Vulnerable road users
Vulnerable road users include pedestrians, but also people who are blind or visually impaired, or people who have difficulty moving around.
Pedestrian crossing
As a driver at a pedestrian crossing (also called a zebra crossing) you are required to give way to pedestrians that are crossing or that are going to cross. You must also give way to drivers of disability vehicles that are crossing from one pavement or footpath to another via a pedestrian crossing. They then fall under the category pedestrians.
The pedestrian may go before the motorcyclist because the pedestrian is crossing via a pedestrian crossing.
In this case, the person in the disability vehicle falls under the pedestrians and may therefore go before the motorcyclist.
Clearly show that you plan to stop. Do not brake at the last second. Release the throttle in time and brake lightly. This way, you let traffic behind you know that you are about to brake and possibly stop.
If there are traffic lights at a pedestrian crossing, then the traffic lights take precedence over the road markings. In that case, pedestrians must wait when the light is red.
The blind and people who have difficulty moving around
If there is no pedestrian crossing, then you do not have to give way to a pedestrian wanting to cross the road. There are two exceptions to this:
- the blind or visually impaired, recognisable by a cane (white cane with two or more red rings);
- people who have difficulty moving around, recognisable by, for example, a walker, walking frame walking stick or crutches.
You must give way to these two groups if they want to cross, no matter where they want to do this. People in a wheelchair are not included in this exception. They do not fall under the term ‘people who have difficulty moving around’.
A person walking with crutches falls under the term ‘people who have difficulty moving around’ and may therefore go before the motorcyclist.
A person in a wheelchair does not fall under the term ‘people who have difficulty moving around’ and therefore does not go before the motorcyclist.
Entrance or exit construction
An entrance construction is the same as an exit construction. Which term you use depends on whether you enter or exit the construction.
Entrance and exit constructions are among other things, used at the start and end of an erf. But you can also find it at the entrance of a parking area. They are not always clearly recognisable. Most entrance and exit constructions are designed in a way where you must ride over the pavement to turn onto another road or parking lot. The paving slabs run through the entrance and exit construction.
The kerb is lowered at the height of the construction to make sure that you can easily ride over it.
At entrance or exit constructions, you must give way to all other traffic, including pedestrians. This applies to both entering as well as exiting the construction. Sometimes you want to cross this construction at the same time as another driver. For example, because the first driver wants to enter the construction and the other driver wants to exit the construction. Because most entrance and exit constructions are not that wide, you let the exiting driver go first.
Erf
End erf
Most erfs have an entrance and exit that is designed as an entrance or exit construction. In that case, you must give way to all other traffic when entering or exiting the erf. If the entrance and exit construction is missing, then the normal priority rules apply.
The rule that you must give way to all other traffic has therefore nothing to do with the erf itself, but only with the entrance and exit constructions.
The motorcyclist leaves an exit construction and must give way to all other traffic. The pedestrian and the cyclist may go first.
In this case, it is more reasonable for the exiting driver to go first. That way, you can enter the entrance more easily.