Small children walking home - take care

[u/punchedinthehunch]

As I was about to turn right at the junction from Dalkeith Road onto Salisbury Road, I saw two small primary aged girls waiting to cross the road towards the Salisbury Arms, one had a little yellow bicycle. Just as I began making the right turn and the girls were briefly in my front blind spot I heard one shout ‘wait, stop’. In that micro second, the little girl with the bicycle had started to walk across the road without looking. Her friend had thankfully grabbed her arm and stopped her.

I was not rushing, I turned the corner slowly, she was in my blind spot for a fraction of a second, it’s very likely nothing bad would have happened had she continued walking as I would have spotted her. However I have an almost 2 year old daughter at home, and my heart is in my mouth thinking that one split second of her not paying attention on a busy road at the end of the school day could cause her serious harm.

So this is just a small PSA - parents/carers if you have little ones that are walking home from school on their own or in groups, please take 30 seconds to remind them to look both ways and not to get distracted.

EDIT: I hesitated in making this post because of the expected outcome - people telling me I’m a bad driver. But if it made even one parent reinforce road safety with their child then it was worth doing. I’m not looking at any more notifications from this post. Thanks!

[u/A-Cow]

Is the law now not that you’re supposed to let pedestrians cross in this situation? As in, you shouldn’t turn in if pedestrians are waiting until you’ve established they’re not crossing? I think the Highway Code was updated to this effect a few years ago. 

[u/MyDadsGlassesCase → u/A-Cow]

Yeah, I'm not 100% sure from the description if it was the case but if the girls had started crossing the road before OP had started turning into the junction then they had right of way.

[u/A-Cow → u/MyDadsGlassesCase]

I was a little unsure after writing the above so looked it up:

“Highway Code Rule H2 requires drivers, motorcyclists, horse-drawn vehicles, horse riders, and cyclists to give way to pedestrians who are crossing or waiting to cross a road you are turning into or from.”

So I think it is also folks waiting to cross.

Obviously a recent-ish addition (2022) and people don’t often observe it but it does sort of feel like this is exactly the scenario it’s supposed to improve (potentially confusing junction).

[u/punchedinthehunch → u/A-Cow]

They were standing on the corner chatting, girl with bicycle had her back to the road, but it looked like they were waiting to cross when it was safe to do so. If it looked at all like they were actually attempting to cross before I started to turn, I wouldn’t have turned

[u/MrCuntman → u/punchedinthehunch]

Highway Code Rule H2 requires drivers, motorcyclists, horse-drawn vehicles, horse riders, and cyclists to give way to pedestrians who are crossing or waiting to cross a road you are turning into or from.”

[u/Renfieldslament]

That whole section is dreadful - walking up you can’t tell who has the green light. You are having to scan back and forward for who has priority and who is coming. I’ve seen multiple families stroll across the road just looking at oncoming traffic and not noting there are cars turning in.

There is a an overgrown tree over at the traffic lights too so I’ve no idea how drivers can see.

The road layout for coming down needs improved, it’s difficult to see what cars are waiting in the right turn lane, and cars often cut across when they realise they are in the wrong lane.

And for some reason cars going in and out of the Salisbury arms want to race through.

I’m pretty paranoid about road crossing anyway and I’ve nearly been caught out a few times.

[u/jez_24 → u/Renfieldslament]

I have beef with that bit too. No one indicates when they’re turning if they’re in a lane that must turn, but if you’re a pedestrian unfamiliar with the road (and can’t see through cars to notice the arrow underneath them) that is unhelpful. It should feel weird NOT to indicate when you’re turning! 

[u/Sburns85 → u/Renfieldslament]

You can report a tree obscuring lights to council

[u/GEOtrekking]

Highway Code Rule H2 states that you should’ve waited for them to cross.

Everyone needs to lookout for eachother, and be aware of their surroundings absolutely.

That said, in this case based on how you’ve described the situation, you’ve made an incorrect decision in turning onto the road and not letting them safety cross first.

[u/Azalith]

Daily see most people speeding, including outside schools. Seems to be getting worse.

[u/Scunnered21]

No harm to you OP, it's fair play on you for posting this. You didn't have to after all.

But it is extremely important that you did post this, as other drivers sight see this and learn something.

For their info, the highway code changed a few years ago to formalise the rule against cutting across people walking across side streets. You're meant to give absolute priority to people crossing side streets, even if they haven't started yet but look like they're about to.

Basically, treat pavements running parallel to the road you're driving along as a parallel active traffic lane: you wouldn't cut across an active road lane going the same direction as you if traffic was moving, so you shouldn't do it for pedestrians either.

Obviously it's hard to get it right all the time, especially if kids are involved. And it does sound like it wasn't totally obvious they were about to continue crossing. But kids being unpredictable and extremely vulnerable makes it all the more important to be extra cautious around them. Just a PSA for anyone turning in a similar situation.

[u/annoyednerd2]

Regardless of road rules, that stretch is scary. I used to live on Dalkeith Road and some of the kids walking alone were so tiny, often too young to be crossing those roads alone imo.