Step 4 of 31 · 12 rules

The pedestrians

Pedestrians, zebra crossings and what drivers owe walkers.

1. Road users 2. Pedestrians 3. Who counts as a pedestrian 4. Zebra crossing 5. Winged crossing 6. 1. priority 7. 2. overtaking 8. 3. stopping and parking 9. Crossing without a zebra 10. Bus or tram stop with no island 11. Pedestrian zone 12. Rules in a pedestrian zone

Road users

A road user is a person on the public road: a pedestrian or a driver. Animals and vehicles themselves are not road users.

§Official source · art. 2.13 · last amended 2024-02-01

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Pedestrians

Someone moving on foot. Must use the pavement or verge. Without those, they can walk on the cycle lane or the road.

§Official source · art. 42.1 · last amended 2022-10-01

De voetgangers gebruiken in volgorde van aanwezigheid de volgende toegankelijke en begaanbare delen van de openbare weg: 1° het trottoir of het deel van de openbare weg gesignaleerd door het verkeersbord D9, D10 of D11; 2° het deel van de openbare weg gesignaleerd door het verkeersbord D13; 3° de …

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Who counts as a pedestrian

A person pushing a motorbike is not considered a pedestrian.

Pushing a motorcycle

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Anyone pushing a shopping cart, wheelbarrow, wheelchair or a broken bike/moped. (Not a car or motorbike.)

§Official source · art. 42.2.1 · last amended 2016-10-01

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Zebra crossing

The blue traffic sign is placed at the pedestrian crossing. An elderly woman in a navy coat with a shopping trolley is standing at the zebra crossing.

A red warning sign about 150 m before and a blue sign at the crossing. If a crossing is less than about 20 m away, pedestrians must use it.

Pedestrian crossing.

Pedestrian crossing (is placed 150 meters in front of the crossing).

§Official source · art. 42.4.1 · last amended 2019-05-31

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Winged crossing

A winged pedestrian crossing is designed to make crossing safer and improve visibility, particularly for truck drivers sitting higher up. An orange estate car is shown approaching the crossing.

Wider markings that make the crossing more visible, especially for truck drivers sitting high.

§Official source · art. 76.3

De oversteekplaatsen voor voetgangers worden afgebakend door witte banden, evenwijdig met de as van de rijbaan.

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1. priority

The approaching silver saloon must slow down and give priority to the pedestrian waiting at the edge of the zebra crossing who intends to cross.

Pedestrian crossing

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Pedestrians on the crossing or about to step on it have priority. Approach carefully.

§Official source · art. 40.4.2 · last amended 1996-04-01

Hij moet voorrang verlenen aan de voetgangers die er zich op bevinden of op het punt staan zich erop te begeven.

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2. overtaking

You may not overtake a driver on the left who slows down or stops in front of a zebra crossing. What the driver of the grey car is doing is strictly forbidden.

Pedestrian crossing

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Don't overtake on the left a car that is slowing or stopped at a pedestrian or cycle crossing where traffic is not regulated by traffic lights or an authorized person.

§Official source · art. 17.2.5° · last amended 2023-04-01

Wanneer de in te halen bestuurder stopt voor een oversteekplaats voor voetgangers of een oversteekplaats voor fietsers en bestuurders van tweewielige bromfietsen (of deze oversteekplaatsen nadert) op plaatsen waar het verkeer niet geregeld wordt door een bevoegd persoon of door verkeerslichten.

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3. stopping and parking

You may not be stationary or park on the road within 5 metres before a pedestrian crossing.

Parking near a pedestrian crossing

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Not on the crossing and not within 5 m before it. After it is fine (unless signs say otherwise). Same for cyclist crossings.

§Official source · art. 24.4°

op de oversteekplaatsen voor voetgangers, op de oversteekplaatsen voor fietsers en bestuurders van tweewielige bromfietsen en op de rijbaan op minder dan 5 meter vóór deze oversteekplaatsen;

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Crossing without a zebra

Where there is no zebra crossing, pedestrians must give way to road traffic. The pedestrian waiting at the kerb must let the approaching car pass before crossing.

Crossing without a zebra crossing

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Pedestrians crossing away from a crossing must give way to traffic.

§Official source · art. 42.4.4 · last amended 2022-10-01

Op de plaatsen waar het verkeer noch door een bevoegd persoon, noch door verkeerslichten geregeld wordt, mogen de voetgangers zich slechts voorzichtig op de rijbaan begeven en met inachtneming van de naderende voertuigen.

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Bus or tram stop with no island

Because the tram stops on the carriageway without a boarding island, the orange car must stop to allow passengers to cross the roadway safely.

A tram stops with no island

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If a tram or bus stops on the road and there's no island, drivers on the side where passengers board or alight must stop to let them cross safely, and only resume at moderate speed.

§Official source · art. 40.3.2 · last amended 2004-01-01

Bij afwezigheid van een vluchtheuvel aan de halteplaats van een voertuig voor gemeenschappelijk vervoer, moet de bestuurder die rijdt langs de kant waar de reizigers in- of uitstappen, dezen de gelegenheid laten in alle veiligheid het voertuig, het trottoir, (het deel van de openbare weg …

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Pedestrian zone

Pedestrian zone: walking pace, pedestrians first.

Blue signs mark start and end. Only permitted vehicles may enter.

Pedestrian zone.

End of a pedestrian zone.

§Official source · art. 22sexies.1

Tot voetgangerszones hebben alleen voetgangers toegang.

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Rules in a pedestrian zone

Drive at walking pace, keep a path free, stop if needed, never hinder pedestrians.

§Official source · art. 22sexies.2

De bestuurders die er mogen in rijden, moeten stapvoets rijden; ze moeten de doorgang vrij laten voor de voetgangers en zo nodig stoppen.

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Signs in this lesson

Warning sign (or danger sign)Children present.

Prohibitive signNo entry for pedestrians.

Information sign (or informative or indication sign)Pedestrian crossing.

Warning sign (or danger sign)Pedestrian crossing (is placed 150 meters in front of the crossing).

Sign giving orders (or mandatory sign)Segregated road for the use of pedestrians or cyclists or two-wheeled mopeds class A.

Sign giving orders (or mandatory sign)Part of the road for the use of pedestrians or cyclists.

Information sign (or informative or indication sign)No through road except for pedestrians and cyclists.

Information sign (or informative or indication sign)Pedestrian zone.

Information sign (or informative or indication sign)End of a pedestrian zone.

Test yourself

Pick a level. Questions you have not seen or got wrong come first.

EasyWarm-up: the key facts of this lesson, one step at a time.16 questions

NormalTest level: situations and pictures like on the real test.29 questions

HardBeyond the test: exceptions, numbers and spot-the-mistake pictures.8 questions