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Half of drivers say they have forgotten all about the Highway Code since passing their driving test – and only a third have bothered to refer to it since becoming fully fledged motorists, a new study reveals.
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http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/transport/highway_code_proves_a_closed_book_1_1981659
Why does this not surprise me? Sigh.
Its not surprising to me, I have not re-read it since passing my test 26 years ago - and partly because the info is so pointless.
Example - their oft quoted "stopping distances" ? In what car, in what state of repair, on what road surface, in what weather ?
I chucked it out after the ridiculous section 181 which advocates two ways of turning right - its still there - rule 181
N.b the one I think is silly is -
turn right side to right side; keep the other vehicle on your right and turn behind it. This is generally the safer method as you have a clear view of any approaching traffic when completing your turn
If any new driver relies on this as a 'how to drive manual', its small wonder we have so many run-ins with them.
as a professional driver, ugh !!!, I would say that the right to right passing does SOUND the safer option, but actually slowing and allowing one to go in front of you sounds even better,I prepare to be slatted here.If the vehicle is on your right and you turn right behind it then you do indeed have a better view of any on coming traffic, but, if you turn right across the path of opposing right turners then you cant see through the oncoming right turner and hence cant see the cyclist who maybe cant see you, and head on ensues ! bullets loaded, splitshift in the sights ?
I reg have traininmg with my company and have just completed my CPC yearly requirement, which as well as enforcing what already is the law, informs of what has been changed.Incidentally, the highway code was regular reading as kids, we wanted to drive, and we wanted to know the law on bikes ! I think we just wanted to be smart a***s !
scott
Scott
I'll hold my hands up to not knowing the highway code cover to cover... flame on!
However looking at rule 181 it does make excellent sense its just a pity that folk of my ilk are in the majority and trying to turn right to right would confusing most drivers...
Probably is time for some kind of re-certification system to be brought in for all drivers not just professionals.
Splitshift, dont worry, no tin hat needed - thats my point (in a roundabout way) - it does SOUND better/safer, but will it work in 99.99% of real life situations ?
We can all sit at a junction and judge for ourselves, but I dont think it reads well, so why have they not updated it (i know they add to it) to make it relevant ?
Interesting. And another car insurance company highlights the limited knowledge of drivers. Interesting alongside confused.com and carbuzz. These guys must be losing a lot of money to be spending on this kind of PR.
What it needs is someone to give the Government 10 simple solutions to dealing with drivers' errors, lapses and violations
I remember evaluating the West Lothian Driver Improvement Scheme. Wonder where that idea went.
"turn right side to right side; keep the other vehicle on your right and turn behind it."
I remember that one!
Not sure I've ever seen it happen.
Perfect when there is only one vehicle in each direction and no chance of another one coming behind you or other vehicle.
I often think about this when I am turning from Dundas Street into Queen Street (on a bike).
I am very conscious that 'opposing' vehicle is 'protecting' me. I am also very conscious of the vehicle behind me that is likely to try to overtake me, and potentially cut me up when it's clear to turn right.
If I went right to right I would have to wait for the queue turning right from Hanover Street. When I did turn, other vehicles turning left to left behind me probably wouldn't be expecting to see me.
I expect this would be even worse if a) I was in a car b) Queen Street was narrower.
At least it made me realise that the HC 'doesn't always know best' in 'real' conditions - which perhaps isn't the best attitude to have when the issue is 'road safety'.
I refer to it quite often for citycycling stuff - I've found it's useful to know for one particular reason, if someone declares, while whingeing about cyclists, that cyclists don't think the Highway Code applies to them. Nice to have an absolute armoury of rules that the majority of drivers don't know about.
As chdot says, right/right side tuening is fine if there is only one vehicle in each direction. Any more and there's then a queue of traffic to have to cut across/block!
Which is why it isn't the recommended method for use a traffic lights, where left/left is described.
I prefer right/right (or slowing to decouple the two manoeuvres), although so few drivers know of its existence that to find one who will join the dance is very rare!
Robert
I like to be aware of as much of it as possible for the legal-high-ground advantage should anything happen.
Regarding right-to-right turning, when I was small there was one junction in the town where I went to big school where the road was clearly marked to encourage right-side-to-right-side turning (at least for vehicles going from North St to Jubilee Way and from South St to the Skeggy road. It was probably just due to the squintiness of the crossing rather than a need to make it easier to follow the Highway Code and has since been changed.
"Example - their oft quoted "stopping distances" ? In what car, in what state of repair, on what road surface, in what weather ?"
Whilst some content has the look of learn-this-verbatim-to-pass-your-test the minimum take-home message of the back cover's stopping-distances chart should be that "two feet behind the car in front is too close", a message which far too many drivers have not taken home. Whilst police-questionings to drivers at the scenes of accidents might not go "...and how fast would you say you were going? And what does the Highway Code recommend as the minimum safe stopping distance when travelling at that speed in these conditions?" drivers ought to realise more often (as in not just immediately after punting the bottom of the vehicle in front) that the safe stopping distance has more than the two settings of 'motorway' (up to one car-length) and 'everywhere else' (two feet).
