Pedestrians in Car Parks

[Yellow_Festiva]

I always give way to pedestrians in the car park but when they decide to cross the path of traffic by attacking at a 15 degree angle all I see is a target on their back.....

[zilo]

Pedestrians in car parks are obliged to use designated footpaths.

However without a designated walkway pedestrians become just another road user (same as a cyclist).

Right of way rules then apply as with vehicles.

[Franco Cozzo]

I like the reference to privately owned car parks and the gray area with road rules may or may not apply

I own 4 cars and all are on full rego, these are my private roads!





In all seriousness when ever you are turning give way to pedestrians, and in the case of shopping centers and districts, most of the time you gotta go slow anyway because there is people all over the place.

Doesn't take that much out of your day just to stop and let some people cross the roads, admittedly I'm not too keen on stopping if someone tries to cross the highway for some odd reason but around town in the shopping areas, meh who cares.

Christmas time at shopping centers brings out the worst in humanity

[aussiblue]

Pedestrians are soft targets and need to be given all care and courtesy noting that even if you only put them in a wheelchair today's research shows you may still kill them eventually. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1119211429.htm

An investigation into how often wheelchair users are killed in car-pedestrian crashes finds they are a third more likely to die than non-wheelchair users; more than half of those deaths occur at intersections.

[Gothefalcon]

A "privately owned carpark". is still a public roadway where the road rules apply. It is usually covered by the Transport Minister's act/specification in each given State/Territory.

In S.A. (and probably other States etc) carparks are considered shared zones (if there is a sign there or not) and vehicles must give way to pedestrians at all times. There aren't many signs at the entry to carparks to state this.. but it used to be something you were taught when you got your licence (dunno if they still do or not !?)

There's no sign at the end of my driveway telling me I'm about to enter a road either... but I already know that's where the road rules start.

Personally... I don't blindly walk out in front of a moving vehicle in carparks (or anywhere else) "just because I have right of way"... but equally... I don't feel I should have to run out of the way, when I'm half way across the roadway in the carpark... just because a car turns up.

Despite what the rules say.. common sense and courtesy should play a part in carparks... for both drivers and pedestrians. Unfortunately... both of these things seem to be in short supply these days

Places like Bunnings and Westfield etc paint zebra crossings and areas outside of the main entrance as part of their "duty of care"... but that doesn't relieve anyone from obeying the "normal" road rules in the rest of the carpark.

D

[Feathers]

I'll stop and let people cross, not because I don't want to hurt them, but because I don't want my car damaged by them landing on it.

Otherwise, generally I will give way/steer clear of anything bigger than I am, because I know who is going to come off second best if I tangle with them, regardless of if I have right of way or not.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Feathers

Otherwise, generally I will give way/steer clear of anything bigger than I am, because I know who is going to come off second best if I tangle with them, regardless of if I have right of way or not.

Reminds me of my driving instructor (which funnily enough is the same dude who taught my old man how to drive too a bazillion years ago).

I was cruising down the Calder Freeway in the left lane at 110km/h, other people were merging onto the freeway so I moved across to the right lane to let them all in without anyone having to brake/accelerate etc.

Driving instructor went ballistic, yelling that it was their responsibility to merge in with me and I shouldn't have moved over.

Anyways, next merge ramp, Semi is coming onto the freeway, and as per his previous instructions I decided I'd just chill next to it while it was in the merge lane and the driving instructor got uneasy then asked me to move over to the right lane to let him on

Apparently that situation was different

I just drive the way I want to drive, let people onto the freeway by accelerating/slowing down or moving over to let them on, more people did this sharing the road with everyone else would be much nicer

[Blue Shadow]

Car parks are shared zones, and if there is an incident it's mostly a dogfight in court and cases turnout to be frustrated and no verdict handed down. My opinion is Some pedestrians are like bike riders and think that for the drivers driving on the road it is a privilege even tho they pay for it

[CyberWasp]

It all makes sense now.....pedestrians....here I was all these years thinking that they put too many speed bumps in car parks.

[Harrison]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2x7gHxQYYE

[Express]

As a pedestrian cars hurt.

As a driver I like to keep the contents of my wallet for my own enjoyment.

I’m happy to give way if I’m driving or walking as it only takes a moment and the alternatives can be a loss of a lot of time, money and mobility.

As adults we should be encouraged to make a common sense decision and give way appropriately.

It's a shame the lowest common denominator doesn't get it.

[Express]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Christmas time at shopping centers brings out the worst in humanity

Yeah he missed one.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by Express

Yeah he missed one.

At least it wasn't a 7-10 split.

[Uncle_Ken]

Looks like a strike.
UK
It does show that bikes on a bike way is a safer option.

[Xauterus]

Originally Posted by Uncle_Ken

Looks like a strike.
UK
It does show that bikes on a bike way is a safer option.

How does it show that? I can't see a bike way that they could have used in that photo.

[thefargo]

I agree with what has been said, but what hasn't been said is how much fun it is to walk in front of a cyclist in a carpark!

[olfella]

Originally Posted by thefargo

I agree with what has been said, but what hasn't been said is how much fun it is to walk in front of a cyclist in a carpark!

Especially one of those fancy ones that uses cleats to lock their feet into the pedals...

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

These days pedestrians always seem to walk behind the car when I'm parking or reversing in or out of a car space. I was brought up to always wait for cars to pass. But its the opposite these days.

