Here is an 'easy guide' to being a pedestrian in Italy.

You have probably all heard of the RAC


Most countries have an 'automobile club'....but in Italy being a member of the 'RAC' means you belong to the Ratty Antelope Club.

Of course crossings are provided for pedestrian members of the public to be seen by motorists before they attempt to cross on one of these

....and have you noticed many places are now painting such crossings with red paint. I wonder why?

There are even specific road signs to enable members to identify the safest way to cross Italian streets..


And when you've mastered all of this and understand your role within the 'Drivers Sporting Pastimes' then you will be awarded one of these badges to put up in YOUR road identifying you as an honorary member of the Ratty Antelope Club!



And before anyone gets upset it's all just a bit of


Carole B.

Now I understand why some are painted red (blood red).

Don't you know that according to the law pedestrians have the right of way. Recently went to Switzerland - they are so courtious some actually stopped before we even got to the curb to cross.

I was told when I arrived in Italy that by law drivers do not have to stop at pedestrian crossings. Does anyone have a definitive answer on this? Maybe someone who just took the test?

I never take any chances I wait until I know the cars are stopped before I cross and I hold onto the dog extra tight at crosswalks.

A friend of mines 75 year old mom was hit in a crosswalk. She was crossing the street, a one way street, when the guy in the car tries to ease into a parking space going the wrong way. Needless to say she only looked in the direction that the cars are SUPPOSED to come from and was hit by someone one going the WRONG way in a one way. You really can't win. I would be very careful.

Kerrie, probably the person who told you that is one of those who don't stop at pedestrian stops. At pedestrian stops we pedestrians enjoy the precedence right, or at last we are supposed to enjoy it, since many drivers don't know that they are supposed to stop for us.

Pedestrians DO have the right of way at marked crosswalks, but if you hesitate, all will be lost.

In my experience, you need to begin crossing the street while keeping direct eye contact with the driver(s). They KNOW you have the right of way, but if you don't act as if you know it too, they'll just continue on. You don't have to be foolish or agressive about it, just assertive.

I asked an Italian friend if you need to stop at a pedestrian crossing. 'Only if you hit someone' was his cynical reply! IMO you treat all crossings as if they weren't there and it is probably best to find a place where there isn't one as there is no doubt who has right of way then.

Love it! In New York, pedestrians walk (green light, red light, yellow light) and cars maneuver around them. In Italy, I've never been quite that brave.

I just came off the test.. OF COURSE you are supposed to stop for pedestrians! (But you don't have to stop at the crossings if there is no-one there!)

For the patente a punti:

You can lose 2 points for not giving the right of way to pedestrians outside the crosswalk.

You can lose 5 points for not giving the right of way to pedestrians INside the crosswalk.

You can lose 5 points for not giving the right of way to children, elderly or handicapped folks, even if outside the crosswalk.

P.S. Of course, "giving way" depends on what you are used to.. some places I've driven in the US the people get mad if you don't come to a dead stop at least 20 yards away from them. In Rome or Naples basically anything goes as long as you don't run over someone's foot.

quote:

Originally posted by kerry:
I was told when I arrived in Italy that by law drivers do not have to stop at pedestrian crossings. Does anyone have a definitive answer on this? Maybe someone who just took the test?

That's bull. Yes you must stop. And if you see someone else stop to let pedestrians cross, don't pass!

In reality, when I do stop, people stand looking at me in fear. I smile and wave for them to cross, but still they hesitate. After half a minute or so they tentatively stick a foot out into the carriageway. Emboldened by the success of this move, they dart across as if fleeing a falling bomb. I think it's beaten into them as children and they can't shake the phobia. The motorists, similarly beaten as children, know better than to even slow down at the crosswalk.

In the UK you aren't allowed to proceed until the person has completely cleared the crossing. People have been prosecuted in such cases.

Here I just go confidently into the traffic on the basis that they don't want to dent their precious cars. Often I have a strategically placed shopping bag which I am prepared to sacrifice if necessary. I _am_ very careful of dozy drivers who are using their mobile phones.

Please note also that pedestrian HAVE TO cross the street on the crossing if they are within' 50 m.
This means "no zebra crossing" (as my NY city guide suggest - "when you are in NY do it like newyorkers do"), no bike crossing.
In these case I never stop, except when the pedestrian is in danger.

The one case when it's legal to pass outside a pedestrian passing is when the zebras are more than 100 or 200 (can't remeber which) meters away.

If the zebras want to cross, I'll let them, especially if there are a 100 of them....

LOL! I suppose I hit a false friend! ^_^

Alice,

Not a false friend (you mean a word that sounds the same in both languages but has different meanings, right?) - we sometimes call those crosswalks "zebras" as well. Just a funny coincidence and a clever capitalization on that coincidence by suefischio.

Cute, Sue!

In the UK they're called 'zebra crossings' too - it's just the thought that the beginning of Alice's sentence conjured up. :-)

At home we call them "zebre" ^_^ Its not Italian, it's a family lexicon.

My friend was knocked down on a pedestrian crossing too (in Naples...).
After years of living here I am getting better at crossing the road, but at he beginning it used to take me forever to get to the other side!
Now I know that you just have to walk out and hope for the best. And I've also learnt that there is not much point looking for a pedestrian crossing to use.

The local physio centre has loads of patients that are recovering after being hit on zebra crossings! We're all rather jealous as they get loads of money off the insurance ....

quote:

Originally posted by AliceTwain:
At home we call them "zebre" ^_^ Its not Italian, it's a family lexicon.

To me it's a similitude (figura retorica), I have heard "zebre", too.

Just a few 'totally useless' bits of British driving and road information.....

1951 Zebra Crossings introduced - the first one is in Slough

1956 The Institute of Advanced Motorists introduced the Advanced Driving Test

1958 Britain's first motorway, The Preston by-pass opens. Costing £4m to build and 8.5 miles in length, it is now part of the M6
*Parking meters introduced. The first were installed outside the American Embassy in London on 10 July

1959 The BMC Mini goes on sale, price of £500
*M1 motorway is opened by Ernest Marples, the Minister of Transport on 2 November. The first section ran for 72 miles from St Albans to Birmingham and cost £50M to build (£10 for every car on Britain's roads!).
*Double white lines introduced as road dividers.
*Number of cars on British roads exceeds five million

1960 MOT test introduced for vehicles over 10 years old covering brakes, lights and steering

1961 Highway Code revised.
*10 million vehicles on British roads and 350,000 casualties in total
*E Type Jaguar launched

1962
Panda Crossings introduced (a forerunner to the Pelican crossing, a traffic-light controlled crossing with pedestrian push-button actuation)
*Valid MOT (Ministry of Transport) certificate now needed in order to obtain tax disc (Road Fund licence).

All of these innovations were over 40 years ago - so where were the Italian legislators then? They still either don't have, or ignore, many of these!

Carole B.

quote:

1960 MOT test introduced for vehicles over 10 years old covering brakes, lights and steering

And now, to add some more infomation for the Italian legislators the MOT is required every year for cars from the 3rd year.

Our driving theory manual calls the striped areas in general zebratura. But this isn't only for attraversamenti pedonale, but at the ends of traffic islands, to simulate traffic islands at intersections, all kinds of stuff.