Four years after updates to the Highway Code were implemented to make roads safer for people cycling and walking, Cycling UK is calling for an awareness campaign to ensure all road users understand and follow the new rules.
New Highway Code rules came into force on 29 January 2022, with the aim to make roads safer for vulnerable road users.
The updated Highway Code introduced the hierarchy of road users, strengthened guidance on safely overtaking cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians, promoted the ‘Dutch Reach’ to reduce car-dooring incidents, and clarified priorities at junctions to improve safety for people cycling and walking.
An awareness campaign run by THINK – the government body responsible for promoting road safety – was seen as a good first step in communicating these changes.
However, Cycling UK says more needs to be done to ensure people know the rules have changed and to address entrenched behaviours.
Cycling UK is calling on the government to fund a new THINK!-style campaign, updated for today’s digital landscape to raise awareness of the new rules.
The charity believes that an awareness campaign is crucial to the government’s own ‘safe systems approach’ to road safety, which ministers have committed to as part of the new Road Safety Strategy.
Sarah McMonagle, director of external affairs at Cycling UK, said: “We can’t expect people to follow rules they don’t know about. What we need is a balanced approach to improving road safety that combines education, prevention and enforcement of the rules.
“It’s important we clearly explain why these changes came into action and how they work to protect people walking to the shops or cycling their children to school.”
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