Is changing lanes allowed at a pedestrian crossing?

Changing lanes does not raise any questions for experienced drivers. When driving on the highway and in dense city traffic, maneuvers occur automatically. An unintentional or forced violation of traffic rules may result in a fine or a traffic accident. Avoiding problematic situations will allow mutual respect between traffic participants and an understanding of when there is no need to take risks.

What is rebuilding?

Changing lanes is a maneuver in which a car leaves a previously occupied lane while maintaining the direction of travel. It is carried out taking into account the markings on the highway, which causes difficulties for drivers in difficult weather conditions and on bad roads where there are no directional signs. A ban on changing lanes is established using demarcation stripes on the road surface:

Single continuous marking. Separates opposing flows and marks boundaries in dangerous places. In addition, it demarcates parking areas and areas for which entry is prohibited. Permanent solid stripes are marked with white paint, temporary stripes are marked with orange. To systematize the flow in one direction, a continuous line in the same direction is drawn on the road.
Double solid line. Traffic controller on a road with 4 or more lanes (for example, 2 on each side). Crossing it in order to change lanes or turn around in the wrong place creates a dangerous situation.
Single solid marking with a satellite - a dotted line on the left. Indicates areas where changing lanes is allowed only on one side.
Wide continuous stripe. Indicates the edge of the roadway.

Mutual lane change according to traffic rules

Mutual lane changes in sections of traffic rules are not considered separately, which means that they are carried out as prescribed in paragraphs 8.1 and 8.4. But there may also be nuances here:

The need to move two cars into one lane. If car A is moving from the far left through the center to the right, and at this time car B is maneuvering from the right to the middle, the driver must yield first.

Where can you change lanes and where is it prohibited?

Changing lanes causes anxiety among inexperienced drivers. However, there are situations where even an experienced motorist may doubt the correctness of actions. The main taboo on changing lanes is regulated by a solid line, which is found in tunnels, in the area of bridges, sharp turns and bends. To avoid causing an accident and losing your license, the driver must pay attention to the marking lines and know when he has the right of way.

In the tunnel

Throughout the tunnel, the road lanes are divided by solid lines, which vetoes lane changes. It operates on Russian highways and is explained by the difference in temperature conditions. During the cold season, it is warmer in the tunnel than outside. As a result, when driving from a cold area to a warm one, wheel traction deteriorates, which leads to emergency situations when trying to maneuver.

Before driving through the tunnel, motorists are advised to decide on their lane. If the opportunity is missed, you need to change lanes after leaving, when the solid markings are replaced by dotted lines.

On Bridge

The rules do not contain information about the prohibition of changing lanes from one lane to another while crossing bridges. However, overtaking is strictly prohibited. If the driver needs to change lanes, he can do this without subsequently returning to the original lane and only in those places where this is permitted by markings (there is no continuous line).

On the ring

When traveling in this area, motorists must follow the rules for driving around roundabouts. You can change lanes if there is no continuous line on the road. During the maneuver, you should give way to vehicles driving directly in the adjacent lane.

At the crossroads

Controlled and unregulated intersections are complex sections of the road. When changing lanes, you need to give way not only to cars, but also to pedestrians and cyclists who follow the intended path. The rules do not prohibit changing lanes when entering intersections, and experienced drivers make the maneuver in advance. If you need to change lanes in a difficult area, you should remember the priority of vehicles moving on the right.

Traffic regulations (clause 11.4) prohibit overtaking on such sections of roads. However, it is difficult to do without it when changing lanes, so the best option would be to move in advance to the lane you are interested in:

to move right/left – to the far right/left lane;
to continue straight movement - on any path, taking into account the traffic light arrows.

At a pedestrian crossing

The rules do not prohibit changing lanes in this place, however, overtaking is strictly prohibited. An unsuccessful maneuver can threaten the health of pedestrians and impede their movement (stopping a car at a zebra crossing). In order to avoid nagging from traffic police officers and accidents, it is advisable to change lanes outside the crossings.

Is it allowed to change lanes at a pedestrian crossing?

There is no clause in the traffic rules that would indicate a ban on changing lanes at an intersection. However, according to paragraph 11.4 of the traffic rules, overtaking is prohibited at the intersection. If you change lanes not in advance, but while driving through a road intersection, then this maneuver will be regarded as overtaking, and, consequently, a violation of traffic rules. That is, you can change lanes before passing through an intersection, but not at an intersection or at a pedestrian crossing.

IMPORTANT! At a pedestrian crossing, you cannot change from one lane to another (overtake), back up, turn around or stop. In order not to run into a fine, it is worth remembering: maneuvers at a pedestrian crossing are prohibited, and you cannot begin or end them there. That is, if a lane change occurs less than 5 meters before the crossing, the driver will be fined.

Rules for changing lanes

Information about changing lanes is set out in paragraph 8.4 of the Traffic Rules. The driver's action algorithm is simple:

make sure you can maneuver;
turn on the turn signals;
must give way to vehicles moving in the required lane without changing direction;
parallel cars on the right;
smoothly reduce speed and calculate the distance to the nearest cars;
take into account the speed of transport moving in an adjacent direction.

