The Highway Code plays a huge part in how we get around and how we keep each other safe, but one rule has divided Brits on social media.
A Reddit post sharing a diagram and explanation of Rule H2, which says motorists should give way to pedestrians at junctions, has divided opinions due to safety concerns.
In the r/AskBrits subreddit, one user asked: "Why does no one seem to know or follow rule H2?
"almost everyone out there seems to think that cars have the right way here and beep at you if you’re crossing the road when they want to turn.
"should more be done by the government to make this rule better known?"
Some people shared their fears, saying they don’t feel safe crossing the road until there are no approaching vehicles.
This person said on Reddit: "Absolutely no way I'm stepping out into the road because the Highway Code says I have right of way."
Someone else added: "as a pedestrian i feel safer letting the driver pass than expecting them to stop its easier and more predictable".
Another said: "It's not just cars, even pedestrians will stop to let cars go.
"We've done something a certain way for so long, doing it another way will take time."
Can drivers be fined for not allowing pedestrians to cross before turning into a junction?
Rule H2 of the Highway Code states: "At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning."
It added that "this applies if you are turning right or left into the junction."
To help understand the issue and what this rule means, we asked experts for their thoughts on what should happen at junctions when pedestrians want to cross the road if cars are in the vicinity.
Ben Welham, motoring expert at cinch says: "Drivers should give way to pedestrians already crossing, or waiting to cross, when turning into or out of a junction – whether turning left or right.
"Slowing down early and checking both the road and pavement should help you spot pedestrians.
"Approaching at a sensible speed will also help prevent accidents or needing to brake suddenly.
"While failing to follow this rule doesn’t result in a direct fine, it could be used as evidence of dangerous driving if there's an accident.
"Pedestrians should still make sure drivers have seen them and are slowing down before stepping into the road, but it's an important reminder that pedestrians are road users and have right of way in this example."
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Dan Briggs, CEO at Motorfinity, says: "Rule H2 states drivers 'should' give way to pedestrians waiting to cross rather than 'must', so it isn't an automatic fixed penalty offence, but the Highway Code confirms that even 'should' rules can be used as evidence in court to establish liability if there's a collision, so it's far from consequence-free."
It goes without saying that if drivers collide with a pedestrian, they could receive between 3 and 9 penalty points and an unlimited fine for careless and inconsiderate driving.
Causing a death when driving has serious consequences.
Is the current Highway Code rule clear for road users?
Dan says road users shouldn’t be given "more to guess at" and instead the criteria needs to be "clearer".
He said: "The Highway Code law change since 2022 is also easy to miss, as before 2022, drivers only had to give way to someone already crossing, not someone waiting, which is why plenty of drivers still aren't following the current version.
"For people driving home after a 12-hour shift, often in the dark, when RoSPA research suggests a disproportionate share of accidents happen, that really complicates things.
"A rule built to protect vulnerable road users needs clearer criteria, not more to guess at."
Dan explains why pedestrians and drivers are possibly concerned about the rule and how it works.
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He said: "Without any official signal like a flash or a wave, everyone ends up relying on eye contact, which the Code never actually mentions, and that ambiguity is exactly why many pedestrians say they'd rather a driver just committed to passing than idled uncertainly at the kerb.
"Our advice to drivers is to make an early, clear decision at the junction; either stop with an obvious slowing motion well before the pedestrian, or maintain speed and pass wide, rather than crawling forward mid-hesitation, which is when misreads and near-misses happen.
"For pedestrians, the safest approach is still to make eye contact where possible, watch for the car actually slowing rather than assuming right of way, and only step out once a driver's intent is unmistakable."
Is there a rule in the Highway Code that confuses you? Tell us which one you’re unsure of in the comments below.
