New Highway Code rules 2022: Time to brush up

Major changes to The Highway Code came into effect on January 29 2022 and violation of the new rules will lead to penalties or fines. 

Unless you have recently passed your driving or motorcycle test, the new Highway Code rules may come to a surprise to you.

A poll conducted by AA revealed, a staggering one in three drivers are unaware of the new rules.

So, it is probably a good time for you to go back and brush up on your knowledge before hitting the road. 

The changes aim to reduce the number of road traffic accidents. Last year alone, over 200 people were killed or seriously injured due to road accidents in Kingston.

A further 25,341 collisions were reported in London in 2019, whilst 125 people were killed or seriously injured due to road-related accidents.  

Sarah Ginnard, a fine art atudent, said: “I fully support the new Highway Code, in a city like London with all the buses, cars and other cyclists I believe it is probably for the best. Drivers may be annoyed but hopefully this will make push more people to start cycling.” 

Hierarchy of users

The biggest change is the introduction of a new road user hierarchy – which means drivers of larger vehicles will bear the responsibility of reducing the danger posed to others.

Pedestrians sit at the top of the hierarchy, followed by cyclists, horse riders, motorcyclists, cars followed by large heavy goods vehicles.

Pedestrians are identified as “most likely to be injured in the event of a collision”.

Lynch said: “I don’t trust a lot of drivers, so any penalty or fine they receive is honestly okay with me, cause it’s worth preventing injury. Maybe it’s because I don’t drive.” 

The new Highway Code also encourages drivers to open their door by using the hand on the opposite side, known to many as the Dutch Reach technique.

This is because it is more likely to lead to them looking over their shoulder, so they can easily spot cyclists or passengers going by.