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Highway Code · Rule 206

Highway Code Rule 206

Road users requiring extra care (204 to 225). A legal requirement (MUST / MUST NOT).

  • Road users requiring extra care
  • Legal requirement
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Law · MUST

Rule 206 (Pedestrians (rules 205 to 210)) Drive carefully and slowly when

  • in crowded shopping streets, Home Zones and Quiet Lanes (see Rule 218) or residential areas
  • driving past bus and tram stops; pedestrians may emerge suddenly into the road
  • passing parked vehicles, especially ice cream vans; children are more interested in ice cream than traffic and may run into the road unexpectedly
  • needing to cross a pavement, cycle lane or cycle track; for example, to reach or leave a driveway or private access. Give way to pedestrians on the pavement and cyclists using a cycle lane or cycle track
  • reversing into a side road; look all around the vehicle and give way to any pedestrians who may be crossing the road
  • turning at road junctions; you should give way to pedestrians who are crossing or waiting to cross the road into which or from which you are turning
  • going through road works or when passing roadside rescue and recovery vehicles, as there may be people working in or at the side of the road
  • the pavement is closed due to street repairs and pedestrians are directed to use the road
  • approaching pedestrians on narrow rural roads without a footway or footpath. Always slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary, giving them plenty of room as you drive past
  • approaching zebra and parallel crossings as you MUST give way to pedestrians and cyclists on the crossing (see Rule 195)
  • approaching pedestrians who have started to cross the road ahead of you. They have priority when crossing at a junction or side road so you should give way (see Rule H2). Law TSRGD schedule 14 Part 5 Rule 206: Watch out for children in busy areas

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, Rule 206 comes down to one idea: rule 206 (Pedestrians (rules 205 to 210)) Drive carefully and slowly when - in crowded shopping streets, Home Zones and Quiet Lanes (see Rule 218) or residential areas - driving past bus and tram sto… Because it is written with “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, it carries the force of law, ignore it and you are committing an offence, not simply driving badly.

It belongs to the road users requiring extra care 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 road users requiring extra care part of the Code starts to feel like common sense rather than a list to revise.

Because this is a legal rule, the consequences of ignoring it reach beyond the test: a “MUST” or “MUST NOT” breach can mean a fixed penalty, points on your licence, or in serious cases prosecution. 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 rule 206 matters on the road

Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders have little protection in a collision, so a moment of inattention from a driver can cause serious harm. Anticipating and giving them room is one of the clearest signs of a safe, considerate driver.

Common faults examiners record

In the road users requiring extra care 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:

  • Passing cyclists or horses too closely or too fast.
  • Failing to anticipate a pedestrian stepping out near a crossing or parked cars.
  • Not giving way at a crossing when someone is clearly waiting.

On the day

Imagine approaching a cyclist on a narrow stretch during the drive. Applying Rule 206 means easing off early, holding back until you can see it is genuinely safe, then passing wide and slow before returning to your line. The examiner is watching for exactly that anticipation, not a squeeze past at speed.

Quick checklist

  • Scan ahead for pedestrians, cyclists and riders well before you reach them.
  • Give them room and time, pass wide and slow.
  • Be ready to stop at crossings and side roads.

More from Road users requiring extra care

Related Highway Code rules

Rule 206, your questions

Rule 206 (Pedestrians (rules 205 to 210)) Drive carefully and slowly when - in crowded shopping streets, Home Zones and Quiet Lanes (see Rule 218) or residential areas - driving past bus and tram sto… It is a legal requirement, it uses “MUST” or “MUST NOT”, so breaking it is a criminal offence that can mean a fine, penalty points, or disqualification.

DriveRoutes is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).