Drivers are unaware of big changes to the Highway Code which could mean people are breaking the law on a daily basis. In a new statement the Department for Transport (DfT) has said it will be carrying out a campaign in 2026 across the UK try to get the message across.
It was in 2022 when the Highway Code got the big update which focused on cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders. It created a Hierarchy of Road Users, prioritising pedestrians, cyclists, and horse riders - those most at risk - over vehicles, requiring drivers to give way at junctions to those crossing or waiting to cross.
However if people do cross the road or cycle out they could be putting their lives in jeopardy as so many motorists don’t know the rules and might not stop. It comes as a new Road Safety Strategy was published by the DfT with a host of proposals for laws.
In it, the first road safety strategy in more than a decade, there are plans tackling drink driving by lowering the alcohol limit, improving training for young drivers and introducing mandatory eye tests for older motorists.
In a new parliamentary question Labour’s James Naish asked Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander: “To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase public awareness of changes to the Highway Code as part of the new Road Safety Strategy.”
Lilian Greenwood Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport) said this week: “Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all.
“Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes. Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations.
“However, as set out in the strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.
“As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the strategy to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK, the government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.”
Some 407 pedestrians were killed in 2023, up from 385 in 2022 - an increase of 6%.In 2022, the Highway Code was amended to improve the safety of people walking, cycling and riding horses. The changes installed a new ‘Hierarchy of road users’, with those most at risk placed at the top of the tree. And 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.
If a motorist is guilty of attempting to turn into the path of a pedestrian, they could be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention - which carries a fine up to £2,500 and between 3 and 9 penalty points.
The Highway Code itself is clear. It 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 Highway 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.”
An RAC poll at the beginning of 2024 revealed how large numbers of UK drivers were still ignoring the Highway Code changes that protect pedestrians. The poll of 2,500 motorists showed that less than a quarter (23 per cent) of respondents claimed to ‘always give priority to pedestrians at junctions’, while 6 per cent said they never give way to pedestrians in such scenarios.
