Another Peds question!

[martine]

So negotiating central Bristol tonight's rush-hour (Park Row for the locals) and I approached a runner in the road, dark clothes and no high-viz and merrily running along the gutter/cycle-lane forcing the stream of busy traffic to overtake.

Apart from being flippin' stupid, was he doing anything illegal in using the highway as a running track?

[Stephen]

Quick answer NO

[Gareth]

I don't know if it is illegal but it is certainly contrary to the Highway Code on a number of points, both in terms of the spirit of the rules and the letter.

[7db]

I'm just going to observe this verb with this modifier:-

"forcing....overtake"

[Gareth]

If you're being nit-picky may I join in?

busy traffic

[ExadiNigel]

A couple of years ago I very nearly ran down a jogger. He was wearing dark clothing (at night) and "appeared" coming towards me from around a left bend (typical country road).

Now, I don't know if there is an issue with highway code training in schools but there appears to be many pedestrians that don't seem to follow the given advice. Yeah, great, many do walk approaching oncoming traffic, but they stay on that side whichever way the bend is going - I was always taught to walk on the outside of a bend - the advice is still in the HC but I don't often see it practised.

Maybe it's down to more people having cars and so not needing to walk on the country roads these days.

Nigel