Pedestrian emerging from a gap in a traffic queue
Look at the picture, read the situation, and mark each of the three statements true (○) or false (✕). All three right scores 2 points.
You are driving in the right lane at 40 km/h, and the left lane is backed up with traffic. A pedestrian is about to come out into the right lane through a gap in the line of stopped vehicles. Answer true or false for each of the following.
- (1)Your own lane is clear, so you pass at the same speed.
- (2)A pedestrian might come out through a gap in the line of traffic, so you slow down as you pass.
- (3)Nobody would come out of a lane that is backed up, so you speed up and pass.
Show the answers and explanation
- (1) ✕ FalseYour own lane is clear, so you pass at the same speed.
- (2) ○ TrueA pedestrian might come out through a gap in the line of traffic, so you slow down as you pass.
- (3) ✕ FalseNobody would come out of a lane that is backed up, so you speed up and pass.
Explanation
A pedestrian darting out through a gap in a line of congested traffic is a classic hazard scene (Rules of the Road (kyōsoku), Ch. 5, Sec. 3, 2(5)). Even when your own lane is clear, slow down in case someone comes out of a gap. The basic principle is to protect pedestrians at all times.
Source: Rules of the Road (kyōsoku), Ch. 5, Sec. 3, 2(5) (gaps in a line of congested traffic) / Rules of the Road, Ch. 5, Sec. 3, 1(1) (protecting pedestrians)