In practice, not all motorists maneuver correctly, resulting in a dangerous situation or collision. Information on how to behave in different traffic situations will help you avoid problems.

Mutual

When changing lanes at the same time, drivers have a lot of disputes. For example, when deciding what should do when maneuvering on a three-lane road. One car is driving in the far left lane and starts changing lanes into the middle one. The other seeks to get into the middle row from the far right lane.

According to the rules, in this case the driver of the car on the right has the advantage. To avoid lateral contact, the driver on the left must slow down and let cars on the right and vehicles that have changed lanes pass. It is important to take into account the behavior of other participants.

Between the rows

Such a maneuver is considered dangerous, especially for novice drivers. The restructuring should be done gradually and in advance. For example, when driving on a three-lane highway, changing from the far right or left lane to the opposite lane should be done in 2 stages, from row to row. First you should take the middle lane, and then move to the desired row. In this case, the pace of movement of other road users should be taken into account.

It is prohibited to cross 2 dividing lines at once during one lane change.

When there is interference on the right

This situation means that a car is moving to the right of the driver who plans to change lanes. You should skip it and only then carry out the maneuver. In the event of a mutual change of lanes, there is no interference, however, transport on the right has priority. If the question concerns a situation where a driver is moving on the left side, and a car on the right is changing lanes into his lane, you need to ignore the obstacle and only then change lanes yourself.

To the left lane

In this case, you need to rebuild correctly according to the general rules. The motorist should turn on the turn signal, slow down and let cars moving straight in the left lane pass. After this, you can begin rebuilding. The type of road (main, secondary) does not matter. The one who plans to rebuild always gives in. If they pass him by out of politeness, you can seize the moment.

Before the traffic light

It happens that motorists make the decision to change lanes before a traffic light. This happens, for example, if the far right lane is occupied and the green signal is on. You should act according to the general rules, but taking into account the following nuances:

mandatory inclusion of turn signals (despite the absence of cars moving in the same direction);
if the prohibitory signal is on, you must stop in front of the traffic light;
When changing lanes, there is no need to specifically slow down the speed; you should maintain its average value.

When the road narrows

A sign warns in advance about the reduction of lanes on the highway. In this case, drivers should move in advance to the lane that will continue. In this case, the advantage of movement remains with cars moving along a non-constricted path. They must continue at the same speed. When changing lanes, you should let them pass and then make the maneuver.

Public transport

Rebuilding of trolleybuses, buses, and trams occurs according to general rules. If public transport moves along the lane that is allocated for it, then cars are allowed to occupy it when it is safe to change lanes or turn left.

However, the maneuver should be carried out promptly so as not to impede the traffic for which the lane is intended.

Changing lanes or overtaking – that is the question

And first of all, you need to learn to distinguish between such important concepts as ahead and overtaking, because if the latter is strictly prohibited at any intersections with the exception of unregulated intersections, where their own rules apply, then the first maneuver is not considered a violation at all.

To theoretically consolidate this material, it is important to remember that:

Advancing means entering the adjacent lane without changing the direction of movement. At the same time, there may be no markings on the road indicating the number of lanes for each direction, the main thing is that the width of the roadway allows two cars to easily fit.
Overtaking is understood as the advance of one vehicle by another, which is carried out by entering the oncoming lane. And this maneuver cannot be done at intersections, since in this case the risks of a collision with another vehicle increase significantly.

Just imagine the situation: the driver stopped at a red light, but when he saw a green arrow nearby, allowing a turn to the right at a prohibiting signal, and making sure that there were no other cars on the left side of the main road, he decided to continue driving. And then suddenly the person driving his green car on the right decided to overtake the car in front. Theoretically, both will be wrong, but this will not make it any easier for anyone.

But this is only one possible case out of numerous combinations. An exception, perhaps, can be considered the situation at uncontrolled intersections, where you have to navigate not by road optics, but by priority signs.

And in this case, drivers following the main road can not only advance, but also overtake, which must be taken into account by motorists who are going to drive under the “Give way” sign. In turn, they do not have the right to overtake, even if there are no other vehicles at the intersection.

Punishment for breaking the rules

Ignoring the rules may result in a fine, the amount of which depends on the type of violation:

maneuvering without turning signals on – 500 rubles;
ignoring the benefits of movement - 1000 rubles;
moving continuous markings - 5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for six months.

By making incorrect maneuvers, the driver risks being without a license and causing an accident involving third parties (pedestrians and other vehicles). This may result in administrative or criminal penalties, the severity of which depends on the nature of the accident. Knowledge of the traffic police rules and articles of violation allows traffic participants to be mutually polite, protects nerves, finances and health.

Is it allowed to change lanes at a regulated and unregulated pedestrian crossing?

