Many drivers fall foul of a key change to the Highway Code.
The Highway Code was amended in 2022 (Image: Getty Images)
A motoring expert has said a recently-changed Highway Code rule is still commonly “misunderstood” by drivers. Select Car Leasing highlights that despite being introduced three years ago to enhance pedestrian safety, many drivers are still not clear on the changes made in 2022.
These amendments created a ‘hierarchy of road users’, prioritising those most at risk. One key aspect is that motorists and cyclists must give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross at junctions.
Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing, said: “If you’re a motorist about to turn into a junction, and a pedestrian is either already crossing the road or is waiting to cross, you need to give way and let them complete their journey. It’s a crucial element of the Highway Code that is still misunderstood three years after it was implemented.”
“Spend time online, and you’ll see some motorists complaining that pedestrian behaviours are getting worse and that they are prone to ‘just walking into the road’ without regard for their own safety. But this opinion could be coloured by the fact that some motorists still don’t understand how pedestrians should be protected by the Highway Code.”
Motorists who are caught attempting to turn into the path of a pedestrian face possible charges of careless driving potentially resulting in fines of up to £2,500 and accruing three to nine penalty points, as reported by Wales Online.
The Highway Code explicitly states: “When people are crossing or waiting to cross at a junction, other traffic should give way. If people have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road, the people crossing have priority, and the traffic should give way.”
The rules that put pedestrians at the top of the traffic hierarchy also extend to cyclists, who, like the driver of a car, should also allow pedestrians to cross the road before continuing on their way.
The code adds: “People driving, riding a motorcycle or cycling must give way to people on a zebra crossing and people walking and cycling on a parallel crossing. A parallel crossing is similar to a zebra crossing but includes a cycle route alongside the black and white stripes.”
Mr Conway added: “If you’re a driver who ends up remonstrating with a pedestrian who is in the middle of a road that you’re trying to turn into, chances are you’re very much in the wrong and the pedestrian is behaving correctly. And it’s crucial that motorists’ attitudes towards pedestrians are aligned with the Highway Code if we’re going to improve those dreadful fatality statistics.”
