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news
Highway Code.PNGGovernment slammed for not informing public of Highway Code changes aimed at protecting cyclists and pedestrians just days before they come into effect
The government has been strongly criticised for its lack of communication to the public of key changes taking place to the Highway Code aimed at protecting vulnerable road users, with a senior Labour politician saying that they will be “totally meaningless” if people are not aware of them.
Meanwhile, a poll of more than 13,700 of its members by the AA earlier this month found that one in three (33 per cent) did not known that the Highway Code is being changed, and 4 per cent said they had “no intention” of refreshing their knowledge of the guidance, reports Sky News.
Subject to Parliamentary approval, the new rules include:
- Establishing a new Hierarchy of Road Users, meaning that those posing the greatest risk to others have a greater degree of responsibility – ie motorists to people on bike or foot, or cyclists to pedestrians.
- The introduction of a minimum 1.5-metre passing distance for motorists overtaking cyclists.
- Recommending the ‘Dutch Reach’ to drivers and other occupants of motor vehicles to avoid cyclists being ‘doored’.
- Simplification of rules regarding non-signalised junctions aimed at preventing crashes where drivers ‘left-hook’ cyclists.
- Clarification that cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast – and that it is often safer for them to do so.
But Jack Cousens, AA head of roads policy, said: “With a week to go, too many drivers are unaware of the new rules of the road.
“While the government formally announced these changes last summer, they have been far too silent in promoting them.
“Shockingly, one in 25 drivers say they have no intention of looking at the new rules.
“These changes affect everyone, so we encourage people to read the updated code now so we can make our roads safer.”
Labour MP Louise Haigh, the Shadow Transport Secretary, said that the changes to the Highway Code would be “totally meaningless” if people were not made aware of them.
“Incredibly, ministers haven’t even begun telling the public about these major changes,” she said.
“A comprehensive national safety campaign is needed to keep cyclists safe on our roads, but ministers are missing in action.”
Last month, Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, urged the government to run a publicity campaign to make the public aware of the impending changes.
> Public must be told about Highway Code changes, says Cycling UK
He said: “Cycling UK is concerned the forthcoming improvements to road safety outlined in the latest revision of the Highway Code, which will benefit everyone, are not being communicated through official channels.
“In a month’s time, our Highway Code should change for the better, but these changes will be of limited benefit if the public aren’t aware of them.”
However, a DfT spokesperson said: “The proposed upcoming changes to the Highway Code will improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders and were announced to national press.
“The department has established a working group of key organisations to ensure that messages about the changes are as widespread as possible and our well-established Think! campaign will continue to ensure all road users are aware both when these changes come into effect and beyond.”
> Highway Code changes: ‘What about cyclists, or do the rules not apply to them?’
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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There is an article in the Sunday Times today outlining the changes which it says WILL come into effect next Saturday. It also says that the DfT will begin a £500, 000 campaign to boost public awareness in mid February.
which is exactly what weve been saying, everytime this subject crops up framed like this, like some unwanted re-heated in the microwave takeaway (I had to check the date on the article to make sure this wasnt some resurrected thread)
We had confirmation of the plans from an answer to a written question in parliament, that clearly no one in the AA or Cycling UK took the blindest bit of notice of.
just google "highway code changes" and look at the hits returned from news sites for just this week, let alone going back over a month, every tabloid has covered it, every broadsheet, at least once, its now hitting local & regional news papers.
Does the AA & Cycling UK believe these articles magically appear because news editors are concerned about telling their readers this info ?
So as the changes come in expect radio & tv to start the same nudge coverage before the proper campaign kicks off.
It would be a waste of money booking media to raise public awareness if the code hasn't been approved yet.
If for some reason the code isn't approved then the media bookings would inform the public of the wrong information.
It would be sensible to make plans to publicise the changes.
In the unlikely event that the changes are not approved, the plans could be changed or cancelled.
But they're not being criticised for not having planned to publicise them. They're being criticised for not having publicised them yet.
They apparently (according to the last paragraph) do have plans to publicise them - albeit we don't exactly know what this plans are and how effective they're likely to be.
It does make sense not to publicise them until they are guaranteed to come into force. The issue then is with this ridiculous system we seem to have where right up until the changes are published an in force they can be scrapped.
Surely what should have happened is that the changes were approved (irrevocably) by parliament in November, to come unto force on 29th January and spend December and January publicising what they are and what they mean.
