Concerns raised over who has priority on roads
WHILE many Guernsey Road Users Network members have welcomed changes to the Highway Code, concerns have been raised.
The major fear is that people will be confused by who has priority, particularly where it comes to pedestrians looking to cross at a junction.
The changed rule states: ‘At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.’
But Grun’s HGV representative Shaun Staples was concerned that this could cause confusion and lead to near misses and misunderstanding.
‘Normally anybody wanting to cross at a junction would wait to be signalled by the vehicle stopping,’ he said.
‘My fear is pedestrians will see a gap and start to cross before the vehicle has noticed them.’
However, Grun chairwoman Jennifer Merrett pointed out that the long-running Green Cross Code, aimed at pedestrians and popularised from the mid-1970s to 1990 by a series of TV adverts featuring Green Cross Man, is still applicable and people must ‘stop, look and listen’ before crossing.
There is also concern that some of the changes, such as those involving passing space, might be difficult to implement due to the island’s many narrow roads. ‘From the motorist point of view, we would like to stress the importance that all persons using the roads read the amendments that have been made to the Highway Code and understand how this affects them depending on the forms of transport they use, as they may switch between different modes, and this means they have different responsibilities,’ said Rob Cornelius from the Guernsey Motor Trades Association.
