New Highway Code changes

On the 29th of January, new Highway Code changes will come into place. The changes will aim to ‘create a hierarchy of road users’, but what does this mean?

Several new rules are being added to the code which includes rules H1, H2, and H3 that are all concerned with road hierarchy. Road hierarchy generally means that the smaller, or more vulnerable a road user is, the more priority they have.

H1

Rule H1 states that ‘Those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others.

‘This principle applies most strongly to drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles, vans/minibuses, cars/taxis and motorcycles.’

H2

Rule H2 states that ‘at a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.’

This means that if you are about to turn into a road and there is a pedestrian waiting to cross the road, you should stop and give way to them. These rules apply to cyclists too. Previously, drivers would only need to give way to pedestrians who are already crossing the road.

H3

Rule H3 states that ‘you should not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse-drawn vehicles going ahead when you are turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane.’

This means that motorists should stop and wait for a gap when cyclists are approaching/passing a junction, moving/waiting alongside slow-moving traffic or when travelling around a roundabout.

What else?

There’ll be tighter and clearer restrictions on the use of mobile phones at the wheel. Drivers caught texting whilst driving will be hit with a £200 fine and six points on their licence.

Pavement parking restrictions are also expected to get stricter at some point in the near future with the Scottish government already enacting a bill to outlaw all parking on pavements from 2023.

There have been some other minor updates to the Highway Code. A technique called the ‘Dutch Reach’ has been added to the ‘Waiting and Parking’ chapter. This technique involves opening your car door with the hand that’s furthest away. Doing this will force you to move your body around, making it easier for you to check over your shoulder when opening your door.

There’s also been added reminders for electric vehicle owners to remember that their charging cables could be a trip hazard for pedestrians.