A SURVEY has revealed that 61% of British drivers haven’t bothered to learn Highway Code changes introduced this year.
Carried out by the AA, the survey included 13,327 of its members and suggests that 8,090 had not read up on the changes made back in January.
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Of that 61%, 6,972 AA members had heard about the new rules but had not read them yet, but 1,118 were completely unaware of the changes.
The Highway Code changes give greater priority to cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians over drivers.
Specifically, vehicles must leave at least a 1.5m gap when overtaking cyclists and 2m when passing horses.
Also, drivers must give way to pedestrians crossing at road junctions, and are not allowed to cut across vulnerable users when exiting a junction.
But the rule change that has caused the most difference in opinion is that the Highway Code now advises cyclists to ride in the centre of lanes on quieter roads, in slower-moving traffic and when approaching junctions.
This is based on a new hierarchy of road users that says drivers of cars, vans and lorries now have a greater responsibility when sharing the roads.
With so many drivers not clued up on the rule changes, millions of drivers face fines of £1,000s for the most serious breaches and resulting accidents.
Tim Rankin, managing director of AA Accident Assist, said the group was “concerned that so many still haven’t read the rules”.
He went on: “While we are pleased that many of the changes can be successfully recalled, we’d like more drivers to know the rules outright so they can keep themselves and others safe.
“It is in everyone’s interest to take every measure that helps avoid collisions and remove confusion from the road, so we urge those that still haven’t read the updated code to do so as soon as possible.”
