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How many times do you come across this? You are driving along the road and there is a person or even a group of people walking down the side of the road with their backs to the traffic flow.
I don't understand it. Isn't it obvious that you would walk facing oncoming traffic, (the right hand side of the road here in the UK), so that you have time to see and react to any other road users that are coming "toward you". This in turn gives both you and the driver/cyclist/horse rider etc a better chance to react and give each party room to pass safely, you cannot do this as easily when one of the parties involved has the back of their head to you.
I've even seen family groups adopt this dangerous practice risking not only their own health but that of their children too and they always seem surprised when a vehicle comes up behind them.
the risk is greatly reduced if you are facing the traffic
This seems to happen mainly in country areas where there is no footpath provided, and the situation isn't helped by those road users who treat country roads as their own private race tracks, put the two together, fast car/bike and a pedestrian on the wrong side of the road and you are asking for a disaster. If you find yourself walking along the road, then a high percentage of the risk is greatly reduced if you are facing the traffic that you are sharing common ground with. And drivers, slow down!
Yes, pedestrians should have the right of way but the roads are designed to be used by various forms of transport, so please give yourself and other road users the best possible chance when sharing the roads by walking on the correct side of the road.
By: Sandman
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And if tit is raining the eye contact principle vanishes. I was nearly hit by a car travelling to fast for the conditions and he said it was because I was wearing camouflage . It is the drivers duty to watch out for hazards and drive accordingly. My road is in a village and people walk on the side which is convenient not which is nominally correct. Drivers are faced with warning signs in this situation. If it goes wrong he is faced with breach of the law; the pedestrian damage to his person. It is a scary walk whichever side of the road you are.
'Me' is ill-informed and totally wrong (see the Highway Code).
"The wise man speaks because he has something to say; the fool because he has to say something." - Plato
Me
Yes, well...but what if there isn't a pavement? Stay at home?
Just don't walk in the road.
I only tend to encounter pedestrians at night wearing all black clothing. That doesn't help.
If there is no pavement keep to the right-hand side of the road so that you can see oncoming traffic. You should take extra care and
be prepared to walk in single file, especially on narrow roads or in poor light
keep close to the side of the road
It may be safer to cross the road well before a sharp right-hand bend so that oncoming traffic has a better chance of seeing you. Cross back after the bend
This sounds like common sense to me
Spud
But It dosn't say how many people make a large group or a small group.