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Highway Code

Highway Code, Introduction (part 3)

Introduction. Advisory guidance you are expected to follow.

  • Introduction
  • Advisory rule
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Advisory

Hierarchy of Road Users

The ‘hierarchy of road users’ is a concept that places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy. The hierarchy does not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly. The road users most likely to be injured in the event of a collision are pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists, with children, older adults and disabled people being more at risk. The following H rules clarify this concept.

Rule H1

It is important that ALL road users are aware of The Highway Code, are considerate to other road users and understand their responsibility for the safety of others. Everyone suffers when road collisions occur, whether they are physically injured or not. But those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others. This principle applies most strongly to drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles, vans/minibuses, cars/taxis and motorcycles. Cyclists, horse riders and drivers of horse drawn vehicles likewise have a responsibility to reduce danger to pedestrians. None of this detracts from the responsibility of ALL road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, to have regard for their own and other road users’ safety. Always remember that the people you encounter may have impaired sight, hearing or mobility and that this may not be obvious.

Rule H2 - Rule for drivers, motorcyclists, horse drawn vehicles, horse riders and cyclists

Rule text reproduced verbatim from the official Highway Code (Crown copyright) under the Open Government Licence v3.0, see the attribution at the foot of this page.

In plain English

Stripped of the formal wording, this guidance comes down to one idea: the ‘hierarchy of road users’ is a concept that places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy. It is advice rather than law, but examiners and the courts still treat it as the expected standard of safe driving.

It belongs to the introduction part of the Code, the habits a confident, considerate driver builds until they are automatic. The aim is not to memorise the sentence word for word, but to understand the hazard it protects you from, so you apply it without having to think when it counts.

If you are learning, treat this rule as one piece of a connected set rather than an isolated fact. The related rules below sit in the same section and reinforce each other, reading them together is how the introduction part of the Code starts to feel like common sense rather than a list to revise.

Because this is advisory rather than legal, no one will fine you for the rule alone, but ignoring it can still count against you in a careless-driving case, and it will cost you faults on the test. Either way, the safe move is to build the habit early, while a driving instructor can correct it, rather than relearning it under test pressure. That is exactly what the practice routes and coaching in the DriveRoutes app are designed to help with, turning the rules below into the way you naturally drive.

Why this rule matters on the road

Following this rule keeps your driving predictable and safe, which is what every other road user is relying on. It is one small part of the habit-set that, taken together, prevents the everyday mistakes that cause collisions.

Common faults examiners record

In the introduction part of the Code, the faults most often written on the marking sheet tend to be the same handful. Knowing them in advance is the quickest way to drive them out of your own habits:

  • Acting too late because the situation was read close rather than early.
  • Incomplete observation before committing to a manoeuvre.
  • An unsuitable speed for the road, the traffic or the conditions.

On the day

On the day, applying Highway Code, Introduction (part 3) is about doing the safe, deliberate thing slightly earlier than feels necessary: read the situation in good time, observe fully, and act smoothly. The examiner is looking for planned driving, not perfection, and good habits formed in lessons carry you through.

Quick checklist

  • Read the situation early and plan your response.
  • Observe fully before you commit to anything.
  • Keep your speed suitable for the road and conditions.

More from Introduction

Related Highway Code rules

Highway Code, Introduction (part 3), your questions

The ‘hierarchy of road users’ is a concept that places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy. It is advisory guidance rather than law, but you are still expected to follow it and an examiner can mark a fault if you do not.

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