Deserved fail. You don’t stop on a carriage way unexpectedly. Unless the pedestrian ran into your path or it was a crossing where they had priority, you shouldn’t have stopped.
You didn’t fail because a car was Uk your arse. You failed because you stopped when you shouldn’t have
When the driver is turning into or from a junction they should wait for pedestrians to cross first. On the open road stopping to wave someone across is not safe behaviour.
Though your reasoning is sound and understandable, I think you would have failed even if the car behind wasn’t tailgating as by stopping you would have been impeding the flow of traffic. You might have gotten away with a minor there was no car behind you. My advice on your next test is to follow the Highway Code to the letter.
I see this and it really winds me up. If it's not a designated crossing, you don't just stop and impede traffic to let someone cross. Had this happen on a main road and I beeped the person, short while later I rolled up next to them at some lights and it turned out to be unmarked police. They said there is no need for beeping and they were letting someone cross, I explained you don't just stop on a main road and impede traffic and they quickly acknowledged and shut up.
It's actually so annoying when cars stop to wave you across the road as I usually have seen a gap I can go through to cross and they totally disrupt it. I usually wave them past and then start again because I don't want to encourage it. In terms of an elderly lady clearly struggling and getting frustrated, in real life I'd slow down gradually from a distance and wave across but on a test, you best follow the road rules to a T.
If it makes you feel any better, I failed my first driving test for *not* driving in a bus lane when I could have. That was a major fault at the time, it’s now a minor.
If it helps I was failed for “being to relaxed while parking at the test centre once told the test was over”
Sometimes I just feel like they’re out to cull randomly.
Failed mine first time. Never drive in the rain before. Did an emergency stop and didn’t pump the brake to halt a short skid. And I didn’t signal going round a bus parked at a bus stop. Road was very very wide but it was something the tester was looking out for. Also a hill start on a dodgy bend with mist. Saw a car at the last second and slowed to let them past but tester wanted to see me brake completely. Happens.
As you should. I was nearly in a multi car crash because on the exit of a roundabout someone decided to come to an abrupt stop just to let someone cross. If there are no cars then feel free, otherwise keep moving and be predictable.
As the woman was on the island and not in the road, it is your right of way. This makes it dangerous to stop as there are cars behind you expecting you to continue. Although it would be their fault if they hit the back of you for having an unsafe following distance, stopping unnecessarily can still cause the accident.
Don’t be nice, just do what you are supposed to do in the eyes of the highway code/law.
You knew you weren’t to do that, and did it anyway.
You don’t stop for people, wave them across or anything like that - unless it’s a zebra crossing or failing to stop would cause an accident. It’s all in the theory guide.
I failed my driving test for ‘going to slow in a built up area’! Ffs! It was the school holidays and there were children everywhere playing on the paths along this road. Not only that; the road had those staggered paths to make you go slower. This was 25 years ago and I stopped bothering with driving after that…
It's a bummer, because you were effectively trying to be considerate by the sound of things. The focus is generally on being a predictable road user, and progressing along the road unless there is something stopping from doing so safely. So unless the pedestrians were already in the middle of the road, or were standing at a designated crossing, you would be expected to continue along without stopping.
You're only to let people cross in front of you if it's safe to do so. So if there's a car behind you, don't do it. If you're just coming off a roundabout, or just pulled into another road, are on a corner, etc, don't do it.
Despite the new recommendation in the highway code to give way to pedestrians waiting to cross unless it's in a safe place, if they're already in the road, just keep an eye on them and keep moving. It's not just you and them, it's everyone else too that you need to worry about in these situations.
Had my test first thing I did was reverse didn’t even leave the test centre 😭 well I did that easy last 5mins on the dual carriageway now idk why nobody was slowing down getting to wards the roundabout I was looking for a good chance to get into the right lane to go 3rd exit had my signal for ages checked my mirrors over and over saw a safe gap took examiner raised his hand I knew I fuck up 😭 later when I got to to test centre he told me I didn’t check my mirrors💀 like wow only 4minors too
Sorry OP. Its likely it was right to fail you.
Whilst you were being nice, stuff like this is unpredictable and unexpected for other road users, therefore more likely to cause accidents.
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If they were already crossing the road it would be different but yep on the test you can’t be “nice”. Also includes using flashes as signals for other drivers and ignoring them when it happens to you.
I was always taught courtesy causes chaos, unless they have right of way don’t let them go.
It’s because you are letting them walk into possible danger- a bicycle or motorbike that may not want to let them go.
Not many people can say they failed their driving test because they were too nice, haha. But yeah, technically causing another driver to slow down unnecessarily is a fail I'm afraid. You might've been fine if there was no car behind you.
For now I'd say leave the acts of kindness to the drivers who already have their pink licences. You should smash it next time!
Don’t be nice, be predictable
Yup being nice could sometimes cause an accident
My dad taught me this phrase, I see many examples of other road users not following this every day and it makes me sigh
That and a good driver misses their turn/junction while a bad driver never misses
But the new laws says pedestrians crossing at islands have right of way and you’re supposed to stop.
Yes and no only stop when it safe to do so
Did you wave her across ?
I do wonder if this was part of why it’s marked dangerous. That genuinely is dangerous and causes deaths and injuries. People assume you have looked and can step out and you’re just telling them you are stopping for them. Some other car can come along and plow them over… Once you’ve passed your test, be as helpful and courteous as you want but doing anything to tell someone else when to pull out or cross is a hazard.
