A third of drivers (31%) think pedestrians now face greater danger at junctions following Highway Code changes meant to increase safety.

Half (51%) of drivers doubt the Highway Code changes have increased safety for pedestrians

Published two years after the rules were introduced, the RAC research has also found that half (51%) of drivers doubt the changes have increased safety.

The changes went live on 29 January 2022 and included four new rules and 49 changes to the Code, introducing the requirement for drivers to give way to pedestrians at a junction, as part of a new risk-based ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’.

Those who can cause the most harm, such as large goods and passenger vehicles, vans, minibuses, cars, taxis and motorcycles, now have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they pose to others.

Yet only a fifth (18%) of drivers believe the new rules have increased pedestrian safety.

Data from the Government’s latest road casualty statistics for the year ending June 2023 found that 30% of pedestrian fatalities occur at a junction, along with 39% of serious injuries.

The RAC’s research, part of its Report on Motoring, suggests the reason for the confusion over the Highway Code rules is the message simply hasn’t got through to drivers. While Highway Code Rule 170 states drivers should give way to pedestrians when turning in or out of junctions, less than a quarter (23%) of drivers say they always do. Nearly half (48%) say they give way most of the time but, alarmingly, a fifth (19%) admit they don’t stop very often while 6% never do.

The picture is very different from the pedestrian perspective too – when the same pool of respondents were asked if, as pedestrians, they notice other drivers stopping to give way, just 2% said they see others stop all the time, while two-thirds (65%) said drivers rarely or never stop for them.

The findings correlate with a report from the Government’s Public Accounts Committee which, in November 2023, declared that messaging around the changes had not been communicated effectively enough to encourage public participation.

RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “The updates are only as good as a universal understanding of them. If a driver turns into a junction as a pedestrian is crossing, it’s already too late, because that’s when confusion could turn into a collision.

“Part of the reason may be that drivers simply don’t know that the changes have been made, least of all the consequences of ignoring them. Most drivers probably rarely refer to the Highway Code once they’ve passed their tests, and that’s where the problem could lie. We urge motorists to take another close look at the changes – either by visiting the Highway Code or RAC websites, or by picking up a printed copy.

“We’d also urge the Government to make another concerted effort in communicating the changes to all road users.”