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Carlton Reid @carltonreid replied to you
@CyclingEdin And the other half never took any of it in anyway.
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turn right side to right side; keep the other vehicle on your right and turn behind it.
I have seen this happen back in the 80s. I assumed the people doing it were from out of town or abroad.
When I was in New Zealand, sister in law warned us of a similar oddity in their code - but one they all used to adhere to -
If you are driving along, and a car coming toward you indicates right (i.e.across your path), then THEY have right of way, YOU have to slow/stop and let them cross.
Suffice to say, many a tourist was caught out. I believe they phased it out as it was so crazy !
"car coming toward you indicates right (i.e.across your path), then THEY have right of way"
Wasn't (isn't?) there something similar in France (except left).
Many years ago a cousin of mine was swiped off his motorbike in some situation which have been OK in UK.
Je pense apprendre des choses juste pour passer un test peut avoir un effet durable. Peut-être le test doit être plus difficile.
Quarter to three, and yes, I'd love a cup of tea.
It would be reasonable to conclude therefore, that as a large proportion of adult cyclists are also drivers (+ the cyclists that are not drivers), then > 50% of cyclists don't know the highway code either?
Lots of learning to be done by > 50% of ALL road users.
I think learning things just to pass a test can have a lasting effect. Perhaps the test needs to be more difficult.
It is all part of the culture of the sacred driving licence. People believe they have a right to drive and that once have a driving licence they don't need to bother with all that stuff they had to learn in order to get the licence.
All to often I have heard people saying "you only have to do that to pass your test", they fail to understand that the way you drive for a driving test is the way you are supposed to drive all the time.
'could' ? or 'ought to' ?
Je pense apprendre des choses juste pour passer un test doit* avoir un effet durable. Peut-être le test doit être plus difficile."
*aurait? guessing.... +20 years after my last french test
(oops. i spent too long composing and worrying about verb tenses and above now OBE)
"Lots of learning to be done by > 50% of ALL road users."
Yes indeed but not knowing the Highway Code is a charge that is very often levelled at cyclists as if all drivers know it off by heart. In a way is quite gratifying to have that confirmed as nonsense.
"All to often I have heard people saying "you only have to do that to pass your test", they fail to understand that the way you drive for a driving test is the way you are supposed to drive all the time."
When I learned to drive the constant refrain was that you only started to "learn how to drive" after you passed your test.
"When I learned to drive the constant refrain was that you only started to "learn how to drive" after you passed your test"
I do think there's something in that. Experience can bring with it a better awareness. Although it can also cement bad habits.
One thing that I really, honestly, do find bizarre to be taught and certainly I 'only learned for my test' was passing the wheel from hand to hand with hands set at 10 to 3. Much, much more control in many situations not having to do that.
On the hand shuffling, there is method in the madness, it saves crossing the arms and getting into difficulty whilst learning (really, I have seen a learner get their arms "stuck" and run wide on a corner.
On vehicles with heavy steering/off road it gives a much better grip on the wheel than palming it round. At legal speeds there is plenty time to use the 10 to 2 technique, if you are racing a whole different set of requirements apply ( ;-) ) Finally, every so often I see someone palming a wheel round slip and have a "moment"...
At work I periodically have to supervise basic highway code tests on qualified and often "professional" drivers. The general lack of knowledge is frankly appalling. I really believe there should be a system, such as say an online basic highway code test, which should be completed annually to maintain the validity of a driving license, fail or fail to complete and licence invalid until you complete a full fresh theory test to revalidate the licence.
Also *everyone*, whether driver, motorcyclist or cyclist needs a good grasp of the Highway code if they are not to risk hypocrisy when criticising other road users imho.
Lastly, as to what was drummed in during driver training, my old man always told me that passing the test meant that I had reached the *minimum* standard required to be allowed to continue learning to drive unsupervised, a "driver" I was not yet!
Maybe it's time to get drivers to resit their driving test every 5 years to keep up to date with all the new regulations. A bit like normal retraining that anyone doing a job has to do from time to time. There's even a petition for that: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/4158
Make it ten years and it falls in line with the photocard renewal....
"Make it ten years and it falls in line with the photocard renewal...."
That sounds like a good idea.
With more frequent eye tests.
@chdot - France - in built up areas, you are supposed to give way to traffic coming from the right.
Also, the scenario you described may have involved roundabouts, they are odd - depending on signage priority is given to traffic on the roundabout OR traffic entering the roundabout !!
I am in france a fair bit, and I think its safe to say that these rules appear to be more 'advisory' if locals driving habits are any barometer.
@Nelly
Thanks
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