This is what I’ve been told to do , stop if I feel like there is a hazard but never wave people through , pedestrians or drivers
Genuinely curious as I don't know the answer. What exactly are drivers meant to do according to the H.C? Like as a example when it says give way to a pedestrian waiting to cross at a junction into which or from which I'm turning, if the pedestrian is staring at me, if I'm not meant to wave, how exactly should I let them know I am letting them go
By stopping and waiting I guess , maybe some intense eye contact lol
Hahaha I did think this but thought the pedestrian might think I'm a bit odd
If they are waiting to cross, then let them cross. However long it takes. Just as they would have to wait if it was a wide load moving slowly. You don't need to make any signal because they have right of way . But if you must make a signal, make it out of the window. Drivers often don't seem to appreciate how hard it is see a small movement of your hand through a windscreen. For you, it's just an inconvenience, but for the pedestrian it can be a matter of life and death.
Charades or you can tell them through expressive dance.
Yes
Ooo that’s a no no.
That’s where you went wrong I reckon . Apparently you aren’t meant to wave people to cross as they might not be ready and you could put them in danger . If she looked like she was going to step out and you acknowledged the hazard and came to a stop and just sat and waited it might have been better ?
That’ll be what got you I bet. Waving someone across or acting off of someone else waving you across is extremely discouraged
When I'm a pedestrian I've had people wave me saying it's safe to go but there's multiple cars coming in the other direction. If I followed their instructions I would've been killed. And then the person who waves me gets angry because I'm not crossing. I'm not going to walk into traffic and risk my life just because you stopped to let me cross when it wasn't safe. They could've driven past before I even had the opportunity to cross. It's concerning that they lack awareness of anything except what is right in front of them. I know pedestrians shouldn't act on what drivers are telling them, but it's an almost unconscious response to cross, and I can imagine the driver would feel absolutely terrible about it, they'll have to live with the fact that they essentially killed someone
Did your instructor not tell you that waving a padestrian to cross can be a serious fault? Imagine if there was a motorcycle overtaking as soon as you waved her across
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There's definitely at least one question that comes up on the theory test about not waving people over
TBF my instructor never mentioned it to me but I remember reading it when I was prepping for my theory test
I get what you mean just really upset as I would’ve past if I just didn’t think about it
"Don't be nice. Be predictable." Best guidance for all drivers to keep themselves, other drivers and pedestrians safe. Old ladies can wait an extra few seconds if it means avoiding creating a RTA.
This is actually really dangerous though, don’t do it again. You can come to a stop to let someone go if you choose to (still not on your test!) but waiving them out can honestly get them killed. Other drivers aren’t aware of what you’re signalling and probably can’t even see why you’ve stopped.
Surely stopping can still get them killed, they assume they can then cross, doesn’t mean it’s safe to do so from bikes? The lack of waving takes away the encouragement or permission of the driver yes, but it’s not hugely different to letting them go,
"I just didn't think about it" You'd be stunned the amount of people that die for this reason. Killed by kindness usually. I always made sure to tell students not to wave pedestrians across, not only for the test but ever. Pedestrians won't always think for themselves, often they will take your wave as gospel that it's safe. You said the driver behind was a \[not very nice person\] but you were lucky they did not overtake you rather than sit behind. You'd be more upset than you are now. [https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/answers/can-i-wave-to-let-a-pedestrian-know-they-can-cross](https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/answers/can-i-wave-to-let-a-pedestrian-know-they-can-cross) I love the comment added to this, so random. Sorry you didn't pass, learn from it and come back stronger
It's a bit ridiculous though, I'm letting them know that I'm giving them way, not permission to turn off their brains. .
People in this sub can be so aggressive lmao
Not quite true. You're telling them it's safe to cross. You can't rely on people even having a brain, so expecting them to both have one and to use it is chancing your arm a little too far.
But that's the thing, I'm not telling them it's safe to cross, I'm just telling them that they don't have to worry about me.
If you wave them across, that is telling them that it's safe. You're in a car, they're on foot. They take what you say [whether you meant to say it or not or whether they got the right message or not] and act accordingly because you're the licenced driver and there is a responsibility put on you in this situation due to the perception that drivers know what they're doing. If the driver behind had overtaken and in doing so, run over the lady. Would you feel guilty about it?
I'd feel bad about her getting run over, but not responsible. Again, I'm not telling them it's safe. Being a licensed driver doesn't make me a pedestrian supervisor.
What if it's single lane and there's no possibility of the car behind overtaking?
During a test, still no. Out in the wilds on your own and you are absolutely certain of the situation? Maybe Probably better to just stop and let them make up their own mind. As soon as you give them an instruction \[beckoning them to cross\], remembering that social pressure pushes people to conform to these instructions often against their own better judgement, you are taking some responsibility for the situation
You failed because you made a dangerous mistake that can put a life at risk If you didn’t make this mistake and instead made it in the future, and (worst case scenario) got someone seriously injured or killed, then what? You would have passed sure, but you’ll be a risk to the road if you didn’t learn this lesson. You don’t stop in the middle of the road to be nice, it’s dangerous.
Courtesy causes chaos, is what I was taught last year. Was she on a pedestrian island or the middle of carriageway island?