Many novice motorists experience difficulties when changing the current lane, and also cannot clearly answer the question of whether such a maneuver can be performed at a pedestrian crossing. Therefore, when changing lanes, sometimes emergency situations arise that lead to injuries not only to the driver, but also to the pedestrian. Read more about whether it is possible to change lanes at a pedestrian crossing, the rules for performing such a maneuver and fines for possible traffic violations later in the article.

Changing lanes at a pedestrian crossing: traffic rules

To give a clear answer to the question of whether it is possible to change lanes at a zebra crossing, you must first remember the basic terms associated with performing such a maneuver.

Changing lanes is when a car leaves the lane it occupies on the road while maintaining its original direction of movement, i.e. this maneuver involves changing the current lane. Typically, drivers change lanes to make a turn or overtake another vehicle that is moving in the same direction as them on the same roadway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-QW701qC-I

A pedestrian crossing is a section of the roadway that is specially equipped for the movement of pedestrians. It is usually marked with standard asphalt markings or road signs, and may also have a traffic light.

The new traffic rules do not prohibit the maneuver of changing lanes in the area of a pedestrian crossing, i.e., by default they allow drivers to perform such an action. But in some cases it can lead to violations of other rules or create an emergency situation on the road. For example, some drivers confuse changing lanes with overtaking, which involves driving the car into the lane of oncoming traffic.

If a motorist decides to change lanes at a zebra crossing, he needs to perform the following mandatory actions:

reduce driving speed;
turn on the turn signal (even if there are apparently no other cars or pedestrians on the road);
adequately assess the speed and trajectory of movement of other cars and pedestrians, and also take into account the distance to them;
make sure that there is no continuous line on the road or other obstacles for changing lanes;
carry out the maneuver at medium speed, without slowing down or accelerating.

Important! According to traffic rules, cars are not prohibited from moving in 2 rows within the boundaries of one marked lane, therefore in such a situation, leaving the current row within the same lane is also considered changing lanes.

Read more about changing lanes at an unregulated and controlled pedestrian crossing later in the article.

Unregulated pedestrian crossing

Unregulated pedestrian crossings are usually found on narrow streets with little traffic flow and are characterized by special markings on the roadway, and warning and restrictive signs for motorists are installed near them.

The following characteristic elements may be present in such an area:

traffic light in flashing yellow mode;
markings on the asphalt surface of the road, consisting of alternating stripes of white and orange colors;
reflective edging of a road sign notifying motorists of the presence of a zebra crossing;
bright light sources at night;
a duplicate sign indicating the presence of a pedestrian crossing, placed above the traffic lane;
flashing yellow lights;
an artificially created small hill on the road, forcing the driver to reduce driving speed (“speed bump”);
several noise stripes on the surface of the roadway - the interval between them decreases as the distance to the site decreases.

Changing lanes at an unregulated pedestrian crossing is not prohibited.

But for personal safety and in order to avoid a fine, the driver must follow several rules described in the traffic rules when performing such a maneuver:

before such a section, the driver is required to slow down his car and exercise increased caution;
if there are pedestrians on the zebra crossing, then all cars must stop;
even if pedestrians have just entered the roadway (tram tracks) in the area of an unregulated crossing, the motorist must smoothly stop the car and let them pass;
when crossing such a section, the driver is prohibited from driving into oncoming traffic, reversing or stopping directly at a zebra crossing;
The driver of the car must slow down or stop completely if cars moving in the same direction with him have done one of these actions before an unregulated crossing.

At an unregulated pedestrian crossing, a motorist is forced to simultaneously take into account many factors, so his attention is scattered on pedestrians, road signs, assessing the speed and trajectory of other cars. To reduce the risk of an accident, it is not recommended to change lanes in such a section.

Adjustable pedestrian crossing

The main feature of a controlled pedestrian crossing is a properly functioning traffic light that switches light signals as normal. Such areas are usually developed at intersections or wide streets with a large flow of cars and pedestrians. In this case, the traffic light can operate “automatically” or be switched manually using a special button provided for a pedestrian to stop a continuous flow of traffic.

When a traffic light breaks down, a traffic controller must regulate the movement of cars and people in such busy areas. According to current traffic regulations, a motorist is not prohibited from changing lanes at a controlled pedestrian crossing.

Important! Regardless of the presence of a traffic light and the color it shows, the driver is prohibited from entering a zebra crossing if there is a traffic jam of other cars immediately behind it.

But when performing such a maneuver, the driver of the car must adhere to a number of rules:

driving through such a zebra crossing is only permitted when the traffic light is green;
if people started moving through the crossing at a green pedestrian traffic light, but did not have time to cross the section before the red light turned on, then the driver needs to give way to them so that they complete their movement path properly;
if, during a lane change, the trajectories of a car and a pedestrian coincide, then the driver must give way;
During the maneuver, it is prohibited to drive into oncoming traffic, stop directly in the area of the pedestrian crossing, or drive in reverse;
in the process of changing the current lane, you need to let all cars moving in the same direction pass without changing the trajectory;
If a lane change maneuver is performed simultaneously by several cars traveling in the same direction, then it is necessary to let the car driving on the right pass.