This week is Brake, the road safety charity’s Road Safety Week, an annual event to raise awareness of the devastation road crashes can cause and to campaign to make our roads safer for all.
This year’s theme is Safer Roads for All. At a time when e-scooters are becoming a normal sight in our towns and cities, and driverless cars appear to be on the horizon, it’s important we all familiarise ourselves with different forms of transport and how we share the roads to ensure everyone, no matter how they are travelling, is safe.
Highway Code Changes
The Highway Code Changes in early 2022 introduced a hierarchy of road users, which put our most vulnerable road users, pedestrians, at the top, and our least vulnerable road users, heavy goods vehicles, at the bottom. The aim is to highlight those who can do the greatest harm to others to have a higher level of responsibility to reduce the danger.
Click to enlarge
How do the Highway Code changes reinforce the hierarchy?
Drivers no longer have priority at junctions If turning at a junction, and there is a cyclist, horse rider, pedestrian or scooter ready to cross or preparing to cross, they have right of way ahead of cars, taxis, vans, minibuses and HGVs.
All traffic must stop for pedestrians The code now states that all traffic is legally required to stop at zebra crossings if people are waiting to cross – previously the requirement was for traffic to stop If someone was already crossing.
Cyclists can ride wherever they feel most visible The updates to the Highway Code state that cyclists are required to ride no less than half a metre from the verge or kerb and further where it is safe to do so. Motorists must leave at least 1.5 metres of space when passing a cyclist when travelling at speeds of up to 30mph; more distance is required for higher speeds and cyclists are expected to pull to the left on quieter roads, in slow-moving traffic and at busy junctions to maximise safe overtaking opportunities for drivers.
Drivers must wait for a safe gap in the flow of cyclists The Highway Code now advises motorists against turning in a way which would cut across cyclists’ right of way and to consider cyclists as another motor vehicle.
Use of all hand-held mobiles is banned, except in an emergency Whilst the use of mobile phones to call and text has been banned since 2003, the Code did not ban their use entirely. The update means that you are prohibited from using for your phone for anything including scrolling through playlists, even when the vehicle is not moving. Securely fixed mobile phones can still be used for hands-free calls, sat nav and also for paying for road tolls. However, the use of mobile phones is still not banned for cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians who arguably can cause collisions when distracted by their mobile phones.
The Dutch Reach is the recommended method to exit a vehicle This concept has been introduced to attempt to cut the number of cyclists hit by car doors opening unexpectedly. The Dutch Reach involves using the hand furthest from the door to open it, prompting drivers and passengers to swivel their body and check over their shoulder for people approaching.
The future
It is believed that between 40% and 50% of all brain injuries occur following a road traffic collision, so we welcome changes to the Highway Code that could make our roads safer for all and prevent head and brain injuries from occurring.
We’re supporting Brake, the Road Safety Charity’s Safer Roads For All campaign which runs from 14 November to 20 November and running a poster competition during this period for primary school age children.