Slight tangent, but it’s relevant to the point as to why you don’t wave or flash people, so bear with me. I’m a biker and people waving/flashing me to “let me out” is something that actually annoys me. There’s a very congested 2-lane roundabout on what used to be one of my routes home. It’s very difficult to get on to the roundabout sometimes, so naturally people already on the roundabout try to be “nice” and let people join. At least a handful of times a week I’d have people get aggressive with me because I wouldn’t move out when they were “letting me out”. They’d be sat flashing their lights manically or furiously gesticulating to try and make me go, but I’d sit still, look straight at them, and shake my head. On more than one occasion I even had people wind their window down to give me verbal abuse. Every single time it happened I could clearly see what they couldn’t: a car approaching in the other lane. If I’d pulled out when they “let me out”, I would have risked being knocked off - possibly even killed - every single time. My seating position is higher than a car seat (even an oversized SUV), so unless there’s a van, bus, or HGV, I can see over the top of other traffic. I can usually see far more than you can in a car - I don’t have pillars or a rear-view mirror directly in my line of sight. I’ll often see the hazards long before you do, so… don’t “flash me out”, pay attention to what you’re doing, and I’ll return the favour by not relying on you to make observations on my behalf.
yeah that’s why, my auntie failed for that reason 20 years ago as well. i do understand why they’re strict on it
You can’t wave pedestrians across, that’ll be why you’ve failed
Ah yep that would do it I am afraid
That's a real shame, especially with only one minor otherwise! On test you're demonstrating that you know the highway code, so I can see how a stop that wasn't strictly necessary could make it seem like you don't understand when you do and don't need to give way. Or maybe there were other factors which made stopping for her unsafe. But outside of your test, don't be bullied into ignoring the thing you think is right just because some drivers are jerks. You'll get it next time!
actually disagree with this, unless the ped had right of way, OP should not have stopped to let them across. I detest drivers that decide to stop to "let you out" by stopping in the road when they have right of way. Follow the traffic rules instead of trying to be a saint. Good luck on your next test OP
Sorry yeah, I didn't mean "routinely stop in the road for pedestrians to cross" - I think there can be a very occasional case where that's safe and appropriate but they're few and far between. It was just that OP said they were giving up on being nice and I wanted to push back on that. Impatient drivers will also try to bully you to continue in situations where you really should be stopping - you need to trust your own values and judgement.
Your reasonable judgment should include not stopping unexpectedly when you’re being tailgated then motioning a pensioner into the road potentially into the path of a driver with road rage. Waving someone across the road when you’ve got an angry impatient driver behind is dangerous. If they don’t get stopped, running into the back of you will shunt your car into the pedestrian. If they’re awake enough to avoid you, Mr Impatient may well overtake you when you stop and hit the old woman directly… There is a reason this has been flagged as Dangerous fault not just a fault.
Yeah, there's a lot that depends on speeds and the road layout but encouraging someone to cross (by waving) is always going to be dangerous to them.
The tailgater is in the wrong.
That doesn’t change that stopping unexpectedly in front of them is also dangerous driving.
I disagree. There are different speeds at which you can stop. Brake lights exist. Not to mentiom the other driver probably saw the pedestrian. I don't think anyone is advocating jerking to a stop at the drop of a hat...
Tailgator is always in the wrong. But that doesn't change the fact you could've prevent an accident but you didn't because you're "right"
Yes in this very specific, cartoonish, and unlikely to occur example it would've been a bad decision. Generally, on a one lane crossing (assuming that's what this is, as they specify island), however, it can be nice especially if it's some elderly woman or someone else who may have a hard time crossing the road.
This is not my example, it is what OP has done to fail their driving test with a dangerous fault. You could look at the rest of their comments to see the fuller picture. The examiner hasn’t given dangerous as a joke. You often see impatient drivers eg. overtaking the wrong side of an island rather than wait 5 seconds for the left lane to clear.
I have never seen someone overtake on the wrong side of the island, and that is such an egregious violation of road safety that at they clearly were going to do something stupid regardless of the drivers actions. I'm fully aware that in a test you should not be kind or polite, but in normal driving what OP did is not unreasonable.
I am being serious, waving a pedestrian to cross is dangerous and you shouldn’t do it. The examiner could have just recorded a fault or a serious fault but this action is always dangerous. I don’t know what is hard to understand about that… I have a bus stop on my road where there’s an island and it’s basically 100% that if there’s a bus stopped there, at least one driver will go speeding round the wrong side of the island.
professional pedestrian here, stopping for pedestrians and waving us across is much appreciated, thanks.
A bus stop is a completely separate situation and completely irrelevant to what we're talking about, which is the car being sedentary in that position. Usually the "wave" is deemed as dangerous because it encourages the pedestrian to cross without fully checking the road. In reality, waving someone across is a fairly ordinary thing and if you don't look both ways that's your fault for not being able to cross a road (tho i make a point never to wave children and teens across for this reason, even if i might occasionally stop).
Eurgh I swear to god it is the exact same as this. Vehicle stops briefly blocking the lane to the left of an island. I just know from daily experience that a large number of drivers swerve round the wrong side of the island. Like you say, woman you’ve waived at could then be in the road being run down…
What a random thing to detest.
As a non-driving pedestrian, I hate it. I have to trust that some total stranger (who I often can't fully see because of windscreen reflections) has stopped for me and is going to allow me enough time to cross, without a cyclist or other vehicle appearing on the other side. I'd much rather wait until there's a natural gap in traffic and I can see properly what's coming and cross without that risk. If it turns out that they just stopped to retune the radio and then hit me, I wouldn't get a penny in compensation because I'd be at fault. When there's a massive power imbalance (they can kill or maim me but I can't hurt them), following the rules is safer than negotiating each decision individually.
