Changes to the Highway Code
January 29th will see the new Highway Code updates come in
This is a
story we covered back in August but now the march of time has inexorably brought the date up to the present and on January the 29th the new Highway Code updates and advisories will come in. But how many of the public actually know what these changes will be and how they will affect everyone?
While the proposals were in consideration, it was expected that there would be a publicity campaign around it to make sure that the information was out there and became general public knowledge, when it was decided, but there doesn't seem to have been much coverage so far. The AA carried out a survey before Christmas which uncovered the fact that two out of three drivers were not aware of the Highway Code changes, which makes one wonder how effective they can be when they do come in?
Here is a link if this is news to you and you want to check it out for yourself:
New Highway Code Changes. It basically majors on the hierarchy of road users, with the idea being that those who pose the greatest risk to others bear the most responsibility to be aware and protect more vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Some of the advisories for car drivers are as follows, they:
* Should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which their vehicle is turning.
* Should not cut across cyclists or horse riders going ahead when turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane, to prevent “left hook” collisions.
* Should open car doors using the “Dutch reach” method, with the hand on the opposite side to the door they are opening. This makes drivers turn their heads to look over their shoulders and reduces the likelihood of “dooring” a passing cyclist.
* 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.
Although there will be a couple of weeks grace for road users from the start of the new Highway code rules on the 29th, there will be problems if most people don't know about them, so it is worth checking them out so that you are informed.
Have you heard about these changes and feel fully conversant with them? What do you think of them? Are you broadly in favour or not?
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