There are changes in 8 important areas:
- introducing a new hierarchy of road users
- crossing the road at junctions
- walking, cycling or riding in shared spaces
- positioning in the road when cycling
- overtaking when driving or cycling
- cycling at junctions
- people cycling, riding horses and driving horse-drawn vehicles on roundabouts
- parking, charging and leaving vehicles
The changes will be made to The Highway Code from Saturday 29 January 2022. Here is the first of 8 changes that you need to know about.
1. Hierarchy of road users
The introduction section of The Highway Code will be updated to include 3 new rules about the new ‘hierarchy of road users’.
The hierarchy places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy. It does not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly.
It’s important that all road users:
- are aware of The Highway Code
- are considerate to other road users
- understand their responsibility for the safety of others
The 3 new rules are numbered H1, H2, and H3.
And here is the hierarchy…
Pedestrians and cyclists will have priority over drivers at junctions, with drivers of motor vehicles having to give way when someone is waiting to cross on a side street
This introduces a rule similar to that around a zebra crossing which drivers will have to observe. If they are turning into a side street and a pedestrian is waiting to cross the vehicle driver must give way to the pedestrian
Drivers of any vehicles deemed to be more dangerous, such as buses and HGVs, must now be extra careful on the roads.
The new Highway Code hierarchy is as follows:
- Pedestrians
- Cyclists
- Horse Riders
- Motorcyclists
- Cars/taxis
- Vans/minibuses
- Large passenger vehicles or courier vehicles like buses and HGVs
Drivers will also have to give way to pedestrians when they are crossing the road.
Motorists will no longer have priority at junctions and will have to let pedestrians cross the road if they are waiting.
The new Highway Code says: “‘At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.”
If you are a driver and you are stuck in traffic or on a slow moving road, pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross in front of drivers.
Rules for pedestrians that exist already on the roads – for instance those using a zebra crossing, crossing at a junction and crossing a signal controlled pelican crossing – will stay the same.
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