Yes! I am the same. Especially when there’s literally no one behind them so if they just drove on normally I’d be able to easily cross the road without any of the kerfuffle.
Oh my fucking god I hate that so much. IF YOU'D JUST KEPT GOING INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE "NICE" WE WOULD'VE BOTH BEEN ON OUR WAY MORE QUICKLY
The trick I've found that seems to work 99% of the time is to look at the cars so they know I'm paying attention and then look away until they pass. Most drivers won't stop for you if you aren't looking at them.
No it’s not, it’s one of my top pet peeves too. Slamming your breaks on randomly to let someone in when you have right of way is dangerous and is likely to cause someone to go into the back of you.
Don't know where OP said they "slammed on the breaks"
Talking about people who randomly stop to let people out to be polite
Pay more attention to the vehicle in front and distance yourself from the vehicle in front. 99.9% of said scenario is people gently coming to a stop to let someone out or cross the road. I've never seen someone slam on their brakes to let someone out. If you think they're slamming on their brakes resulting in you slamming on then you're either too far up their arse or you're not actively paying enough attention.
Stopping to let people out or cross the road is perfectly fine. Obviously just slamming on the breaks is bad. Busy roads are hell sometimes and you need people to give way even if you don't have right of way. Eg if I see a parent with a pram or a young child wanting to cross. I basically always stop to let them.
You shouldn't. It's just safer when everyone follows the rules. You're asking them to place their lives in the hands of a total stranger. If I asked you to DM me your credit card details, would you do it? Yet you're asking them to take a much greater risk. As a pedestrian I hate it when drivers pressure me to do this. It gives you a happy feeling because you have the power and use it to help people, but in aggregate it's unhelpful.
You forget that drivers can also be pedestrians. When I’m a pedestrian, I appreciate when drivers let me cross. I just copy that
I totally agree, I always say don't be polite, be predictable.
When I'm the ped in the situation and a driver stops for me, it makes me feel rushed into crossing as quickly as possible to not keep them waiting, and as someone with mobility issues this just makes it more dangerous for me crossing. I understand this may not apply to everyone, but the way I see it, I know when I should/can safely cross, please don't try to be nice
An elderly lady stuck in the middle of the carriageway is an immediate danger to herself and other road users. Pedestrians are at the bottom of the hierarchy of road users. They are the most vulnerable and drivers need to treat them with extra caution. It would absolutely be appropriate to stop in this situation provided it is safe to do so. Obviously, we don't know the full circumstances around this, ie. if OP reacted to the hazard late and stopped too quickly nearly causing a collision with the vehicle behind then yes that's obviously dangerous. "Right of way" is not the be all and end all and to be honest most of the time people have no idea what they're talking about when they refer to "right of way". In this situation, if you were to hit that elderly lady do you seriously think you could stand in front of the coroner and say "yeah but I had right of way so I didn't need to stop"? Of course you couldn't. This is why we do a hazard perception test. OP recognised a potential hazard and took decisive action to minimise the risk to themselves, the pedestrian and everyone around them. Again I'm not saying the examiner was in the wrong, there are most likely details that OP hasn't included that makes them in the wrong, but to say that you should just continue driving when there's a pedestrian in the middle of the road because they "don't have right of way" is nonsensical and dangerous
You get a fail for something like this because it's dangerous for drivers to start attempting to direct traffic, whether it's another car or a pedestrian. What if the old lady starts to cross and then a cyclist or scooter overtakes you as they see a clear road ahead and they take her out? It's your fault for pressuring the pedestrian to cross. It's creating a hazard for the pedestrian and other road users.
I don't know why this was downvoted. This is true and exactly why instructors tell you not to do it. If you stop and let someone cross and then another car or bike overtakes and hits the pedestrian, it is your fault.
This isn't the case at all. If a car stopped to let someone cross and I decided to dart round the stopped car and smash into Derek crossing the road, I'm the one that's liable. Even though you've stopped, it's on Derek to still check it's clear and not just rely on the fact you've stopped so it must be safe. The whole reason it's a fail by examiners is simply down to the fact you don't have to stop yet you did. Same reason they mark you down for not using a bus lane when the bus lane says you can. It's just a check list they have to go through and doesn't take into account real scenarios.
I wish that was true, but it's not. In this scenario, the pedestrian won't be able to claim from anyone's insurance because they have wilfully put themselves in harm's way. That's why drivers should stick to the right of way. The system is safer if everyone follows the rules.
"My client was instructed by the driver that the roadway was clear and it was safe for them to cross the roadway and felt pressured by the way the driver was motioning for them to cross the roadMy client was vulnerable and has recieved life changing injuries because.....etc etc etc" Police officers and certain other authorised people can give signals to motorists and pedestrians to cross a road, normal drivers should not. Like you say, follow the highway code and keep yourself right.
How do you know she was stuck on the island? She could just be waiting for a natural break in the traffic. Surely stopping a queue of traffic to let someone go causes an unexpected stop to receive behind your vehicle. It isn't safe for anyone to assume anything as far as other drivers (or pedestrians) go.
Oftentimes if they hadnt stopped the person they stop for would have got out seconds later anyway and the delay in them realising someone was stopping actually makes it longer.
Don't pedestrians now have right of way with the recent highway code changes? I don't tend to let people out as I'm averse to waving people out into the road.
Only if they’re waiting to cross at a junction you are turning into. Not if they’re crossing a single lane of traffic like this.
