Majority of drivers still don't know new highway code rules one year on - poll
Changes to some of the rules regarding cyclists and pedestrians were made last year
Last updated 28th Jan 2023
Most drivers remain unaware of Highway Code changes one year after they were introduced, a survey suggests.
A YouGov poll commissioned by charity Cycling UK suggests only around a third of people are confident about the new rules.
The Highway Code, which contains advice and rules for people using Britain's roads, was amended on January 29 last year to provide more protection for vulnerable road users.
The new rules mean drivers and riders should give way to pedestrians who wish to cross the road at junctions.
It also stated that motorists should leave a gap of at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds up to 30mph, with a wider gap at higher speeds.
Other changes included advice to cyclists to ride in the centre of lanes on quieter roads, in slower-moving traffic and when approaching junctions, and the creation of a hierarchy of road users meaning someone driving has more responsibility to watch out for people cycling, walking or riding a horse.
A quarter of drivers "know nothing" about new highway code rules
But a quarter (25%) of the 2,168 British adults surveyed earlier this month for Cycling UK said they knew "nothing at all" about the amendments, and just 30% of respondents who drive at least once a week and had some awareness of the update could correctly identify the overtaking guidance.
A similar poll conducted immediately after the new Highway Code was published indicated that only 33% of regular drivers who knew about the changes gave the right response on the overtaking gap.
Liverpool driving instructor Ashley Neal, who has become known for his driver education YouTube channel, told us he doesn't think enough was done last year to make people aware of the rules.
He said:
"The main one is really the pedestrian priority when you're turning into a side road, where the drivers now need to give way to any pedestrians who wish to cross the entrance or an exit to a road.
"The biggest thing that I've found to be problematic, and I've had confirmation of this from the DVSA, is that a roundabout is classed as a junction.
"It is awkward sometimes to give way to pedestrians on the entrance to a roundabout, especially at the exit.
"Most people don't realise these rules and if you're doing the correct thing, pedestrians can sometimes look at you as though you've got two heads and go, what's this driver doing?
"Even I had driving instructors messaging me and asking me what the rules were."
"Not enough was done. Even I had driving instructors messaging me and asking me what the rules were.
"There was a national campaign, which I actually didn't see and to go back to your original question, what needs to be done? Well, a lot more, this isn't going to be a quick fix.
"We, as driving instructors, are obviously going to stick by the rules and do what we should be doing. But there's going to have to be a proper national campaign to get this out to people.
"Very few people are going to even pick up an edition of the highway code, let alone one of the updated ones so it's not easy.
"If you think of the small percentage of drivers that us driving instructors have taught since the last 12 months, that only really accounts for a tiny little percentage of people on the roads.
So there's still a massive percentage that don't know and without a proper national campaign. I can't see this getting better anytime soon."