When do pedestrians have right of way in Australia?
How does the pedestrians right of way law work in Darwin (NT) and other cities in Australia?
When do pedestrians have the right of way?
Is it not common courtesy to offer pedestrians the right of way even though it may not be a law in a specific city/state?
Best Answer
NT's Road Users Handbook specifically says
As a driver, you are legally required to give way to pedestrians at crossings and when entering or leaving a driveway. However, you should always be prepared to stop for pedestrians.
This is generally the minimum standard across Australia, e.g. in NSW pedestrians always have right of way:
Drivers must always give way to pedestrians if there is danger of colliding with them, however pedestrians should not rely on this and should take great care when crossing any road.
However some areas have signs that preclude these rights, e.g. Mackay has signs in their CBD indicating that pedestrians do not have right of way. This doesn't mean cars will hit you but as a frequent pedestrian I find it better to not get hit rather than argue over who had right of way - common courtesy is not necessarily common, though if you are waiting patiently on the side of the road to cross, many drivers will wave you across... and some won't.
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Do pedestrians have the right of way in Australia?
Drivers must always give way to pedestrians if there is danger of colliding with them, however pedestrians should not rely on this and should take great care when crossing any road. This statement is not supported by any road rule or other law.Is it a pedestrians right of way?
Drivers and riders should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross and MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing (see Rule H2). Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped.Does the pedestrian walkway grant right of way?
A pedestrian has the right of way whenever a traffic signal shows a steady \u201cWalk\u201d or a walking person. A pedestrian must not cross if the phrase \u201cDon't Walk\u201d or the upraised hand is flashing, even when crossing signals display a countdown showing remaining time left to cross.Do you have to wait for a pedestrian to completely cross the street Qld?
When driving or riding in Queensland, you must: give way to pedestrians on or entering children's, pedestrian or marked foot crossings. give way to pedestrians on or entering a road you're turning into. give way to pedestrians in a shared zone or slip lane.When do pedestrians have the right of way?
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Answer 2
The ABC has a good write up of it on their blog site
They point out that despite the laws, common sense should always prevail - just because a car has the right of way, does not mean he should drive into that pedestrian walking in front of him, and pedestrians should do everything in their power not to be an obstruction to traffic.
In regards to right of way:
In general, drivers are required by law to give way to pedestrians in the following situations:
· At pedestrian crossings and in shared zones.
· When the driver is entering or leaving the road. For example: when driving into or out of your driveway at home you must give way to pedestrians on the footpath.
· When the driver is turning left or right at an intersection the driver must give way to any pedestrian at or near the intersection who is crossing the road the driver is entering. This provision does not appear to apply to roundabouts, perversely.
· When the driver is doing a U-turn.
· When turning left in a slip lane the driver must give way to any pedestrian on the slip lane.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Jens Johnsson, Kelly, Dids, Maria Orlova