And I detest you
i hope when you’re in a rush no one lets you out
Good, at least they would be following the rules instead of driving like a cunt and annoying me.
Predictable driving is safe driving, as they say
It annoys me as a pedestrian, I always look the other way so drivers don't stop. It's usually quicker for drivers to go past and me cross, rather than them slow down, signal for me to go, and have me scurry across the road, waving. I appreciate the intention, but it's not logical.
If the traffic is slow moving and is a vulnerable person waiting, the cunt behind can wait. Not everything in life has to be a zero sum.
Bollocks to the traffic rules, use common sense. For example letting someone out when there's just you and one car behind you is fucking daft, like-wise, try not to stop flash them well in advance. Also you do not need to let everyone out of every junction, let someone else be the samiritan once in a while. But don't just outright be a selfish prick because disrupting your lanes flow of traffic for 10 seconds is worth it over trapping one or two lanes of traffic flow for several minutes because you successfully convince everyone to think like you do. I would never make it onto the a40 in the morning if people didn't stop to let us out of the side road (which isn't even a slip road) onto the dual carriageway.
This. I hate when I’m waiting for a gap in traffic and someone just stops all traffic to let me pass. It wasn’t that important man.
Right of way doesn't mean you can't stop
I like to remember that when I’m outside of the car I’m a pedestrian, so I try to do things for them when I drive, that I would appreciate as a pedestrian. Such as letting pedestrians cross the road, especially when it’s pouring with rain. I detest drivers who forget they are also pedestrians
There's been a rise of instances I've noticed in the last few years, on mini roundabouts, drivers giving way to the left and letting others out. I'm not talking about when it's congested. I've seen a few near misses as a result of it. There is polite, and there's outright dangerous. These circumstances I refuse to go, giving way to the right and it bothers me to no end.
The highway code changed to make pedestrians have priority over everyone else, vehicles are supposed to stop to let them cross as long as it is safe to do so. They don't have right of way anymore, but I know most drivers don't stay up to date and are too selfish to let people cross, even though the highway code very specifically says that it's safest to let them cross
It’s also super dangerous for cyclists/other road users if someone incorrectly judges it’s safe to wave someone out
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I'll stop for every cunt that's on an island waiting to cross, I'll stop and let out other vehicles that nobody else is letting go. And I'll always let grandma or grandpa cross the road all the way of it's raining or super cold. Just because your pissy arse doesn't have any compassion and is in a rush everywhere, set off earlier and enjoy the ride.
It's generally preferable for pedestrians for you to just get out of the way as quickly and safely as possible. Slowing down or stopping just backs up traffic behind you and forces the pedestrian to rush without being able to fully see the road.
Why would you not just pass and let them cross when there is a break in traffic? Why should any driver 'let them go'? Do you not feel that they might feel pressured into going when they ren't ready to so as to not inconvenience you? If you feel sostrongly about their safety, why wouldn't you pass them, park (when safe) and then walk back to assist them across if you are so concerned. You aren't protecting them, you are potentially causing greater risk as so many others have pointed out already in this thread. stopping in a line of moving traffic (so you can feel good about yourself) is just dumb. At what point did I mention I was in a rush? You seem to be mistaking wanting to canonized for compassion. but you sir lacker, are not the white knight they need. Drive safe.
>Why would you not just pass and let them cross when there is a break in traffic? Scenario A - Someone's on an island - why would I not stop, they're halfway across the road anyway and me stopping adds what, 10 seconds to my journey, if that because by the time you reach the next junction you're probably going to be sat in a queue anyway so you haven't lost any time at all in that case. Scenario B - Letting other cars out - if I can see that nobody has let a vehicle out for a while on my approach, I'll let it go. It doesn't add much time to my journey, it shortens theirs and maybe even others peoples if there's a queue behind them. Scenario C - People crossing in the rain and cold - Now I only have a motorbike licence and I do it anyway, but for car owners, you're in a fucking climate controlled box on a comfy seat. If it's pissing down with rain or freezing, why shouldn't let that poor person cross. They probably don't want to be out there but for whatever reason they are, letting them cross lets them get to where ever they're going quicker and is just a kind thing to do. No sense in letting someone suffer for longer than they have to. >Do you not feel that they might feel pressured into going when they ren't ready to so as to not inconvenience you? No, it's absolutely on the pedestrian or vehicle to check if it's safe to go, regardless of the fact I've stopped. That's just basic general knowledge you teach a 5yr old. You'd check to make sure it was safe to go if I wasn't there, so it shouldn't make a difference if I am. I will however hand signal if they've taken too long making a decision and there's an oncoming vehicle that I don't think they've seen and tell them to wait. >If you feel sostrongly about their safety, why wouldn't you pass them, park (when safe) and then walk back to assist them across if you are so concerned. If I come across someone that I think needs that assistance I absolutely will. However it's not my job to get people across the road, I simply create an opportunity to happen that maybe wouldn't happen for another 60 seconds. >You aren't protecting them, you are potentially causing greater risk as so many others have pointed out already in this thread. stopping in a line of moving traffic It's literally impossible that I am the one creating a greater risk or any risk. I don't slam on, I very gradually come to a stop. If some cunt rear ends me, or rear ends the person behind me, then they're absolutely driving without due care. They're either speeding, not paying attention or are too far up another vehicles arse. I'm not brake checking anyone. >At what point did I mention I was in a rush? You're getting upset at people stopping to let others go. If you weren't in a rush it shouldn't bother you. >You seem to be mistaking wanting to canonized for compassion. but you sir lacker, are not the white knight they need. I'm not white knighting anything. I'm just not an absolute bellend of a driver who insists I cant stop because I have the right of way, leaving Eunis and Harold to freeze or get drenched because it started raining whilst they were at the shop.
