Mayow road/Sydenham road crossing.

[Rachael]

There is widespread ignorance on how pedestrian crossings work. Many people do not realise, for example, that where the crossing is divided by a central reservation it is two seperate crossings.

Why, have they changed the law there as well? A crossing is still one crossing unless it's staggered, surely? (The definition of "staggered" being admittedly somewhat vague)

No change to the law. This was always the case.

Indeed. When I learned to drive nearly 30 years ago, I was taught that a crossing with an island in the middle is two crossings. You should give way to a pedestrian on the pavement on your side of the road, or already on the island heading to cross in front of you. You do not need to give way to a pedestrian on the far side of the road already on the road but not yet at the island.

[alywin]

True enough. But if it's a non-staggered pelican crossing and you've started to cross while the green man is showing you have a right to finish crossing all the way across, even if the green man is now red.

[JayB]

No change to the law. This was always the case.[/quote]
Exactly. I was taught this in 1988! Worrying that so many people don't know the highway code.

[John H]

True enough. But if it's a non-staggered pelican crossing and you've started to cross while the green man is showing you have a right to finish crossing all the way across, even if the green man is now red.

That is not a pedestrian crossing. It is a light controlled crossing. The lights govern.

[mosy]

True enough. But if it's a non-staggered pelican crossing and you've started to cross while the green man is showing you have a right to finish crossing all the way across, even if the green man is now red.

That is not a pedestrian crossing. It is a light controlled crossing. The lights govern.

John H, I think that's alywin's point, i.e. that on a pelican light controlled crossing, once you're on it with a green light, you'd be a sitting duck if you didn't have the right to finish crossing once the lights becomes red.

I'd have thought such pedestrian must still "own" the road, and just has to hope that drivers stopped or approaching are paying full attention - not just to the lights changing (whatever the rules say).

[JRobinson]

I think the rules are fairly clear.

if there is a central island it counts as two crossings. If it's staggered it counts as two crossings.

https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/rules-f ... sings.html