Consultation outcome

Review of The Highway Code to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders

This consultation has concluded

Download the full outcome

Proposed alterations to The Highway Code

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Table of proposed changes to The Highway Code

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Proposed alterations to The Highway Code: explanatory memorandum

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Detail of outcome

Documents laid before Parliament on 1 December 2021, outlining changes proposed to The Highway Code to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders.

The feedback, analysis and outcome of the Review of The Highway Code consultation, which indicated we would be seeking to introduce all of the proposals considered during the consultation process, was released on 30 July 2021 in conjunction with commissioned research on sharing our roads.


Original consultation

Summary

Proposes amending The Highway Code to introduce a hierarchy of road users, clarify pedestrian and cyclist priority, and establish safer overtaking.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

Consultation seeking views on proposed changes to The Highway Code to improve safety for vulnerable road users, particularly:

  • cyclists
  • pedestrians
  • horse riders

The main alterations to the code being proposed are:

  • introducing a hierarchy of road users to ensure those who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others
  • clarifying existing rules on pedestrian priority on pavements to advise that drivers and riders should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross the road
  • providing guidance on cyclist priority at junctions to advise drivers to give priority when travelling straight ahead
  • establishing guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking cyclists and horse riders

Documents

Consultation on a review of The Highway Code

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Published 28 July 2020
Last updated 1 December 2021 + show all updates
  1. Proposal documents viewed by Parliament added.

  2. Outcome released.

  3. First published.