Most drivers haven’t seen the Highway Code since getting their licence

Have you freshened up your knowledge of driving rules recently? 

More than half of UK drivers are unfamiliar with the latest Highway Code rules, a new study shows. 

A survey of over 2,000 drivers by Go.Compare revealed that 55% of them hadn’t looked at the Highway Code since they got their licence. 

Clueless about the code 

The findings show that 83% of the respondents passed their driving test over 10 years ago. 

And a lot can change in ten years with the Highway Code being updated so frequently. 

This means the majority of UK drivers could be breaking the rules of the road unknowingly, putting themselves and others at risk. 

And when you consider that 2 in 5 drivers over the age of 60 haven’t seen the code for more than four decades, the risks become even greater. 

The survey showed that 80% of respondents correctly identified that “it’s illegal to use your mobile phone when supervising a learner driver” as a true statement. 

And 74% correctly selected true for “driving unnecessarily slowly can result in penalty points”. 

However, only 62% identified “if you drive without washer fluid you can receive a fine and penalty points” as true. 

What’s the deal with the code, anyway? 

The Highway Code is a set of rules and guidelines that all drivers must follow when behind the wheel. It also pertains to cyclists and pedestrians. 

It covers various areas of driving safety, from educating about signs, road markings and speed limits to providing vehicle maintenance requirements and advice on how to deal with breakdowns.  

The survey findings are worrying as the code is constantly under review and revision. So to be safe, we recommend you give it a read through today to make sure you’re up to date for safer journeys across the UK.  

Are pedestrians really safer after the 2022 Highway Code update? See our article about the recent poll commissioned by the RAC.