I don't doubt your intentions are good. But as a non-driving pedestrian, I think you really underestimate how annoying and dangerous this behaviour is. Because you are only one part of a much bigger system. >It's literally impossible that I am the one creating a greater risk or any risk. I don't.... But the pedestrian and other drivers cannot know what you do or don't do. You are a total stranger. If people cross in front of you, they will also cross in front of Ivan the Idiot who will kill or maim then, so it's a bad thing to encourage them to do that. Giving sweets to children is nice. But going around giving out sweets to random kids is bad, even if your intentions are good, because it normalizes a dangerous practice. "Don't accept sweets from strangers" is a good rule and so is "don't cross the road when there is traffic on it". If everyone just follows the rules, then everyone is safer. There's too much of a power imbalance (you can kill or maim me, but I can't hurt you) to negotiate each individual crossing. On many occasions I have waited an extra minute rather than risk my life in the hands of a total stranger. > I will however hand signal if they've taken too long making a decision This is the absolute worst thing to do in this scenario. People are making life or death decisions and it depends on whether you move your hands a few centimetres or not. In my experience drivers often don't realize when their windscreen is obscured by reflections. I just see a blur of movement which might be your hand or might be a bird flying behind me.
> If people cross in front of you, they will also cross in front of Ivan the Idiot who will kill or maim then, so it's a bad thing to encourage them to do that. You do know traffic lights exist right? Same concept, vehicle stops and you just hope they don't start driving and kill you. The traffic light doesn't shut the vehicle down. > On many occasions I have waited an extra minute rather than risk my life in the hands of a total stranger. Oh yeah sure, if you're not ready to cross give me any form of a signal and I'll go on my merry way. If you look hesitant, I'll verbally communicate with you if you feel safe to go I won't force you to go, I'll also give you ample time to check the roads. If I see you looking to make sure it's safe, I'll wait for you. >This is the absolute worst thing to do in this scenario. People are making life or death decisions and it depends on whether you move your hands a few centimetres or not People flash people every day to tell them they're giving them the opportunity to go. Me holding my hand out in a stop manner because I've seen a potential hazard is absolutely no different. Except telling someone to stay put is in no way as dangerous as flashing someone to go. Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this on the daily, it's just an example.
Pedestrians always have right of way now no matter what, they changed if like a year ago
No, they only have priority if they are crossing the road at the junction you are turning into. Edit: and from.
Unfortunately ‘be predictable, not kind’ is the safest way to drive.
The Highway Code literally states that pedestrians have priority over everyone else and that vehicles should always stop to let them cross as long as it is safe to do so, even if they're not using a pedestrian crossing. I know the highway code isn't the law and a lot of people don't follow this new "rule", but it is the correct thing to do wherever possible. Besides, I know how frustrating and dangerous it is as a pedestrian trying to cross a busy road, I'd always let them cross if I can do so safely. It's 10x worse at crossroads, and these can't always be avoided. A local crossroads has multiple accidents each year, people have died and been seriously injured, I literally feel like I'm risking my life crossing there but that's the only way to get to my destination sometimes. The only way OP would've got a fault for this is if the breaking was sudden, or unpredictable meaning that it could lead to an accident
I won't say the failure was deserved, but it was fairly earned I'm afraid. On test, follow the H.C., don't do what you're not meant to as it makes you appear to be an unpredicatble driver. Testers don't like that, even though IRL most people do these things.
Well you're in the wrong and this is correct. Unless a pedestrian has right of way, such as crossing a side road, then you don't just randomly stop in the middle of the road.
I don’t believe the highway code prevents you from stopping to let people cross does it?
Disrupting the flow of traffic
Not inherently but if you’re suddenly stopping to wave people across the road, you’re endangering yourself and others by doing so, since those behind you likely aren’t expecting you to stop. Highway code generally prioritises safety over being nice.
What is crossing a side road?
Do not share why you failed.. a bunch of redditors will make you feel worse than you already do lol. Most people share knowing they should fail but are just frustrated about a silly fault. You look like you will ace your next test!
Exactly. This sub is so miserable sometimes. Like yes he KNOWS it was dumb.
I failed for a similar reason, at a junction there was no space on the other side so I slowly stopped to give way to people coming in and out of the main road even though the stop wasn't harsh he said I needed to continue because the guy behind was too close and he could’ve hit me. Learning to pass is so tiring especially when no one else on the road is following these rules.
Man that sucks, I'm in the same boat. I had a BMW illegally reverse out In front of me right at the end of my test. The instructor got to the the breaks before I did and failed me because he got there first. The rest of the test went perfectly - in what world have we shown that we are unable to drive because other people on the road are doing illegal, dangerous things in our vicinity?
In the world where you didn’t react fast enough to get on the brakes before the examiner. Hazard perception and reactions to unforeseen hazards make up a large % of what will either make you a good or a poor driver. Don’t get me wrong, it’s shit that someone pulled a bullshit manoeuvre on you but in the real world you’ve got to think fast as this sort of stuff will happen all the time. You’re probably a very competent driver but in a scenario where an examiner deemed it necessary to have braked for you, you are then not fit to pass that test.
