You are approaching a zebra crossing marked with black-and-white stripes and flanked by flashing amber globes on posts. A pedestrian is standing at the kerb waiting to cross, and the zigzag lines painted on the road before the crossing are clear of any vehicles. What must you do?
- Continue at your normal speed, since a zebra crossing gives pedestrians no priority until a police officer or crossing patrol signals you to stop
- Stop and wait immediately, because the flashing beacons alone create a strict legal duty to halt whenever a pedestrian is anywhere near the crossing, whether waiting or not
- Slow down and be ready to stop for the pedestrian: Rule 195 advises giving way to a pedestrian who is waiting, and you are legally required to give way once they step onto the crossing
- Sound your horn to prompt the pedestrian to cross before you arrive, then proceed once they have started moving
Why C? And why not the others?
Correct answer: C. Slow down and be ready to stop for the pedestrian: Rule 195 advises giving way to a pedestrian who is waiting, and you are legally required to give way once they step onto the crossing
A zebra crossing is uncontrolled, meaning there is no traffic light sequence, so drivers themselves must judge pedestrian behaviour under Rule 195, which advises slowing down and being ready to stop, and advises giving way to a pedestrian who is waiting at the kerb, while making it a strict legal requirement to give way once a pedestrian has actually moved onto the crossing. Continuing at normal speed is wrong because it ignores the driver's duty to be ready to slow or stop for a waiting pedestrian and misstates the crossing as needing an officer's signal, when its whole design is to let pedestrians cross without one. Claiming the beacons alone create an absolute duty to stop for anyone merely near the crossing overstates the rule, since the firm legal duty only crystallises once a pedestrian has stepped onto the crossing itself. Sounding the horn to hurry the pedestrian across is also wrong, since the Highway Code specifically warns against using a horn or flashing lights to invite pedestrians to cross, as this can be dangerous if another vehicle is approaching.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 195 (zebra and parallel crossings, GOV.UK)