I've written about mistakes before. Mistakes are as forgivable as they are inevitable. Indeed, they are a necessary part of learning.
What is harder to forgive is arrogance. The kind of arrogance that makes some people think it's ok to speed, overtake cyclists leaving very little clearance and then breeze over a zebra crossing where someone is clearly waiting to cross.
Here's what we should as you approach a zebra crossing:
Look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them cross.
You MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing.
Allow more time for stopping on wet or icy roads.
Do not wave or use your horn to invite pedestrians across; this could be dangerous if another vehicle is approaching.
Be aware of pedestrians approaching from the side of the crossing.
Do you see the basic error here? The bit about being ready to slow down and let people cross? The mum with her child in the pram waiting at the crossing, in view for a full 4 seconds? Take a look, that's about the time when he's too busy accelerating past those cyclists to bother to look ahead. Well, he must be a very important man, we'll call him Dick. Oh, and the cyclists, the Highway Code (remember that?), it applies to you too. They must be called Richard too. Sure are a lot of Dicks about today.
What is harder to forgive is arrogance. The kind of arrogance that makes some people think it's ok to speed, overtake cyclists leaving very little clearance and then breeze over a zebra crossing where someone is clearly waiting to cross.
Here's what we should as you approach a zebra crossing:
Look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them cross.
You MUST give way when a pedestrian has moved onto a crossing.
Allow more time for stopping on wet or icy roads.
Do not wave or use your horn to invite pedestrians across; this could be dangerous if another vehicle is approaching.
Be aware of pedestrians approaching from the side of the crossing.
Do you see the basic error here? The bit about being ready to slow down and let people cross? The mum with her child in the pram waiting at the crossing, in view for a full 4 seconds? Take a look, that's about the time when he's too busy accelerating past those cyclists to bother to look ahead. Well, he must be a very important man, we'll call him Dick. Oh, and the cyclists, the Highway Code (remember that?), it applies to you too. They must be called Richard too. Sure are a lot of Dicks about today.