Important updates to the Highway Code come into effect on Saturday 29th January which will see the introduction of a new hierarchy of road users aimed to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. Among other changes, drivers will no longer have priority at junctions, all non-emergency use of hand-held mobiles will be banned and the “Dutch Reach” method should be used to exit a vehicle (i.e. using the hand furthest away from the door to open it).
Unfortunately, official printed versions of the new Highway Code 2022 from the DVSA are not expected to be available prior to the implementation date. A table of proposed changes to the Highway Code was published during the consultation period (although this is obviously a far cry from the user-friendly book to be issued in due course) and can be found here: –
Table of changes to The Highway Code (publishing.service.gov.uk)
For the time being, all road users and pedestrians will have to do their own research to familiarise themselves with the changes. There is plenty of commentary on the internet on the subject and you might care to read the very useful guide issued by Parkers, the car valuation company, which can be found here: –https://www.parkers.co.uk/
