My rights as a pedestrian
When I’m out walking, I actively (but not foolishly, I hope) defend my rights as a pedestrian. If I have an opportunity to walk safely and legally before a car goes, I will take it.
The main rules are not difficult to comprehend, but some motorists just don’t seem to understand them.
[Page references are those in the Vicroads PDF summary of the road rules.]
Red means stop. It doesn’t mean drivers can zoom through at the last minute. Given that Yellow actually means “stop if it is safe to do so” [p27], there’s no reason why drivers should still be travelling through the intersection after I’ve got a (conflicting) green man. Not that there’s much I can do about this but glare.
Drivers are meant to stop behind the stop line, not halfway across it blocking the pedestrian crossing. If blocked by the cars ahead, that’s the driver’s fault for not looking ahead to make sure it was clear. [p27]
The zebra crossing means vehicles have to give way for me to cross. If a motorist was driving so fast they had to brake sharply, that’s their fault [p58]. (I view extended periods of delays to motorists at busy zebra crossings, such as in Flinders Lane, with some glee. If they were stupid enough to bring their car into the middle of a big busy city, they’re going to face some delays in their quest to get to the next red light.)
Flagged Children’s Crossings are more strict. Vehicles have to stop if someone is waiting to cross, and not drive through until the last person is completely off the crossing. [p57] (I also recommend not trying to run down crossing supervisors at lighted intersections, such as some right-turners at McKinnon and Jasper Roads seem to do.)
Vehicles are not allowed to park on a footpath.[p78] Foot. Path. It’s really not that hard.
If a driver is turning across my path, they have to give way to me [p29] — unless it’s a roundabout.
Many motorists, myself included, give way when coming out of side-streets to crossing pedestrians. Strictly speaking vehicles don’t have to do this, but personally I consider it polite. Update: Commenter Andrew notes elsewhere the rules say: “At Stop or Give Way signs [...] you must not only give way to vehicles, but also to any pedestrians at or near the sign [...]”
If a vehicle is going into or coming out of a driveway or carpark or whatever, they have to give way to me. [p60]
Drivers have to stop for tram passengers unless there’s a safety zone/platform stop. [p60] The tram is a big thing on wheels that’s 3-5 times as big as a car; there’s no excuse for not seeing it.
I don’t have to cross at the lights if they’re more than 20 metres away (but I’ll certainly do so if it’s safer to do so).
The above rules are, I think, pretty logical.
But there are some others I learnt about while reading up on it, which I suspect not so many people are aware of.
- Motorists have to give way to peds when turning in a slip lane (including separated from the other lanes by just a painted island) [p30]
- Motorists have to give way to all peds (and everyone else for that matter) when making a U-turn [p31]
- Giving way to peds when turning includes instances such as turning into a main road that the pedestrian is crossing. [figure 24, p35]
Footnote: Why have VicRoads published the road rules in a PDF that doesn’t allow you to copy text out of it?
Driving school FAIL
Dear “Number One Driving School”,
You may not be Number One for long if you keep teaching your learner drivers to park in bus zones, then sit there for 5+ minutes.
This pic was taken a couple of weeks ago, and was separate to another noted yesterday via Twitter: You parked in a bus zone then walked past three legal spots to where you were going? FAIL.
And if the Glen Eira parking inspectors want some easy prey, try the bus zone outside Flaked Out fish’n'chips in the evening.
Hey I was wondering — would they give me the power to issue traffic infringement fines? Preferably on commission, but heck, I’d do it for free, just to bring these morons down a rung or two.
Pretty please?
A moron in Bourke Street
“No entry” signs? Lots of them? IT DOESN’T APPLY TO ME.
Congratulations NOH-500, you are moron of the week.
(Last Thursday, lunchtime)
Morons
Don’t beep at me. I can see the green light. But I can also see the traffic banked up on the other side of the intersection.
I know it’s really hard because the switch is so awkwardly placed, such a long way from your hands on the steering wheel, but fer chrissake use your indicators!
Don’t tailgate me. I’m going at the speed limit. I’m not going to speed because you’re in a hurry.
Look, if you don’t know where you’re going, don’t keep driving slowly down the road while you try to look at the Melway. Pull over.
Get off the smegging phone, you moron.
Not surprised to read this: Hummer Drivers Get More Tickets. A Lot More., given I spotted one lady zooming down Kingsway recently, in a Hummer with personalised licence plates, happy jabbering away on the phone.
Not a good sign
Arriving at the station yesterday morning, up the line at McKinnon, we could see this:
Not a good sign. Word was there was a fire on the train.
The evening TV news and today’s Herald Sun revealed what happened: Jesse Martin, once lauded as the youngest person to sail solo around the world, had come driving up McKinnon Road (speed limit: 50 km/h), somehow missed the bells, somehow missed the flashing lights, somehow missed the boom gate in front of him, somehow missed the six carriage train crossing the road, and smashed into it, causing a small fire.
I guess he can’t drive as well as he can sail. (Maybe he was trying to circumnavigate the boomgate?)
Thankfully he’s physically all right.
The line closed for at least half an hour. Knowing how these things can drag on, and the chaos that ensues, I didn’t hang about, I and a number of others fled for the 703 bus to Brighton to get to the Sandringham line instead, which was relatively smooth.
I don’t know if at any stage the loudspeaker announcements along the Frankston line included “Jesse Martin apologises for any inconvenience caused.”
Pair of morons
What are the odds? Within five minutes of each other last night, I spotted two drivers yakking away on their phones as they drove down the street, both with personalised licence plates.
So, TOOZ and COURTZ… you’re a pair of morons.
Speaking of personalised number plates, why would you choose the plate MAGGOT?
On the phone
Dear TZO 421: If you have one hand holding a cigarette, and the other holding a mobile phone, how do you expect to be able to drive your car properly?
It’s astounding how many people drive along holding a phone to their ears. So stupid.
A couple of times earlier this century I tried having conversations with people while talking on a hands-free mobile phone. I quickly discovered that hands-free or not, it’s too distracting.
It didn’t amount to anything dangerous, but it was clear that for me, talking on the phone is way more distracting than listening to the radio, or talking to someone in the car, and the potential is there.
And so since then I have not used the mobile while driving, not at all. If I’m desperate to answer, I’ll pull over and do so; otherwise calls go to the voicemail.
(Well okay, I might look at a text when completely stopped at traffic lights, though I suspect that is technically illegal.)
Evidently you can’t report offenders like you can for littering, but you can have a whinge via the Rate The Plate web site.
Update 14/1/2009 America’s National Safety Council has called for an all-out ban on using mobile phones while driving, following studies that show hands-free phones pose as much danger as hand-held ones. — The Age: Drivers hold to hands-free phones
Get off the phone
1. Dear driver of EML 925,
How about you get off the phone?
Then you might be paying enough attention to remember to indicate when you turn.
2. Good on you for driving a Prius.
But parking in a Bus Zone? Not so good.
Oh, unless… I don’t suppose you’re a substitute service for the 703?
3. No, really. IT DOESN’T APPLY TO US.