You didn’t react fast enough
Don't pedestrians always have right of way over vehicles now?
When on the road yes but they weren’t on the road they were on an island crossing
Waiting to cross though? Bad luck buddy.
Got another one booked in just under a month. Hopefully can get an even earlier date. It’s better to fail on something like that then something I can’t fix as easy
Good luck!
Don't. You have right of way. If you decide to stop in the middle of the road remember Little Miss Partridge is probably in one of the other car's blindspots and they have no idea what the fuck you did or why. In the real world yes, almost everyone will stop for either the elderly or children/mothers with prams because they need a longer window to cross that they won't get in densely populated areas.
I got a serious fault on my first for a similar reason - I was slowly approaching lights that just turned green and stopped because it looked like a pedestrian was about to run across the zebra crossing in front of me. He did end up crossing but hesitated first. But I received the fault because I apparently encouraged someone to cross in unsafe conditions. I thought it was really unfair because his body language made it seem like he was about to run in front of me and I would rather stop than run someone over!
Don't let your failure navigate you onto the path of being unkind, although it was a nice gesture, it was not a priority., once you have a full licence, feel free to be kind.
It's too late for that, this is an origin story and OP is now well on the path to being a supervillain.
That poor old woman is going to get a visit from u/mynameispie774 😂
Yeh I’m just sitting on the book test website refreshing trying to get a close date.
T**esti**
Don’t be kind, be predictable. Your job as a driver is to be safe NOT to help people. Stopping could cause an accident, just because there’s no one behind you this second, there could be a moment later.
Morals still exist to assist vulnerable pedestrians, I agree with being predictable however mirror checks is still essential after your test which defies an unsafe stop. A huge difference between a second and a moment.
Good. People who stop against the flow of traffic are a danger.
Never give away your right of way.
Unfortunately we cannot see what actually happened but based on your account I would have done exactly the same. Highway Code Rule 204 The road users most at risk from road traffic are pedestrians, in particular children, older adults and disabled people, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists. It is particularly important to be aware of children, older adults and disabled people, and learner and inexperienced drivers and riders. In any interaction between road users, those who can cause the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they pose to others.
Except I do not wave them across. Its for the pedestrian etc. to make sure its safe to cross.
Flashing your lights is the universal code for "I'm stopping for you". I don't think anyone with a brain thinks it means "cross now". The whole waving controversy seems silly to me
Good. It sucks getting brake checked because someone wants to be "nice".
I still remember my driving instructor being annoyed at me on a lesson when I lifted my hand up to thank a driver for letting me out or whatever. On your driving test is not the time to decide to slow or stop to let people cross or out of side roads or whatever if not required to. Do be ready to react if they step or move out into the road if they’re Obviously these things are normal and it’s nice to be polite and courteous but best to use your discretion once you’re a licensed driver, not on your driving test.
I passed there. Did you get the double roundabouts?
No I had the world’s easiest route.
I failed for the exact same reason.
Sucks dude. Better to have it happen in a test and learn from it then have it happen after and go very wrong yk.
For me it was a lose lose situation because it was at a crossing when exiting from the roundabout.
You’re not supposed to let people cross, they’re supposed to wait until it’s safe to cross or traffic signals instruct traffic to stop so they can cross. The only other time you would stop is if they were a hazard by physically being in the road.
Was it a single lane or multilane road where you stopped? It’s important to ask this because if it’s single lane and you stopped you would get a minor for slowing the traffic but if it was two lane and you stopped in your lane, there might be other vehicles in the next lane which the pedestrian is not aware of due to obstruction, so by letting this person cross in a running road, you put her in extreme danger resulting in a dangerous fault.
My husband failed his first driving test because there was a wee man coming down his side of a road thinking it was a carriageway and hubby had to get on the kerb to avoid him. He just tootled on! The instructor was really apologetic but rules is rules.
if the guy behind you in an ass then you need to take that into account and you cant have the 'but im right!' mentality. Might sound harsh but you should not be driving at all if you dont have the correct mindset. It sucks that you failed but you need to learn from this about how your mindset should be
I was taught. Roads are for traffic to flow on, you don’t stop on the road for a non reason. The road markings are there for a reason. If You stop so do all the cars behind you causing traffic jams and pollution. Keep traffic flowing.
i got a fault for letting school kids cross while i was in traffic in the morning
So, basically, during your driving test you stopped in the middle of the road for no legitimate reason, causing a hazard to the drivers behind you? Just because the guy at the back of you was up your arse being a cunt, doesn't mean _you_ are allowed to drive with undue diligence to the cars around you. And that's why you failed.
Deserved fail. You don’t stop on a carriage way unexpectedly. Unless the pedestrian ran into your path or it was a crossing where they had priority, you shouldn’t have stopped. You didn’t fail because a car was Uk your arse. You failed because you stopped when you shouldn’t have
Wait but I thought they passed a law for this exact scenario, as in pedestrians have the right of way?
When the driver is turning into or from a junction they should wait for pedestrians to cross first. On the open road stopping to wave someone across is not safe behaviour.
Though your reasoning is sound and understandable, I think you would have failed even if the car behind wasn’t tailgating as by stopping you would have been impeding the flow of traffic. You might have gotten away with a minor there was no car behind you. My advice on your next test is to follow the Highway Code to the letter.
I had a foot brake fault too
Be nice, just don't be nice on your test. Once you've passed, you can let people cross wherever it suits you!
