As of January 29^th, 2022, there was a variety of changes made to the Highway Code (gov.uk). What is the Highway Code? The highway code is a set of rules, advice, and guidance that were given to keep road users and pedestrians safe. These rules have been in place since April 1931 in the UK.

6 Highway Code Changes

1. Hierarchy of Road Users

One of the biggest changes is that road users have been put into hierarchies. The hierarchy of road users is as follows:

• Pedestrians – Least liability
• Cyclists
• Horse riders
• Motorcyclists
• Car and taxi drivers
• Van and minibus drivers
• Large passenger and HGV Drivers – Most liability

Those with the most potential to do harm such as those driving larger vehicles have more responsibility to reduce the threat posed to other road users. Comparable to these new rules, pedestrians have a higher probability to be injured in the event of an incident. As a result, drivers will be held more accountable for keeping an eye out for bicycles, pedestrians, and horseback riders.

2. Crossing at Junctions

The updated Highway Code explains that at junctions pedestrians should be given priority when crossing or waiting to cross the road. To help ensure you take care at junctions you should:

• Be aware of cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians, including those using motorised wheelchairs or mobility scooters, as they are not always visible. If you approach from behind, be aware that they may not have seen or heard you.

• If people have started crossing or are waiting to cross and traffic wants to turn into the road, the people crossing have priority and the traffic should give way so you should prepare for the vehicle in front stopping.

• Stay behind cyclists, horse riders, horse-drawn vehicles, and motorcyclists at junctions even if they are waiting to turn and are positioned close to the curb.

• Stay aware of long vehicles which may be turning at the junction ahead of you, as they may need the whole width of the road to make the turn.
• When waiting at a junction, do not trust that a car approaching from the right and signalling left will turn. Wait until you’re certain.

3. Overtaking when Driving/Cycling

When overtaking someone riding a horse or cycling you can cross a double white line as long as they are travelling at 10mph or below. There has been an update on safe passing distances and speeds for those driving or riding motorcycles, These are as follows:

• When overtaking cyclists at speeds up to 30 mph, leave at least 1.5 metres (5 feet) between you and them, and give them extra room when overtaking at greater speeds.
• Passing people riding horses or operating horse-drawn vehicles at speeds under 10 mph with at least 2 metres (6.5 ft) of clearance.

• When passing pedestrians walking in the street (for example, if there is no pavement), provide at least 2 metres (6.5 feet) of space and drive at a modest speed.

4. People Cycling, Riding a Horse, and Driving Horse drawn vehicles on Roundabouts

The Highway Code has been revised to make it clear that when you are driving on roundabouts you should give way to cyclists. According to the revised guidelines, if you are driving or riding a motorcycle you should.

· Not overtake a cyclist within that person’s lane.

· Permit cyclists to move across their path as they travel around a roundabout.

Advice has been provided to help explain that you should take extra care when entering a roundabout. This is to make sure that you don’t cut across people who are cycling or riding a horse.

5. The Dutch Reach

The Highway Code recommends you use a new technique when leaving your vehicle. This technique Is known as the Dutch Reach.

This is when you use the hand furthest from the door to open it, for the side of the driver this would be the left hand and the passenger side is your right hand. This forces you to look over your shoulder so you can see any cyclists or vehicles coming towards you. Following this technique will make you less likely to cause injury to people cycling or riding a motorcycle passing on the road, along with people on the pavement.

Most cyclist incidents are from people opening there are doors and not looking to see if other road users are approaching them.

6. Charging your vehicle

The Highway Code for the first time includes advice on charging electric vehicles. If you have an electric vehicle when charging you should.

• Try to avoid creating hazards with cables for people who may be walking. You can achieve this by parking close to the charge point
• Have a warning sign displayed if possible.
• Ensure you return charging changes and connectors neatly to reduce the hazard to others and avoid creating an obstacle on road for other road users.

Staying Up to Date

It very important to stay up to date with the Highway Code. It is updated regularly so all drivers must take the time to read it not just learner drivers. Many of the guidelines in the Highway Code are legal requirements so if you disobey these you are committing a criminal offence.

To stay up to date with the Highway Code you can:

• read the full updated version of The Highway Code, free of charge.
• Buy and download the IOS Highway Code App – It cost £3.49 and will be fully updated with all changes as of spring 2022.
• Pre-order an updated copy of the Highway Code book online
• Buy an updated copy of the Highway Code book at most high street bookshops from April 2022.

Why Has The Highway Code Been Updated

The UK Department for Transport has made changes to the Highway Code to help persuade people to walk and cycle more often. People who would otherwise choose healthier, greener means of transportation face a significant hurdle in the form of road safety and perceptions of road safety.

These modifications emphasize the importance of heavier road users keeping an eye out for individuals who are more susceptible to harm. They also clarify how bikes should place themselves on the road and gives pedestrians more right of way. This combination of adjustments should give individuals the confidence to walk or cycle safely.

The post Highway Code Changes 2022 appeared first on Pass Drive Driving School.

