More than two fifths of drivers are ignoring a landmark Highway Code provision that was implemented by the Department of Transport two years ago in an effort to increase road safety, according to a survey.
Nearly 10,000 drivers in the UK were surveyed, and 42% of them either didn’t know the law existed or had heard about it but believed it to be false.
According to the AA, drivers should now be reminded of this restriction on an annual basis—for example, when they receive notices concerning the renewal of their vehicle taxes.
The Highway Code underwent a seismic overhaul consisting of several new regulations on January 29, 2022.
The new ‘hierarchy of road users’, a pyramid-style system that places the most responsibility for the safety of others around the driver of a vehicle capable of causing injury, was the talk of the town.
Basically, you have a greater obligation to lower danger when driving a larger, heavier car.
This means that drivers of HGVs, trucks, and buses are the most responsible, followed by van and minibus drivers, cars and taxi drivers, and finally riders of motorcycles. In addition to pedestrians, cyclists and horseback riders have additional responsibilities.
The statement, “The hierarchy does not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly,” is part of the updated Highway Code.
A series of guidelines about priority is contained in the hierarchy rules. These guidelines apply when a car is turning at a pedestrian crossing and a pedestrian is crossing or waiting to cross the road.
It says that pedestrians, including cyclists, always have the right-of-way over moving vehicles, and that motorists should yield and provide them space to cross.
But, alarmingly, the AA discovered that, out of 9,839 of its members who held valid licenses, 30% of drivers claimed they were unaware of the existence of the law, and 12% thought it was false.
In December 2021, just one month before the modifications were implemented, The AA conducted a survey in which it found that 68% of drivers were not aware of the ‘ladder of responsibility’ regulations.
Nonetheless, drivers were able to successfully recollect other concurrently imposed regulations.
Some 85 per cent surveyed knew that drivers intending to turn left should allow cyclists to pass on the left before carrying out the manoeuvre, while two in five knew that drivers should leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.
However, just 50% of drivers knew that the revised Code officially recommended situations in which cyclists could ride two abreast in the middle of the lane.
Similar to this, 42% of drivers thought that the national speed limit for towing a caravan or trailer was lowered to 50 mph on a single highway, and 56% of drivers mistakenly believed that long-established guidelines about when a horn should not be used were introduced in 2022.
Tim Rankin, managing director of AA Accident Assist, said; “While the majority of drivers can recall important updates to the Highway Code, the flagship change that puts more responsibility on those behind the wheel remains unknown by too many drivers.
“Three in 10 drivers admit they haven’t looked at the Highway Code since they passed their test. New drivers and those learning to drive will be the ones most aware of the update, but it is long-standing motorists that need to be contacted to ensure they know the rules.
“It’s vital that we keep reminding drivers of these changes, which can make our roads safer and reduces crashes.”
Rankin says the AA wants drivers to receive annual reminders of major Highway Code changes to hammer home the latest rules.
“Each year, millions of drivers are contacted with car tax reminders and licence renewals,” he said.
“This would be the ideal opportunity to inform everyone of the updated rules and keep the changes at the front of their minds.”
Is the hierarchy of road users rule working?
According to official statistics, the regulation modifications have not improved safety for pedestrians, who are the most vulnerable users of the roads.
According to the Government’s preliminary road casualty figures for 2023, the number of pedestrian deaths in Britain rose from 385 to 407 in a year, an increase of 6%.
In addition, they have increased by 2% from ten years ago even though modern cars are equipped with an abundance of cutting-edge technology to reduce pedestrian-related accidents.
The data shows, pedestrians accounted for 25% of all road fatalities in the previous year.
The second most vulnerable road user category in the hierarchy system, cyclists, saw a decrease in fatalities last year.
This year’s death toll decreased by 7%, from 91 to 84. Cyclist fatalities have decreased dramatically by 23% from ten years ago.
Some drivers reacted angrily to the January 2022 rollout of the hierarchy of road users laws, claiming that bicycles were being granted the authority to take over the road.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee issued a report in November that raised concerns about the ineffectiveness of the message used to promote public engagement in the amendments to the Highway Code.
The RAC discovered evidence of drivers disobeying the historic regulations earlier this year.
The motoring group’s road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “When initially introduced, we welcomed the major Highway Code changes because they were set to make the roads much safer for the most vulnerable users.
“However, two years on, it’s concerning to see there’s still so much uncertainty, with most drivers not stopping for people crossing when they should and therefore many pedestrians seeing no change to their safety at junctions.”
As a driver, do you now give way to pedestrians who are waiting to cross a road at a junction?
Dennis added: “Part of the reason may be that drivers simply don’t know that the changes have been made, least of all the consequences of ignoring them.
“Most drivers probably rarely refer to the Highway Code once they’ve passed their tests, and that’s where the problem could lie.
“We urge motorists to take another close look at the changes – either by visiting the Highway Code or RAC websites, or by picking up a printed copy.
“We’d also urge the Government to make another concerted effort in communicating the changes to all road users.”
A DfT spokesman said at the time: “All road users must feel confident using our roads which is why we made sure the changes to the Highway Code were directly informed by a public consultation with over 20,000 responses.
“To increase awareness of the changes, we have used our Think! campaign to increase awareness and understanding of the changes over the last two years.”
