We’ve all played the old ‘rock, paper, scissors’ game I’m sure? Well from the 29th of January you’ll be able to play a Highway Code version every time you use the roads in the UK, either as a pedestrian, cyclist, horse rider, scooter/motorcycle rider, car/van driver, or bus/coach/HGV driver.
Under the proposed new rules, if you’re driving a 38-tonne truck you’re ‘The Rock’, you can crush everybody with your might so you need to look out for everybody else. Meanwhile, if you’re a car driver ‘Scissors’ then The Rock has to look out for you but you have to look out for ‘Paper’ scooter riders, cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians. Car drivers are the ‘Scissors’ between the ‘Rock’ and paper. It’s a game of hierarchy and responsibility.
Rule H1 – Hierarchy of road users
“Those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others. This principle applies most strongly to drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles, vans/minibuses, cars/taxis and motorcycles”.
Let’s explain how the new rule works. Basically, it is aimed at protecting the most vulnerable road users; children, pedestrians, older or disabled people, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders. Rule H1 does NOT give priority to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders in EVERY situation (common sense still plays a part) but the rule is designed to make sure other road users are considerate to the more vulnerable. ALL road users are still expected to act responsibly. Everybody suffers in the event of a collision but it’s most likely a pedestrian will fare worse than somebody in a vehicle.
The proposed new rule for drivers, motorcyclists, horse riders and cyclists
At a junction, you SHOULD give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.
You MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing.
You SHOULD give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing, and pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross on a parallel crossing.
Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles SHOULD also give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing.
Pedestrians HAVE priority when on a zebra crossing, on a parallel crossing or at light-controlled crossings when they have a green signal.
Cyclists SHOULD give way to pedestrians on shared-use cycle tracks.
Only pedestrians may use the pavement. This includes people using wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Pedestrians MAY use any part of the road and use cycle tracks as well as the pavement, unless there are signs prohibiting pedestrians.
H2 helps to clarify where and when pedestrians have priority, especially at junctions. It seeks to emphasise where road users SHOULD give way to pedestrians crossing a road and MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing.
“Those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others.”
Rule H1/H2 means that drivers and cyclists SHOULD stop and give way if a pedestrian is waiting to cross the road into which they’re turning. The driver MUST stop and give way to pedestrians at zebra crossings etc.
Rule H3 clarifies cyclists priorities
It makes it clear that drivers/riders SHOULD not cut across the path of a cyclist going straight ahead when they are: turning into or out of a junction, changing direction, changing lane. This applies whether the cyclist is using a cycle lane, cycle track, or riding ahead on the road. It also RECOMMENDS that drivers and motorcyclists SHOULD not turn at a junction if to do so would cause the cyclist going straight ahead to stop or swerve.
The proposed new text is:
Rule for drivers and motorcyclists:
“You SHOULD NOT cut across cyclists going ahead when turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane, just as you would not turn across the path of another motor vehicle. This applies whether cyclists are using a cycle lane, a cycle track, or riding ahead on the road and you should give way to them. DO NOT turn at a junction if to do so would cause the cyclist going straight ahead to stop or swerve, just as you would do with a motor vehicle. YOU SHOULD STOP and wait for a safe gap in the flow of cyclists if necessary”.
This includes when cyclists are:
• Approaching, passing, or moving off from a junction
• Moving past or waiting alongside stationary or slow-moving traffic
• Travelling around a roundabout”
Other rule changes include drivers being advised to leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking a cyclist (see text below), cyclists being advised on road positioning (centre of the lane on quieter roads) and to leave room for drivers to overtake on busier roads. There are also changes to the use of mobile phones making it illegal to take photos/videos whilst driving and some guidance on the safe use of video cameras/dash cams.
Guidance on passing distances
Strangely there seems to be no specific guidance/rules for users of e-scooters (legal or illegal) or for drivers encountering them. What has changed though is the guidance for passing distances. This relates to pedestrians, cyclists and horses but should have really been worded to include all slower moving road users.
• Leave a minimum distance of 1.5m at speeds under 30mph
• Leave a minimum distance of 2 metres at speeds over 30mph
• Always leave a distance of at least 2 metres if driving a large vehicle
• Pass horses and horse-drawn vehicles at speeds under 15mph and at a minimum distance of 2 metres
• Allow 2 metres of distance when passing a pedestrian who is walking in the road
• Wait behind the motorcyclist, cyclist, horse rider, horse-drawn vehicle or pedestrian and not overtake if it is unsafe or not possible to meet these clearances
In a nutshell
What this all means is that anybody who reads articles like this will have a better idea about what’s going on than people who don’t.
There’s every chance that you’ll be riding your scooter and will courteously stop the traffic behind you to give way to a pedestrian waiting to cross the road into which you’re turning (remember that’s only a SHOULD, not a MUST). That pedestrian won’t know why you’ve stopped and will stand on the pavement looking at you as if you’re an idiot. Meanwhile, the drivers behind you will become impatient because they probably won’t know the new rule either and The Rock will probably just smash into the back of them all.
The moral of this story is (as always when riding scooters) to keep your wits about you after the rule updates come in on January 29th* because the vast majority of the population won’t have a clue what’s going on. Be nice to everybody on the road and look after yourselves and others no matter what they’re on or in.
If you want to digest the full Highway Code revisions you can have a read here.
* Subject to parliamentary approval and at the minute I believe they have bigger problems to deal with.