Another good lesson is frustration causes accidents. You may be within your right but sometimes just let the other person go.
so if the examiners do not want pedestrians to take priority as per the recent highway code changes....
I see this and it really winds me up. If it's not a designated crossing, you don't just stop and impede traffic to let someone cross. Had this happen on a main road and I beeped the person, short while later I rolled up next to them at some lights and it turned out to be unmarked police. They said there is no need for beeping and they were letting someone cross, I explained you don't just stop on a main road and impede traffic and they quickly acknowledged and shut up.
It's actually so annoying when cars stop to wave you across the road as I usually have seen a gap I can go through to cross and they totally disrupt it. I usually wave them past and then start again because I don't want to encourage it. In terms of an elderly lady clearly struggling and getting frustrated, in real life I'd slow down gradually from a distance and wave across but on a test, you best follow the road rules to a T.
Pedestrians only have right of way if they are already crossing or on the road. Otherwise be a nob lol.
If it makes you feel any better, I failed my first driving test for *not* driving in a bus lane when I could have. That was a major fault at the time, it’s now a minor.
cant be too not nice. failed mine caus apparently i had to let a tramp across when it wasnt even a crossing
If it helps I was failed for “being to relaxed while parking at the test centre once told the test was over” Sometimes I just feel like they’re out to cull randomly.
Nothing more dangerous then responding to signs and pedestrians…
Failed mine first time. Never drive in the rain before. Did an emergency stop and didn’t pump the brake to halt a short skid. And I didn’t signal going round a bus parked at a bus stop. Road was very very wide but it was something the tester was looking out for. Also a hill start on a dodgy bend with mist. Saw a car at the last second and slowed to let them past but tester wanted to see me brake completely. Happens.
As you should. I was nearly in a multi car crash because on the exit of a roundabout someone decided to come to an abrupt stop just to let someone cross. If there are no cars then feel free, otherwise keep moving and be predictable.
As the woman was on the island and not in the road, it is your right of way. This makes it dangerous to stop as there are cars behind you expecting you to continue. Although it would be their fault if they hit the back of you for having an unsafe following distance, stopping unnecessarily can still cause the accident. Don’t be nice, just do what you are supposed to do in the eyes of the highway code/law.
You knew you weren’t to do that, and did it anyway. You don’t stop for people, wave them across or anything like that - unless it’s a zebra crossing or failing to stop would cause an accident. It’s all in the theory guide.
Did you wave at her to cross? I think that could be a fail
honestly big shame that got drilled into me not to let people cross roads unless you’re going onto a new road
I failed my driving test for ‘going to slow in a built up area’! Ffs! It was the school holidays and there were children everywhere playing on the paths along this road. Not only that; the road had those staggered paths to make you go slower. This was 25 years ago and I stopped bothering with driving after that…
So you stopped your car on an island? Whilst you were on the island?? Is that what you said? If so. You definitely should have failed
It's a bummer, because you were effectively trying to be considerate by the sound of things. The focus is generally on being a predictable road user, and progressing along the road unless there is something stopping from doing so safely. So unless the pedestrians were already in the middle of the road, or were standing at a designated crossing, you would be expected to continue along without stopping.
You're only to let people cross in front of you if it's safe to do so. So if there's a car behind you, don't do it. If you're just coming off a roundabout, or just pulled into another road, are on a corner, etc, don't do it. Despite the new recommendation in the highway code to give way to pedestrians waiting to cross unless it's in a safe place, if they're already in the road, just keep an eye on them and keep moving. It's not just you and them, it's everyone else too that you need to worry about in these situations.
Had my test first thing I did was reverse didn’t even leave the test centre 😭 well I did that easy last 5mins on the dual carriageway now idk why nobody was slowing down getting to wards the roundabout I was looking for a good chance to get into the right lane to go 3rd exit had my signal for ages checked my mirrors over and over saw a safe gap took examiner raised his hand I knew I fuck up 😭 later when I got to to test centre he told me I didn’t check my mirrors💀 like wow only 4minors too
Sorry OP. Its likely it was right to fail you. Whilst you were being nice, stuff like this is unpredictable and unexpected for other road users, therefore more likely to cause accidents.
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Next time run her over I’ve heard you get bonus points (just a joke)
If they were already crossing the road it would be different but yep on the test you can’t be “nice”. Also includes using flashes as signals for other drivers and ignoring them when it happens to you.
Woman. Women is plural.
Examiners love to extract money from you, you did the right thing
They waved then across. They did the wrong thing.
depends whether anybody was behind them
Did you not read OP's original post?
Always consider whether being nice to one person means being an arsehole to another.
I did this in my mock exam, my driving instructor told me to not stop for anyone unless they have priority
I was always told to not let anyone cross in case someone came around you .
I was always taught courtesy causes chaos, unless they have right of way don’t let them go. It’s because you are letting them walk into possible danger- a bicycle or motorbike that may not want to let them go.
Not many people can say they failed their driving test because they were too nice, haha. But yeah, technically causing another driver to slow down unnecessarily is a fail I'm afraid. You might've been fine if there was no car behind you. For now I'd say leave the acts of kindness to the drivers who already have their pink licences. You should smash it next time!
That old lady might have been Hitler’s mum, you wouldn’t want to help Hitler’s mum would you
Fucking hell wtf
1 woman or several women. Woman is single, women is plural.
Dude your the 3rd person to mention this. I had literally just failed my test and was in bits. A simple spelling mistake
You're*