More information on the latest changes can be found on the government website.

What Can I Currently Tow?

Licences issued before 1st January 1997

If you passed your test before the 1st of January 1997, you’re usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg MAM.

However, we recommend that you check your driving licence information online to see if you’re allowed to tow.

It is also recommended that you do not tow any more than 85% of the weight of your car. You can normally find the maximum towing weight for your vehicle in the vehicle’s manual.

Licences issued from 1st January 1997 to 18 January 2013

If you passed your car driving test on or after January 1997, you can: 

• Drive a car or van up to 3,500kg towing a trailer of up to 750kg.
• Tow a trailer of over 750kg, as long as the combined maximum authorised mass (MAM) of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

Licences issued from 19th January 2013

If you passed your car driving test from 19 January 2013, you can currently drive either of the following:

• a car or van up to 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (up to 4,250kg in total)
• a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

You’ve had to pass a car and trailer driving test if you want to tow anything heavier.

What is set to change later in 2021?

If you passed your car driving test from 1 January 1997, you’ll be allowed to tow trailers up to 3,500kg MAM when the law changes.

DVLA will update your driving licence record to show that you’re allowed to tow trailers. You’ll get category BE added to your driving licence when you get a new photocard driving licence.

You do not need to contact DVLA for this to happen. It will be done automatically.

The date in this law change has not yet been confirmed.

You can be fined up to £1,000, be banned from driving and get up to 6 penalty points on your driving licence if you tow anything heavier before the law changes.

The Future of Trailer Training

At Pass Drive, we are committed to improving road safety. As such, we will continue to offer trailer training to teach the relevant and necessary skills required to tow trailers safely and responsibly. Although the trailer towing rules have changed, the DVSA still recommends that drivers undertake trailer training to tow safely. Our courses cover all aspects of towing and will help you gain and build confidence in towing longer and heavier loads.

Further to this, there is still limited information regarding the impact that these changes will have on vehicle insurance. We will be able to provide an update regarding this when more information is readily available.

If you would like to book a trailer training course, you can find out more on our dedicated trailer training page.

The Impact on Businesses

With the changes to the trailer towing rules, there will be some impact on businesses. Until the changes in law come into effect, it is not possible for drivers to gain the B+E entitlement. This means that your drivers may be limited in what they can tow until this law comes into effect. Further to this, there may be changes in vehicle insurance.

Businesses in the UK have a responsibility to manage the health and safety of employees and those affected by their work, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This also applies to employees who drive for work-related purposes. When the law changes drivers with a Category B entitlement will also be awarded the B+E entitlement. However, under these health and safety laws, individuals who drive and tow for work should undertake the relevant training. We are happy to discuss any questions or queries that you may have regarding this.

Contact Us

These changes to the trailer towing rules are currently developing and we will be sure to keep you updated as soon as we have the relevant information. Our Managing Director David Watt will be personally calling any clients who currently have trailer training booked with us to discuss these changes and the options that we have available. Many thanks for your understanding in this situation.

If you have any questions or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Email: info@pass-drive.co.uk | Phone: 0800 371055

The post New Trailer Towing Rules Update – 2021 appeared first on Pass Drive Driving School.

Hello,

You may have noticed that we’ve been a little quiet of late, but we’ve been working hard behind the scenes ahead of driving lessons starting back later this month. We have recently rebranded and are excited and pleased to share our new brand with all of you. Although have a different look, we’re still the same Pass Drive, delivering high-quality driving lessons, driving instructor training and corporate driver training across the UK.

You may have already noticed that we have updated our brand logo, which now has a sleek and modern design. With bold colours and a contemporary style, our new logo evokes our modern approach to driving tuition.

Alongside our new logo, we have created our new brand tagline: “Promoting Safe and Responsible Driving”. This tagline is indicative of who we are and what we do. It is our commitment to train and develop safe and responsible driving practices across the UK.

In addition to our new logo and tagline, we have updated our brand’s mission statement, which communicates our mission as a brand to promote safe and responsible driving. It is our mission to help train and develop learner drivers, corporate drivers and driving instructors and help them achieve their goals as safe and responsible drivers.

In line with our rebranding, we have been updating our website, which may look a little different from your last visit. It now incorporates our new brand colour palette utilising vibrant reds with muted greys and black. We have also updated much of the content on the site. Notably, we have added numerous contact forms across the website to make it easier for you to get in touch with us. We will also be further developing our blog with handy guides, informative posts and all the latest Pass Drive news.

We also recently visited the iconic Forth Rail Bridge for a photo shoot of our new branding on some of our instructor’s cars. It was a great day out for the Pass Drive team, and the cars looked great under the famous bridge. Be sure to keep an eye out for our cars on the road.

This is just the beginning of our journey, so be sure to keep an eye on future updates in the coming weeks. We look forward to speaking with you then.

Thanks for all your support.

The Pass Drive Team.

The post Pass Drive Rebranding appeared first on Pass Drive Driving School.