For us to be in a position where the government could still pull the plug on the 28th January, and there be no official publicity until after they are already in force is just stoopid.
It could be worse - we could have the Met police decide that they may want to fine a few people for Highway Code breaches and delay the publication of the rules just in case it would interfere.
I'm OK if media outlets and the AA want to make some issues out of the forthcoming changes - at least it highlights that they are coming. I get a bit fed up with some of the disingenuous representation of them.
For example, the outrage that drivers express at their priority at junctions being taken away... where does it say they had that priority in the first place? "Road position was previously not mentioned in the code"... which means it is no different from any other vehicle. All that is happening is that a courtesies that should already have been extended to vulnerable road users (see existing introduction to the HC) now need to be spelty out to the hard of thinking.
As far as the lack of government messages, I have some sympathy with the DfT: until the changes are clear of the parliamentary hurdle, a comms campaign could be wasted money if either House rejects the proposals. That seems unlikely, but it could happen. This period of reasonable certainty can be well used to prepare a decent campaign. There will be plenty of time to criticise if there is no official message, or if the message is out of the TfL 'See Their Side' mould.
Exactly! One of the tabloids was moaning about how motorists sitting stationary in a traffic queue might now be expected to let pedestrians cross in front of them before they move. ??? Surely any responsible and considerate road user would have done that anyway, and not have to be instructed to do it...
Sadly, we can't rely on the fourth estate to spread the good word on these Highway Code changes. Instead we should expect a peculiar sort of dangerous nonsense, such as this from the Evening Standard: a misleading headline and a perversely out of context photograph. An assertion in the same article that the term "Dutch Reach" was coined in the Netherlands is simply lazy; numerous sources point out that the phrase is unknown in the country.
That paper still edited by a poor tory ex-Chancellor?
Shame they didn't show the current wording of the HC.
you MUST ensure you do not hit anyone when you open your door. Check for cyclists or other traffic
Although as drivers passngers can cause doorings, who is responsible then.
I've actually been doored as a pedestrian as a pavement parkers passenger (say that 10 times fast) just swung open their door as I was walking past. The corner of it actually dug in just under my clavicle leaving a painful bruise.
Still the driver. I had the passenger of a taxi swing their door into the side of my car while I was driving past. The taxi driver tried hard to pin it on his fare! Needless to say the insurance companies did not agree and found him to be at fault for the collision as the driver is responsible for the actions of their passenger.
It's the same for passengers wearing seatbelts or being in a non-age appropriate or poorly secured child seat isn't it? The driver has the ultimate responsibility for the vehicle and its occupants. Which makes it all the worse when a driver can't even drive the vehicle properly.
"That paper still edited by a poor tory ex-Chancellor?"
Hasn't been edited by him for coming up to two years.
In the Netherlands, they just call it The Reach.
anyone who doors a cyclist approaching fromt he front of the car should simply be charged with assault/gbh/attempoted murder depending on the outcome, what a ridiculous photo.
I've said for months, this should have been advertised on TV regularly, just like the Government adverts of old, such as Reginald Molehusband, Tufty Club, and 'Learn to swim, young man!'
Perhaps they have had other things on their mind of late.......
PARTY!
We've all been discussing the proposed changes as if they're done-and-dusted. Except they're not, are they? Even though it's only a week until they're supposed to be in place, they are still "subject to Parliamentary approval". Given what an out-group cyclists are, and the trouble Johnson is still in, it's not beyond the realm of possibility for the Govt to suddenly kick this into the long grass as a sop to his Mr Toad backbenchers...
Really? It's been click bait on most of the Mirror Groups local news, social media outlets, for the last couple of weeks.
Oh and 'Meow, Meow, Meow Meow' - Charlie says the government could use a good old public service announcement if they wanted to. Would make a welcome change from COVID.
“Shockingly, one in 25 drivers say they have no intention of looking at the new rules."
Then remove their licenses then. Surely the AA should be reminding their members of the reponsibilities of their licenses to keep abreast of the HC and that ignorance is not a defence in court.
what's shocking? that 20% of drivers have no intention of looking but deny it? or that 4% are really bad drivers? we know rthe number of bad drivers vastly exceeds 4%. I would be plesantly surprised if 96% of drivers did actually review the highway code as revised.
A theory test resit (full practical resit if you fail) every five or 10 years would fix this.
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