Protecting vulnerable road users is at the heart of recent updates to the Highway Code, yet many people remain unaware of the changes, says Becky Spencer.

“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.” Not the words of a great philosopher but Rule H1 of the Highway Code.

Introduced as part of a significant update to the Code in January 2022, Rule H1 is one of three rules which specifically support the new “hierarchy of road users” which has been added to the Code to protect vulnerable road users.

The hierarchy recognises that while all road users have a responsibility to use the road in a safe, considerate and responsible manner, those road users that can cause the greatest harm to others in a collision (i.e. car, van, coach, bus and HGV drivers) have the most responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to other road users.

Protecting vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists) is at the heart of the recent changes to the Code, which is why recent reports that many drivers are still unaware of the changes related to the “hierarchy of road users” nearly three years after they came into force are worrying. Even many of those who the hierarchy aims to protect seem unaware of the changes or how they impact on them, particularly pedestrians.

The failure to effectively communicate these important road safety changes to drivers and vulnerable road users is all the more concerning when you take into account the latest road casualty statistics released by the Department for Transport (DfT).

In 2023, a quarter of the 1,645 fatalities on GB roads were pedestrians. That’s 407 deaths, an increase of six per cent since 2022. In addition, 84 cyclists were killed in road collisions in 2023 and 306 motorcyclists. These three groups of vulnerable road users accounted for just over 38 per cent of all road casualties (of all severities) last year.

Horse riders are another group of vulnerable road users that the hierarchy aims to protect. In 2023, data released by the British Horse Society reveals there were 3,383 road incidents involving horses reported to them, 85 per cent of which occurred because a vehicle passed a horse rider too closely or too quickly. Three riders died as a result of these incidents and 94 were injured. Sixty-six horses were killed and 86 were injured.

Protecting the vulnerable

In addition to the ‘hierarchy of road users’, key updates and clarifications made to the Code which aim to improve the safety of people walking, cycling and riding horses include:

At junctions:

• When people are crossing or waiting to cross at a junction, other traffic (including cyclists) should give way
• Drivers and motorcyclists should not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse-drawn vehicles going ahead when they are turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane, and should not turn at a junction if to do so would cause a cyclist, horse rider or horse-drawn vehicle going straight ahead to stop or swerve.

In spaces shared by people walking, cycling and riding horses: 

• Cyclists should not pass people walking, riding a horse or driving a horse-drawn vehicle closely or at high speed, particularly from behind, and should let people walking know they are there, e.g. by ringing their bell
• Cyclists should not pass a horse on the horse’s left.

Updated guidance for cyclists’ positioning in the road includes:

• Ride in the centre of the lane on quiet roads, in slower-moving traffic and at the approach to junctions or road narrowings
• Keep at least 0.5 metres (just over 1.5 feet) away from the kerb edge (and further where it is safer) when riding on busy roads with vehicles moving faster than you
• People cycling in groups can ride two abreast but should be considerate of the needs of other road users when riding in groups and allow people driving behind them to overtake when it’s safe to do so.

Safe passing distances and speeds:

• Drivers and motorcyclists travelling at speeds of up to 30mph should leave at least 1.5 metres (5 feet) when overtaking cyclists, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds and should pass people riding horses or driving horse-drawn vehicles at speeds under 10mph and allow at least 2 metres (6.5 feet) of space
• They should wait behind cyclists and horse riders and not overtake them if it’s unsafe or not possible to meet the clearances set out above; and should be aware of their blind spots and take extra care to check these are clear.

Other changes advise:

• Drivers and motorcyclists to take extra care when entering a roundabout to make sure they do not cut across people cycling, riding a horse or driving a horse-drawn vehicle who are continuing around the roundabout in the left-hand lane (these vulnerable road users can stay in the left-hand lane of a roundabout when they intend to continue across or around the roundabout)
• Drivers to use the so called “Dutch Reach” technique when opening vehicle doors to avoid hitting cyclists, horse riders or pedestrians. RoSPA has long called for the use of the Dutch Reach which involves drivers and passengers opening the door they are exiting using their hand furthest from the door (your left hand if you're the driver), which encourages them to look behind them before opening the door.

Education & awareness

How successful these changes and others in the updated Highway Code will prove to be at reducing vulnerable road user deaths and injuries remains to be seen. A survey of 2,500 drivers carried out by the RAC earlier this year found that only 18 per cent believed the changes have made the roads safer for pedestrians. A third thought pedestrians face even greater danger at junctions since the changes were introduced.

Younger drivers (aged 17 to 24) surveyed were more likely to think the changes have made the roads safer for vulnerable road users compared to drivers aged 65 and over. And those who had been driving the longest (over 25 years) were less likely to think vulnerable road users are safer now the new rules are in place than motorists with less than nine years of driving experience.

The RAC says its research suggests the reason for such mixed views is that the message simply hasn’t got through to drivers. This lack of awareness was also highlighted by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee following its inquiry into how to encourage more active travel (walking and cycling). It has long been known that people’s perceptions of how safe the roads are influences their choice to walk or cycle more, and the committee said it was not convinced that the Government’s messaging around the positive changes that have been made to improve safety, such as the revisions to the Highway Code, have been communicated effectively to the general public.

Following the committee’s report, the Government relaunched its THINK! campaign which encourages all road users to “travel like you know them”, reminding people that the pedestrian or cyclist they see on the road could be anyone they know and would want to keep safe. However, road safety organisations, including RoSPA, have called for a more widespread education campaign to ensure greater awareness of the “hierarchy of road users” and other changes. The AA has suggested reminding drivers of the updated rules when they are contacted with car tax reminders and licence renewals.

When the Highway Code was first published in 1931 there were around two million licensed vehicles on the road. In that year, there were 209,000 reported road casualties including 6,691 deaths. Around half of these fatalities were pedestrians and one-fifth were cyclists. Today, the number of licensed vehicles has increased massively to around 40 million. Thankfully, pedestrian and cyclist casualties have decreased massively but, of course, one road death is one too many, which is why getting the message across about the changes to the Highway Code is so important.