RAC survey reveals uncertainty on Highway Code changes

Half of drivers still feel unsure whether changes to the Highway Code – made two years ago – have made the roads safer for pedestrians, the findings of a new survey show. 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 have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they may pose. One of the most notable changes advises drivers turning into or out of a junction to give way to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders who are either crossing or are waiting to cross the road. \

According to the survey, published as part of the RAC’s Report on Motoring, 51% feel unsure if the Highway Code changes have made any difference – while only a fifth (18%) of respondents believe the new rules have increased pedestrian safety. Meanwhile a third (31%) think pedestrians face even greater danger at junctions since the measures were published.

The RAC believes the message ‘simply hasn’t got through to drivers’. While Highway Code Rule 170 states drivers should give way to pedestrians when turning in or out of junctions, less than a quarter (23%) of respondents said they always do.