SOUTH WEST WALES BRANCH

Revised Highway Code Launched

The Department for Transport's have issued a revised version of the Highway Code which sets out the latest road safety rules and advice. The Code is substantially updated every eight to ten years. The last significant revision was in 1999.

The Highway Code applies to England , Scotland and Wal! es . The Highway Code is essential reading for every road user and Branches are strongly urged to ensure that our Members who drive are fully aware of the revised Highway Code. Royal Mail and BT operate two of the largest fleets in UK and Europe and those fleets are driven by CWU members who! should be aware of the contents and changes to the new Highway Code for the reasons summarised below.

Likewise Royal Mail operate a fleet of 30,000 Cycles and the new Highway Code has over 40 rules which have been changed to the benefit of Cyclists.

The most vulnerable road users are pedestrians, particularly children, older or disabled people, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders. The new Highway Code stresses the importance of all road users being aware of the Code and being considerate towards each other. This applies to pedestrians as much as to drivers and riders.

Many of the rules in the Highway Code are legal requirements, and if Drivers/Riders disobey these rules they are committing criminal offences. Drivers/Riders may be fined, given penalty points on their licence or be disqualified from driving. In the most serious cases Drivers/Riders may be sent to prison. Such rules are identified in the Highway Code by the use of the words 'MUST/MUST NOT'. In addition, the rule includes an abbreviated reference to the legislation which creates the offence. An explanation of the abbreviations can be found in the publication "The Road User and the Law".

Although failure to comply with the other rules of the Highway Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, The Highway Code may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Road Traffic Acts (see "The road user and the law") to establish liability. This includes rules which use advisory wording such as 'should/should not' or 'do/do not'.

Knowing and applying the rules contained in The Highway Code could significantly reduce road casualties. Cutting the number of deaths and injuries that occur on our roads every day is a responsibility we all share. The Highway Code can help everyone discharge that responsibility.

Further information on driving/riding techniques can be found in:

• 'The Official DSA Guide to Driving - the essential skills' and
• 'The Official DSA Guide to Riding - the essential skills.'

The new Code features:

• increased, rewritten and enhanced advice to promote greater co-operation between road users and further promote safety
• updated rules to reflect the legislation that has been introduced on vehicle emissions and smoking in vehicles that are workplaces
• information on the provision of new stopping and directing powers given to Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and Highways Agency traffic officers
• new initiatives like Quiet Lanes, High-occupancy Vehicle Lanes, Home Zones and Active Traffic Management schemes that people should be aware of
• a new Safety Code for Novice Drivers, to help motorists better navigate their first few months behind the wheel, a particularly risky period.

Probably the last time most people looked at the Highway Code was the day before they passed their driving test or prior to sitting the driving theory test. With the launch of this new, much bigger, Highway Code, the Department for Transport are stressing that the Official Highway Code is for life, not just for passing your driving test. A crucial tool for all road users - car drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians alike - and applies to every stage of your life. Road safety is a responsibility we all share and everyone should have a copy of the Code to keep their knowledge up-to-date.

Employers are encouraged to pass copies of the new Code to work drivers and getting them to spend a little time reading this latest revision as an opportunity to spruce up on the Code. The printed version costs £2.50, and there is also a free online version. This version has been adapted for online use from the Department for Transport's current printed version of the Highway Code. In any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, only the Department for Transport's current printed version of the Code should be relied upon. The Code can be accessed at www.direct.gov.uk/highwaycode .  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070202

The new Highway Code is 50% bigger than the previous version, containing 29 more rules, expanding to a mammoth 309-points, 135 pages, and a new safety code for novice drivers. There's a greater emphasis on promoting courtesy and understanding among road users, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

• It tells those new to the road - "If you are driving with passengers, you are responsible for their safety. Don't let them distract you or encourage you to take risks"' and "Never show off or try to compete with other drivers, particularly if they are driving badly."
• The Code has also been updated to include new legislation on vehicle emissions as well as the new stopping/directing powers of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and Highways Agency traffic officers.
• The Code includes new rules on smoking in vehicles used for work.
• Alongside this, it references new initiatives like quiet lanes, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, home zones and active traffic management schemes, as well as "increasing, re-writing or enhancing existing advice to promote greater co-operation between road users and further promote safety."

Included in the changes, new information, new sections and topics covered:

• Over 40 rules have been changed to the benefit of cyclists.
• A New section giving road safety advice for users of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters (legally classified as invalid carriages)
• New section on giving advice to newly qualified drivers, as they are the group considered to have the highest crash rate.
• A major change is the code's inclusion of smoking at the wheel as behaviour that police may interpret as a distraction and failure to be in proper control of the vehicle. This addition will polarise drivers' opinions both for and against.

Other new topics include:

  vehicle emissions,

  vehicles prohibited from using roads and pavements,

  stopping powers for officers from the Highways Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

  Equestrian Crossings, horse-drawn vehicles,

   merging in turn,

  driving in tunnels,

  securing loads,

  decriminalised parking enforcement,

  dealing with road works.

  Advice on newly introduced schemes such as Quiet Lanes, Home Zones, Active Traffic Management and High-occupancy Vehicle Lanes

  revised rules on seat belt use,

  waiting and parking issues,

  appropriate motorway lane usage by vehicles with weight restrictions.

  improve clarity, other rules were re-cast, and several were enhanced on the subject of level crossing usage.

Many rules were further refreshed and enhanced in several important ways:

  to raise awareness towards the more vulnerable road users such as cyclists, motor cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders,

  to further clarify advice on complex issues such as roundabouts, street and vehicle lighting, lane discipline, vehicle towing and loading, fitness to drive, and personal safety/visibility,

  to promote better attitudes of courtesy and consideration by all road users for all others on the road,

The AA has warned that some of the changes aren't obvious and new code is harder to decipher.

Copyright © CWU South West Wales Branch 2008