Motoring Organizations Welcome U.K. Highway Code Changes That See Pedestrians Given Priority On Roads

Despite several recent newspaper stories decrying revisions to the Highway Code—the U.K. road safety manual first published in 1931—the U.K.’s main motoring organizations are in favor of the changes.

“Drivers turning into a road should now give way to any pedestrians waiting to cross,” said RAC’s head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes.

He added that changes such as these—which come into force on Saturday—are to be welcomed and “should make the roads safer for the most vulnerable road users, in particular those walking and cycling.”

AA president Edmund King also welcomed the changes:

“The changes to the Highway Code are a reminder that all road users have a responsibility to look after one another, in particular the most vulnerable ones: pedestrians, cyclists, other two-wheeled transport and horse riders.

He added that more people cycling “transformed road use to some extent” and that the Highway Code “needed to be updated to reflect that.”

Hierarchy

The changes will result in motorists being officially relegated in the pecking order on Britain’s roads. Pedestrians will be at the top of a new road user hierarchy with motorists—who have the most potential to harm other road users—being told they now have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they pose to others.

The digital version of the Highway Code will be updated before this weekend, followed by an update to the printed version in April. Of eight changes one of the most significant is strengthened pedestrian priority on sidewalks and when pedestrians are crossing or waiting to cross a road.

The new Highway Code also stresses that cyclists traveling straight ahead have priority over motorists at junctions.

There’s also beefed-up guidance on how much space motorists must leave when overtaking cyclists.

The most critical change, states the Department for Transport (DfT), is the introduction of Rule H1, a “hierarchy of responsibility.”

The hierarchy places pedestrians at the top and the heaviest and potentially most lethal road users at the bottom.

The hierarchy would be:

• Large passenger vehicles/heavy goods vehicles

A DfT statement said “quicker or heavier modes of travel have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others on the road..”

In the current Highway Code there’s a little-understood rule that pedestrians have priority at junctions. Rule 170 states that motorists should give way to pedestrians “if they have started to cross.”

This states Rule 204 is because “the law recognizes that driving a car or motorbike always puts other people at risk and pedestrians are the most vulnerable of all road users.”

The new rules increase this presumption of priority. Pedestrians will now have priority whether or not they have started to cross a road.

The new updates are advisory, states the DfT, “so non-compliance will not result in a fine.”

Overtaking cyclists

There is also clarity over some confusing rules over cyclists riding two abreast. The current rule—Rule 66—reads: “You should … never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends.”

However, cyclists point out that corners of country lanes and narrow roads are some of the most dangerous places for drivers to overtake and cyclists moving to single file at this point may be risky for both parties.

The new rule says that cyclists “can ride 2 abreast” and that “it can be safer [for cyclists] to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less experienced riders.”

The provisio is that “people cycling are asked to be aware of people driving behind them and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when it’s safe to do so.”

This “when it’s safe to do so” is up to cyclists to determine.

In a government consultation document, released last year, it was said that “some respondents … felt that this change would encourage cyclists to hog the road and that they should stay on the left for their own safety.”

The government document stated that “it is vital that the changes are communicated to drivers so cyclists do not face intimidation and aggression from drivers who wrongly perceive them as impeding traffic flow or being obstructive.”

The new Highway Code states that motorists should leave two meters of space when overtaking “people walking in the road” and 1.5 meter when overtaking “people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph, and giving them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.”

Motorists will now be able to cross the double-white line if necessary (provided the road is clear) to overtake someone cycling or riding a horse, but only “if they are travelling at 10 mph or less.”

If these conditions are not present “wait behind and do not overtake,” states the new Highway Code.

Consultation

The DfT consulted on changes to the Highway Code in 2020 after a decade with no revisions. There were more 21,000 responses to this consultation, with most people in favor of the proposed changes, including the new hierarchy of priority.

“Statistical analysis suggests that all the changes proposed should be implemented,” concluded the DfT.

Some of the responders wanted cyclists to be forced to don cycle helmets and wear hi-vis. These suggestions are not be part of the revised Highway Code which will apply in England, Scotland and Wales.

The government states that it will be “soon” launching a $650,000 awareness-raising campaign alongside the publication of the updated Highway Code.

In his first statement after being appointed as the government’s Active Travel Commissioner for England, Chris Boardman, said:

“It shouldn’t take bravery to cross a road or ride to school with kids, but sometimes it feels that way. These changes to the Highway Code clarify our responsibility to each other and simply reinforce what good road users already do.”

He added that the revision could make “our towns, cities and villages nicer places to live.”