Highway Code changes – is a lack of awareness halting progress?

It’s been a year since the Government made changes to modernise the Highway Code, designed principally to improve safety for vulnerable road users.

At the heart of the changes, which came into effect on 29 January 2022, was the creation of a new hierarchy of road users.

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.

At the time, the DfT published this handy guide, outlining the eight changes ‘you need to know’.

It seems impossible to believe, but 12 months have now passed. To mark the anniversary, Edward Seaman, editor of Road Safety News, has been speaking with a variety of stakeholders to gauge their views on the impact of the changes.

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“I’m proud to say we have some of the safest roads in the world, but I’m determined to make them safer still for everyone.

“These updates to The Highway Code will do just that by bringing the rules into the 21st century, encouraging people to respect and consider the needs of those around them, and ensuring all road-users know the rules of the road.”

That was the assessment of then roads minister, Baroness Vere, when the Highway Code changes came into effect.

Statistically, it’s very hard to determine whether they have achieved that goal.

Casualty data for 2022 won’t be available until later in the year, but even when it is published, it will be difficult to draw a definitive conclusion.

Of course, you can look directly at the casualty figures for different road users groups, some may go up, some may go down. But even then, can you say which collisions were caused as a direct result of any of the changes?

Even harder will be determining how many collisions have been avoided under the new guidance.

But what we can do is look at how vulnerable road user groups feel the changes have impacted their safety – after all, they are the ones supposed to benefit most.

Interestingly, I saw a poll on Twitter from the Project EDWARD team – asking in relation to the changes: ‘Have you seen an improvement in safety on the roads and are drivers applying it?’

Some 62% of the 200 respondents said there had been no change; while 16.5% felt safety has got worse as a result.

This sentiment has been echoed by Colin Brown, director of campaigns and political engagement at the Motorcycle Action Group.

Colin says he sees “little evidence” that the Highway Code exercise has “achieved anything other than a lot of arguments – mainly between lobby groups”.

He said: “Honestly I do not see that there has been much impact beyond those who are close to the whole argument.

“I have not seen any noticeable behaviour change on the roads, rarely if ever see cars giving way to waiting pedestrians at junctions, cyclists continue to act in the way that the changes legitimise.

“The hierarchy is just another topic for argument and division rather than an idea that has changed mindsets in a positive way.”

Heidi Duffy MBE, facilitator for both the National Young Rider Forum and the Shiny Side Up Partnership, believes the hierarchy has seen motorcyclists “demoted” from being a vulnerable road user group to the “bottom of the pile in motorised road users”.

She fears this has seen motorcycling “slip down the priority order across the spectrum”.

However, more positively, Heidi does believe the changes have led to motorists giving more space to cyclists and horse riders.

That view is not necessarily shared by The British Horse Society. They have described the number of horses killed on UK roads over the last year as a “huge concern”.

Alan Hiscox, director of safety at The British Horse Society, said: “To stop these tragic accidents from happening, it is essential that we all follow the Highway Code guidelines in place and drive carefully when passing horse riders.

“Horses are flight animals, and even a well-trained horse can act on its natural instincts when they are startled.

“Our fear is that the key changes aren’t being clearly explained and delivered, which will be detrimental to the safety of all vulnerable road users. We need to be working collaboratively to educate and drive awareness.”

The final paragraph of Alan’s quote seems to be the general consensus of how the Government can make these changes a success.

Among stakeholders, there is a belief that in principle, the variety of amendments to the Highway Code announced last year should make roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists.

However, this can only be achieved with the support and backing of drivers – which is currently absent for a number of reasons, including a lack of awareness.

Stephen Edwards, chief executive of Living Streets, said: “The Highway Code changes were needed to make people feel safer when they are walking or wheeling, and to encourage others to move towards cleaner ways to travel.

“A year on and there is more needed to be done to promote the changes to all road users. Without a long-term awareness raising campaign, we will not alter well-established driver behaviour or realise the benefits that the changes offer.”

Cycling UK and Sustrans also share similar views.

Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, said: “Changing the Highway Code was a vital first step towards improving road user behaviour and prioritising the safety of the most vulnerable road users, and warmly welcomed by cyclists, pedestrian and horse riding groups.

“However, ingrained habits and behaviours seldom change overnight and it’s always been clear that a long term well-funded information and behaviour change campaign was and is needed by the DfT to maximise the benefits these changes could bring.

“Cycling UK has seen good public awareness messaging through the DfT’s THINK campaign, but it came too late and hasn’t been maintained. That’s why we are repeating our long standing call for increase resourcing and commitment towards from this Government for ongoing public awareness on the Highway Code changes.”

Rachel White, head of public affairs at Sustrans, said: “The amendments made to the Highway Code were a significant step in prioritising safety for people walking, wheeling and cycling – the most vulnerable of road users.

“However, more needs to be done to recognise the new hierarchy of road users. Infrastructure still needs to be adapted, we need to plan around people not cars and more needs to be done to raise awareness of these vital changes.”

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