Britons are calling for a new Highway Code campaign as drivers continue to flout the rules of the road. Labour has been urged to step in and launch a national road safety campaign to help drivers get to grips with the updated Highway Code rules. Cycling UK is leading the charge, calling on the government to take action four years after significant changes were made to the Highway Code, which introduced tougher rules to enhance road safety. The changes marked a major shift in road safety guidance in decades, but critics warn that the public was never properly informed, leading to confusion, frustration, and unsafe driving. Cycling UK is pushing for a new national road safety awareness campaign, similar to the THINK! adverts, to remind drivers of their responsibilities under the revised Highway Code. The charity argues that without proper education, changes on paper mean little on the road. The 2022 reforms introduced the 'hierarchy of road users', placing greater responsibility on larger, heavier vehicles to reduce danger to more vulnerable road users. The update also strengthened guidance on overtaking cyclists, promoted the 'Dutch Reach' to prevent car door collisions, and clarified priority at junctions. Despite these changes, awareness remains patchy, and the need for a 'lifelong learning approach' to road safety is acknowledged. Cycling UK is urging drivers to refresh their knowledge of the Highway Code, with one retiree from Bristol recounting nearly 60 close overtaking incidents last year. While reporting systems for careless or dangerous driving have expanded, Cycling UK argues that enforcement alone cannot change behavior. The government's spending on road safety campaigns has fallen, and the strategy itself acknowledges the need for a 'lifelong learning approach', which campaigners interpret as a quiet admission of inadequate public information.
