Chapter 7 - part 4 - the pedestrian crossing

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Reference articles from the legislation in force

OUG = GOVERNMENT EMERGENCY ORDINANCE no. 195 of December 12, 2002 (Road Traffic Code)
Regulation = REGULATION for the implementation of OUG 195/2002 (Road Traffic Code Regulation)

OUG - Article 72

(2) Pedestrians have priority of passage over the drivers of vehicles only when they are engaged in crossing public roads through specially designated places, marked and signalled accordingly, or at the green colour of the traffic light intended for pedestrians.

(3) The crossing of the public road by pedestrians is done perpendicular to its axis, only through the specially designated and signalled places, and in the absence of these, in the urban area, at the corner of the street, only after they have made sure that they can do it without danger for themselves and for the other participants in traffic.

(4) Pedestrians surprised and injured as a result of crossing through forbidden places, at the red colour of the traffic light intended for them, or of not respecting other obligations established by the traffic rules bear the entire responsibility for their injury, provided that the driver of the respective vehicle has respected the legal provisions regarding the traffic through that sector.

 

Regulation - Article 123

The driver of the vehicle is obliged to drive with a speed that does not exceed 30 km/h in the urban area or 50 km/h outside built-up area, in the following situations:

h) at pedestrian crossings without traffic lights, signalled by signs and markings, when the public road has at most one lane per direction, and pedestrians on the sidewalk, in the immediate vicinity of the carriageway, intend to engage in crossing;

Regulation - Article 135

The driver of the vehicle is obliged to give priority also in the following situations:

h) to the pedestrian who crosses the public road, through a specially designated place, marked and signalled accordingly or at the green colour of the traffic light intended for him, when he is on the direction of travel of the vehicle.

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If you cannot/do not want to watch the AUDIO-VIDEO version of the course, you can read the text version illustrated with images.

Text version Chapter  7 - part 4 - the pedestrian crossing

SPECIAL PLACES AND SITUATIONS

THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING

The pedestrian crossing is the specially designated place for the crossing of the carriageway by pedestrians, signalled and marked accordingly.

It is pre-signalled with the warning sign “Pre-signalling pedestrian crossing”

It is installed at 50 - 200 meters, in the urban area as well as outside it, before the pedestrian crossings on the heavily trafficked roads or when the observation of the pedestrian crossing can become difficult due to the lack of visibility.

When encountering it you will drive with attention in order to be able to reduce the speed and eventually to stop if necessary, at the pedestrian crossing ahead.

It is signalled with the sign “Pedestrian crossing”

This sign, signalling a pedestrian crossing, creates obligations for the driver of the vehicle who encounters it, depending on the type of pedestrian crossing and on the number of lanes available on the respective road sector.

The maneuvers of stopping, waiting, U-turn and moving in reverse are prohibited at less than 25 meters before and after the pedestrian crossing.

The overtaking maneuver is prohibited only on the pedestrian crossing.

Obligations at the pedestrian crossing without traffic lights

(art. 123 letter h and art. 135 letter h of the Regulation).

At pedestrian crossings without traffic lights, but signalled accordingly, when the road has a single traffic lane for each direction, proceed as follows:

• when there are no pedestrians near the pedestrian crossing, you will drive with increased attention without having the obligation to reduce the travel speed.

• when pedestrians are in the immediate vicinity of the pedestrian crossing, you have the obligation to reduce the travel speed to 30 km/h in the urban area and 50 km/h outside built-up area, in order to be able to stop safely if the pedestrians engage in crossing.

• and when they engage in crossing the road, besides the obligation to reduce the travel speed to the legal limit, you have the obligation to give priority to pedestrians, when they are on your direction of travel.

At pedestrian crossings without traffic lights, but signalled accordingly, when the road has two or more traffic lanes for each direction, proceed as follows:

• even if there are or are not pedestrians near the pedestrian crossing, you will drive with increased attention without having the obligation to reduce the travel speed. The obligation to reduce the travel speed you have only when the road has a single traffic lane for each direction and pedestrians are near the pedestrian crossing;
• when pedestrians engage in crossing the road, you have the obligation to give priority to pedestrians, when they are on your direction of travel. For example in the situation in the image, pedestrian 1 is in the crossing of your direction of travel and you must give him priority of passage, pedestrian 2 is in the crossing of the opposite direction of travel and you must not give him priority, and pedestrian 3 intends to cross starting with the opposite direction of travel and you must not give him priority, as long as he is not in crossing on your direction of travel.

Obligations at the pedestrian crossing with traffic lights

• At pedestrian crossings with traffic lights, whether they are or not in intersections, reducing the travel speed is not mandatory and proceed as follows:
• At the red colour of the traffic light that is addressed to you, you stop and wait for the appearance of the green colour of the traffic light.
• At the green colour of the traffic light that is addressed to you:
  • if you move straight ahead, you do not have the obligation to reduce the travel speed but it is recommended to drive with increased attention.
  • if you turn left or right, it is possible to encounter pedestrians who cross the public road at the green colour of the traffic light that is addressed to them and you must give them priority of passage, when they are on your direction of travel.
• At the yellow colour intermittent of the traffic light that is addressed to you or if the traffic lights do not function, you will respect the obligations at pedestrian crossings without traffic lights.

OBLIGATIONS OF PEDESTRIANS:

Pedestrians have priority of passage over the drivers of vehicles only when they are engaged in crossing public roads through specially designated places, marked and signalled accordingly, or at the green colour of the traffic light intended for pedestrians (art. 72 paragraph 2 of OUG).

The crossing of the public road by pedestrians is done perpendicular to its axis, only through the specially designated and signalled places. In the absence of pedestrian crossings, in the urban area, they can cross at the corner of the street, only after they have made sure that they can do it without danger for themselves and for the other participants in traffic (art. 72 paragraph 3 of OUG). The driver of the vehicle has no obligation regarding pedestrians who cross at the corner of the street, but in the spirit of preventive driving, and considering that an intersection without pedestrian crossings follows, it is recommended to increase attention and reduce speed.

Pedestrians surprised and injured as a result of crossing through forbidden places, at the red colour of the traffic light intended for them, or of not respecting other obligations established by the traffic rules bear the entire responsibility for their injury, provided that the driver of the respective vehicle has respected the legal provisions regarding the traffic through that sector (art. 72 paragraph 4 of OUG).