These changes will see the introduction of a ‘hierarchy of road users’. This means those who are most likely to be seriously harmed, i.e. pedestrians and cyclists, will have greater priority over other road users.
As a result of the changes to the Highway Code, lorry drivers will be ranked at the lowest level and, therefore, will have the greatest responsibility towards other road users and are more likely to burden the blame in the event of an incident.
The Highway Code changes will see new rules being introduced that include drivers being told they must not cut across cyclists going straight ahead, turning into a junction, changing direction or changing lane – making the requirement for vehicle cameras, sensors and alerts on lorries and HGVs to eliminate blind spots and prevent incidents even more of a priority.
Pavements
Parallel crossings
Light controlled crossings when waiting to cross and while crossing
At junctions when travelling straight ahead
When other vehicles are turning across their path
On narrow sections of the road, at road junctions and in slow-moving traffic, cyclists can now ride in the centre of the lane
The introduction of the Highway Code’s road user hierarchy is putting even more pressure on fleet operators to ensure their vehicles are as safe and secure as possible.
Even if you are not driving in Greater London, the approved solutions for the Direct Vision Standard, along with other industry accreditations, such as FORS, CLOCS and Van Excellence, are ideal templates for mitigating the risks of collisions.
Our mission is to save lives and assist fleet operators and other industries in ensuring their vehicles meet the highest possible safety standards.
We have put together a handy infographic for fleet operators to refer to. This infographic breaks down the Highway Code changes, explaining how these will affect drivers and advises of the most suitable commercial vehicle safety systems to assist companies with reducing the threats posed by vehicle blind spots.
Brigade’s vehicle safety systems include our suite of award-winning, market leading road safety devices, such as our 360-degree camera – the Backeye®360, the bbs-tek® White Sound® reversing and warning alarm and our ultrasonic obstacle detection range.
Since Brigade introduced the first reversing alarm to the UK in 1976, we have been committed to improving road safety for all. Since then, our devices have helped to save numerous lives, prevent thousands of collisions and elevate road safety standards for all.
For further information about Brigade and our safety products, please get in touch.