And that's why I fitted reversing sensors to our Triton with the canopy...an dual cab with a canopy is pretty hard to see out the back of. I can't count the number of times I've mirror and head checked for cars and pedestrians, and just started to reverse out of a shopping center car park and heard it suddenly start beeping. Hit the brakes, and look behind to see, as you describe, some numptie just happily wandering behind an obviously reversing vehicle.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by NAK302

i've never understood why an average 85kg person would blindly walk out into the path of something weighing around 2 tonnes with a velocity of 20km/h (sometimes way more) with an arrogant Aussie operating it.
in my view, at any shopping centre anywhere, that 2 tonne machine with said operator can have ALL the right of way.

Usually because the pedestrian is just as arrogant.

There are those people you see around pubs that will look at traffic coming down the road at 50+km/h and will walk out in front of them making the traffic stop. If the traffic is a little further away they will slow their walking pace once on the road just to force traffic to slow for them. I'm not talking about at crossings, lights or intersections. Just random parts of the road.
These are the same people who try to subtlety get a shoulder into you when walking past you in the pub just in an attempt to cause problems.

[Pis-ton broke]

Originally Posted by CoupeKing

Pedestrians are convinced they have right of way, even when they don't. Some also think that walking on a crossing is some force field that will prevent them from getting trapped under hot exhaust pipes.

im sick of poeple/kids doing this to me, its very dangerous.

what ever happened to the pedestrian to wait for the car to spot you and slowing down, but no, 3/5 metres the car is out from the crossing, and somebody races out.

to top it off, the other day a guy caring a baby did this, and he wasnt stopping for me, i was furious, bloody idiot. im driving a landcrusier which weighs 2.8t with trade tools ,two tanks of fuel. i had to jump on the brakes.

im happy to stop for people, but pedestrians should wise up.

i can understand how people get hit.

theres no quer for stupid.

[Pis-ton broke]

did anyone hear about the guy that was crossing and was hit by two cars on the sydney motorway m2 last week. guess they didnt stop for him.

[Express]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

did anyone hear about the guy that was crossing and was hit by two cars on the sydney motorway m2 last week. guess they didnt stop for him.

Yeah but that wasn't his fault, just sayin'.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Ben73

Usually because the pedestrian is just as arrogant.

There are those people you see around pubs that will look at traffic coming down the road at 50+km/h and will walk out in front of them making the traffic stop. If the traffic is a little further away they will slow their walking pace once on the road just to force traffic to slow for them. I'm not talking about at crossings, lights or intersections. Just random parts of the road.
These are the same people who try to subtlety get a shoulder into you when walking past you in the pub just in an attempt to cause problems.

No, the arrogant ones don't even look at you approaching. They know you're there but they keep looking straight ahead as they make their way across the road at a leisurely pace. Most times they are only a short distance, but away, from a pedestrian crossing.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

I'm sure the carparks I go to dont have shared zone signs.

I appreciate there is no sign, but isn't it obvious?

[theBlake]

I don't know if it's because I am getting old, but I find massive car parks bewildering. Looking for a spot, an exit, and people In any direction. I have lost count of the filthy looks I am getting when I nearly cleaned someone up.

And pedestrian crossings in shopping centres are a pain in the ****. Apart from people, just jumping out without even looking, it's the casual way people cross, making no attempt to make haste so there is a gap the traffic can pass through. If it's me walking, if I notice a car has been stuck a while I wave him on, if I have been a bit tardy approachingthe crossing.

[aussiblue]

Just remember a pedestrian only has to indicate their intention to cross by having a foot off the kerb at a marked crossing or intersection (where turning traffic must give way to them) for you to be required to stop and if you kill or seriously injure them it's usually jail time. Even hitting them is usually loss of licence.

It's also a mistake to assume that pedestrians have perfect hearing (they may not hear your horn/ engine etc) or 20/20 vision (with grey and silver cars so popular even those with 20/20 vision may have trouble seeing such vehicles against a grey sky etc); the aged and/or disabled are entitled to be walking around too.

The world has changed for the worse I fear; when I started driving you went out of your way to stop for all pedestrians. Now everyone seems to be in a rush and have high blood pressure/impatience. Even a lot of the oldies that grew up with me seemed to have grown grumpy and impatient in their dotage. Let's all calm down, be friendly and especially courteous to those walking and go out of our way to give way to pedestrians.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

theres no quer for stupid.

Man, I hope you wrote like that on purpose.

[LTDHO]

Common sense applies, sadly most people lack this.

Think of who will be worse off (not who is at fault) should a car come in contact with a pedestrian.

[whynot]

My interpretation of the various regulations is that pedestrians have right of way in car parks. That said, when I am a pedestrian in a car park, I consider that in reality the “law of the jungle.” Particularly when it comes to soccer mums behind the wheel of a 4WD with a bulbar and a baby capsule in the back: they seem to have no regards for others on the road. Move the head like it is on a swivel stick and watch out for everyone.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by whynot

My interpretation of the various regulations is that pedestrians have right of way in car parks. That said, when I am a pedestrian in a car park, I consider that in reality the “law of the jungle.” Particularly when it comes to soccer mums behind the wheel of a 4WD with a bulbar and a baby capsule in the back: they seem to have no regards for others on the road.

Also usually with 'My Family' stickers on the back