Understanding Highway Code rules “imperative for us all”

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 a personal injury firm, 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.

The report author, Hodge Jones & Allen, describes 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.”