Driver compliance with the 2022 UK highway code rule on giving way to pedestrians at side roads: A naturalistic observation study
The 2022 update to the UK Highway Code introduced a new H2 rule granting pedestrians right of way at side road junctions. However, the communication campaign for this change was limited and there has yet to be a systematic evaluation of driver compliance. This study therefore involved a naturalistic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Urban Mobility |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667091725000421 |
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| author | Sarah E. O’Toole Nicola Christie Damian Poulter |
| author_facet | Sarah E. O’Toole Nicola Christie Damian Poulter |
| author_sort | Sarah E. O’Toole |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The 2022 update to the UK Highway Code introduced a new H2 rule granting pedestrians right of way at side road junctions. However, the communication campaign for this change was limited and there has yet to be a systematic evaluation of driver compliance. This study therefore involved a naturalistic observation of driver yielding behaviour when turning from a main road into a side road. A total of 809 driver-pedestrian interactions were observed to assess compliance with the rule, alongside driver, vehicle, pedestrian, and environmental characteristics. Results indicated that only 31 % of drivers complied with the rule when turning from a main road into a side road where pedestrians were approaching or waiting at a junction to cross. However, female drivers and taxi drivers were more likely to yield to pedestrians at junctions. Further, compliance was greater when there was a group of pedestrians opposed to a single pedestrian or when it was early afternoon. These findings suggest further interventions may be necessary to enhance adherence and improve pedestrian safety. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e258b9e4a4aa457b8649c5eec92b8393 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2667-0917 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Urban Mobility |
| spelling | doaj-art-e258b9e4a4aa457b8649c5eec92b83932025-08-20T03:20:04ZengElsevierJournal of Urban Mobility2667-09172025-12-01810014010.1016/j.urbmob.2025.100140Driver compliance with the 2022 UK highway code rule on giving way to pedestrians at side roads: A naturalistic observation studySarah E. O’Toole0Nicola Christie1Damian Poulter2Centre for Transport Studies, Department for Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Corresponding author at: Department for Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, Chadwick Building, 209, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.Centre for Transport Studies, Department for Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UKSchool of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, Old Royal Navey College, Park Row, London SE10 9LS, UKThe 2022 update to the UK Highway Code introduced a new H2 rule granting pedestrians right of way at side road junctions. However, the communication campaign for this change was limited and there has yet to be a systematic evaluation of driver compliance. This study therefore involved a naturalistic observation of driver yielding behaviour when turning from a main road into a side road. A total of 809 driver-pedestrian interactions were observed to assess compliance with the rule, alongside driver, vehicle, pedestrian, and environmental characteristics. Results indicated that only 31 % of drivers complied with the rule when turning from a main road into a side road where pedestrians were approaching or waiting at a junction to cross. However, female drivers and taxi drivers were more likely to yield to pedestrians at junctions. Further, compliance was greater when there was a group of pedestrians opposed to a single pedestrian or when it was early afternoon. These findings suggest further interventions may be necessary to enhance adherence and improve pedestrian safety.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667091725000421Highway codeDriver compliancePedestrian safetyNaturalistic observationTraffic policyYielding behavior |
| spellingShingle | Sarah E. O’Toole Nicola Christie Damian Poulter Driver compliance with the 2022 UK highway code rule on giving way to pedestrians at side roads: A naturalistic observation study Journal of Urban Mobility Highway code Driver compliance Pedestrian safety Naturalistic observation Traffic policy Yielding behavior |
| title | Driver compliance with the 2022 UK highway code rule on giving way to pedestrians at side roads: A naturalistic observation study |
| title_full | Driver compliance with the 2022 UK highway code rule on giving way to pedestrians at side roads: A naturalistic observation study |
| title_fullStr | Driver compliance with the 2022 UK highway code rule on giving way to pedestrians at side roads: A naturalistic observation study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Driver compliance with the 2022 UK highway code rule on giving way to pedestrians at side roads: A naturalistic observation study |
| title_short | Driver compliance with the 2022 UK highway code rule on giving way to pedestrians at side roads: A naturalistic observation study |
| title_sort | driver compliance with the 2022 uk highway code rule on giving way to pedestrians at side roads a naturalistic observation study |
| topic | Highway code Driver compliance Pedestrian safety Naturalistic observation Traffic policy Yielding behavior |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667091725000421 |
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