highway code queries by hawkwell driving school

The Highway Code is an official government document that gives advice and guidance on how to drive safely and within the law in Great Britain. However sometimes it is vague; such as advising you to take an appropriate lane at a roundabout if you are taking an intermediate exit . If you knew what the appropriate lane was you wouldn’t need to read the Highway Code. In other places it gives an actually incorrect interpretation of the relevant law. Some examples are shown below:

Mini-roundabouts: The Highway code says (Rule 164): “Mini-roundabouts- Approach these in the same way as normal roundabouts. All vehicles MUST pass around the central markings except large vehicles which are physically incapable of doing so.”

The Road Traffic Act (from Hughes Guide to Road Traffic Law) says:

“Mini-Roundabout - Vehicular traffic entering the junction must give priority to vehicles from the right at the give-way line, or, if that is not clearly visible, at the road junction AND proceed past the marking at the centre in the direction shown by the arrows unless the size of the vehicle or the layout of the junction makes it impractical to do so”

As you can see the Highway Code mis-states the Road Traffic Law and doesn’t make sense - because sometimes you have to go over a mini-roundabout, and you are not driving a large vehicle. The Road Traffic Act is the law so:

The simplified rule is: “go around mini-roundabouts unless the size of the vehicle or the layout of the junction makes it impractical to do so.” There is no difference in law between flat and raised mini-roundabouts

Pedestrian Crossings: Highway Code (Rule 167) says: “You must not park on a crossing or in the area covered by the zig zag lines. You must not overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians.”

Hughes Guide to Traffic Law states (reg. 24 Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations 1997. Reg. 28 Traffic Signs Regulations 2002: “The driver of any motor vehicle, while it or any part of it is in the controlled area of a crossing and is proceeding towards the crossing, shall not cause the vehicle or any part of it to:-

Pass ahead of the foremost part of another moving motor vehicle proceeding in the same direction which is the nearest vehicle to the crossing, or

pass ahead of the foremost part of a stationary vehicle which is the nearest vehicle to the crossing which has stopped at a red light or to accord precedence to a pedestrian at an amber light or zebra crossing.

Again there is a big difference between what the Highway Code say and the law. Firstly the law states “motor vehicle” which means that you can overtake a cyclist when approaching a crossing. Secondly the Law says that overtaking restrictions only apply in the controlled area where the Highway Code omits this. Thirdly the Law regulates overtaking on the approach to the crossing but the Highway Code does not specify the approach and hence implies either side.

Parking on hills (Rule 226): If you park on a hill you should:- “Park close to the kerb and apply the handbrake firmly. Select a forward gear and turn your steering wheel away from the kerb when facing uphill. Select reverse gear and turn your steering wheel towards the kerb when facing downhill.”

Most of this advice is fine except “select a forward gear” which implies either 1st, 2nd, 3rd ,4th or 5th gear will suffice: It will not. Only first gear will hold the car (or reverse) on a steep hill. Try this by parking on a steep hill, turning off the engine, and letting the handbrake off after putting it in gear. In first gear it will hold still, in 5th gear it will move fairly quickly down the hill.

Quotes from the Highway Code taken from the 2004 revised edition.