Keep your eyes on the (rules of) the road

According to a 2021 study by Rooster Insurance, 46.6 per cent of drivers have never refreshed their knowledge of the Highway Code.

Those road users will no doubt be surprised to hear that 33 of its rules have been updated and five other changes have been made to it this year alone. Clyde & Co's Kirsty Yuill writes for today's The Scotsman to discuss how the Highway Code has changed significantly in this year alone, and why it's a good idea to refresh your memory regularly if you're a driver and the changes could impact personal injury claims. She also raises the point of the presently proposed changes by the Department for Transport, which will introduce a hierarchy of road users.

Kirsty said: "The DfT intends to to introduce a hierarchy of road users “which ensures that those road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to other road users.” DfT explains that “this principle applies most strongly to drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles, followed by vans / minibuses, cars / taxis and motorcycles” and that “cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles likewise have a responsibility to reduce danger to pedestrians.” As an example of the proposed hierarchy in action, one particular proposed change would amend the instruction to drivers approaching a zebra crossing from “look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop to let them cross” to “you should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing”.

To read Kirsty's full article, please click here.

*This content was written by BLM prior to its merger with Clyde & Co*