Little-known UK driving law that changed in 2022 still catches out millions & breaking it could land you HUGE fine
A CHANGE to the Highway Code that came into effect some three years ago is still catching out millions of drivers.
Worse still, breaking this newish rule could result in hefty penalties – including up to nine points on a driving licence and, in extreme cases, a £5,000 fine.
In early 2022, the Highway Code was tweaked and saw motorists forced to give priority to pedestrians waiting to cross at junctions, not just those already crossing.
This means that every junction with a pavement is effectively a pedestrian crossing.
But it seems many drivers remain unaware of this rule and often ignore waiting pedestrians – which, in turn, leaves them at risk of being charged with careless driving if an accident occurs.
Indeed, the maximum penalty for careless driving is nine points on a driving licence and an eye-watering £5,000 fine.
Careless driving not only carries the punishment of points and a fine, it’s very likely a driver’s insurance premium will go up as a result
Gerry Bucke, Adrian Flux
Gerry Bucke, general manager of specialist motor insurance brokers Adrian Flux, told Sun Motors: “We all know that there is a huge percentage of drivers on the road who have passed their theory test and never looked at the Highway Code since.
“We know that there are a lot of people that are not going to be aware of subtle changes to the wording of driving laws so to them this still feels like a secret pedestrian rule.
“The fact it was introduced in January 2022 will be of little comfort to them should they be charged for breaking it.
“Careless driving not only carries the punishment of points and a fine, it’s very likely a driver’s insurance premium will go up as a result.
“We all need to make sure we’re doing our bit to better educate drivers and, of course, help provide a safer environment for both pedestrians and drivers.”
For those caught breaking the rule, they’ll most likely be slapped with a fixed penalty notice – which carries a £100 on-the-spot fine and the potential of three penalty points.
The updated Highway Code, part of eight changes that came into effect in January, 2022, states “other traffic should give way” to pedestrians “when people are crossing or waiting to cross at a junction” and “if people have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road”.
Of course, motorists must also give way to “people on a zebra crossing and people walking and cycling on a parallel crossing”.
BLISSFULLY UNAWARE
For many, the change to the rules really did seem to pass them by.
Online discussions on places like X or Reddit reveal wide-reaching confusion and frustration around the rule.
Some drivers have pointed out that the term “should” in the Highway Code’s wording has created ambiguity – compared to the more definitive “must.”
As Bucke highlighted, many drivers are seemingly unaware of these changes because they haven’t revisited the Highway Code since passing their theory tests.
He also warns that careless driving offences could lead to increased insurance premiums.
