Highway Code Consultation – Improving Safety for Riders

The Government is currently consulting on changes to the Highway Code. The proposed changes seek to improve protection for vulnerable road users such as horse riders, pedestrians and cyclists.

The proposals do not extend to other areas of the Highway Code, or to amendments to other highways legislation.

These proposals are the result of several years of work including that of the Highway Code Review Stakeholder Focus Group which involved the British Horse Society, Cycling UK, Living Streets and The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

The Alliance believes the changes proposed would be beneficial to riders and would encourage members with a relevant equestrian interest to support these changes, however the Alliance also recommends that interested parties should read the consultation questions and respond if deemed appropriate.

The main alterations to the Code being proposed are:

1. Introducing 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 others;
2. 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;
3. Providing guidance on cyclist priority at junctions to advise drivers to give priority to cyclists at junctions when travelling straight ahead;
4. Establishing guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking cyclists and horse riders.

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 27 October 2020.

Further details, including how to respond, can be found here