More than half of British drivers cannot correctly identify the new hierarchy of road users, according to findings of a survey.
The survey, conducted by personal injury specialists Hodge Jones & Allen, tested 2,000 road users on the Highway Code and other road safety issues.
It found that over half of respondents (55%) did not know the correct order of the hierarchy of road users, introduced in January 2022.
Pedestrians were the most likely to correctly identify the hierarchy (73%), followed by motorcyclists (52%) and car/van drivers (46%).
More than half of cyclists (60%) were not familiar with the correct hierarchy of road users, with four in ten believing they take priority over pedestrians.
Only one in seven (17%) bus and lorry drivers were clued up on the highway code rule, with nearly half of bus/lorry drivers (47%) believing they topped the road hierarchy.
Hodge Jones & Allen describe this as “worrying”.
Leticia Williams, partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, said: “Our study reveals that a good number of highway users are still unaware of important highway code rules, including the road hierarchy.
“It is imperative, no matter what type of road user you are, we all take on our personal responsibility to act responsibly and to follow the Highway Code. Understanding and following the rules will help prevent future road accidents and save lives.
“Over the years, I have seen the outcomes of road traffic collisions, which could have been avoided, and the impact the collisions had on the injured person and their families. Understanding and following the Highway Code rules is imperative for us all.”
On 29 January 2022, changes were introduced to the Highway Code. This included a new ‘hierarchy of road users’, placing those who are most at risk in the event of a collision at the top.
The hierarchy means drivers of quicker or heavier modes of travel now have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others on the road.
Cyclists also received fresh guidance, including confirmation they can ride in the centre of a lane on quieter roads, in slower-moving traffic and at the approach to junctions in order to make themselves as clearly visible as possible.
I have often wondered what the clumsily named Road Safety Investigation branch might do, but I think Derek Cozens has hit the nail on the head. Certainly something for RSIB to get its teeth into. As far as the hierarchy is concerned, I have my doubts as to its usefulness. The finding on cyclists doesn’t surprise me, they seem to think the own not just the carriageway, but also the footways and footpaths. I wonder why …
Fraser Andrew
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For years there has been e-training in the workplace on a whole range of subjects and it would be a logical step to introduce e-training for all drivers to keep them informed and up to date. Also the training could aim to influence their behaviour when it comes to deliberate acts such as intoxication and dangerous driving. Road safety is stuck in the past, decades behind the workplace methodical systems, with no clear leadership or team but hopefully the new Road Safety Investigation Branch will put in place the processes needed to bring it into the 21st century
Derek Cozens, Hertfordshire
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