A motoring expert has issued a reminder to drivers about a Highway Code rule that many continue to get wrong. Select Car Leasing is reminding motorists of a significant change to the code aimed at ensuring pedestrian safety, introduced three years ago.
Its experts say the rule is still widely misunderstood. Back in 2022, the Highway Code was revised to enhance the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders. Changes established a new “hierarchy of road users”, with those most at risk at the top.
One of the key messages to motorists and cyclists is that when pedestrians are crossing or waiting to cross at a junction, other traffic should always give way. Graham Conway of Select Car Leasing told Wales Online: “If you’re a motorist about to turn into a junction, and a pedestrian is either already crossing the road or is waiting to cross, you need to give way and let them complete their journey.
“It’s a crucial element of the Highway Code that is still misunderstood three years after it was implemented. Spend time online, and you’ll see some motorists complaining that pedestrian behaviours are getting worse and that they are prone to ‘just walking into the road’ without regard for their own safety.
“But this opinion could be coloured by the fact that some motorists still don’t understand how pedestrians should be protected by the Highway Code.” Motorists who attempt to turn into the path of a pedestrian face possible charges of careless driving, potentially resulting in fines of up to £2,500 and as many as nine penalty points.
The Highway Code states: “When people are crossing or waiting to cross at a junction, other traffic should give way. If people have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road, the people crossing have priority, and the traffic should give way.”
The rules that put pedestrians at the top of the traffic hierarchy also extend to cyclists, who, like the driver of a car, should also allow pedestrians to cross the road before continuing on their way.
The code adds: “People driving, riding a motorcycle or cycling must give way to people on a zebra crossing and people walking and cycling on a parallel crossing. A parallel crossing is similar to a zebra crossing but includes a cycle route alongside the black and white stripes.”
