A new investigation by Admiral MultiCover has revealed that a shocking 44% of road users haven’t looked at the Highway Code for more than 20 years, meaning many people could be driving a car or riding a bike without truly understanding the latest rules of the road, and putting themselves and others in danger.
The highlights include;
- More than 40% of road users haven’t looked at the Highway Code for over 20 years
- One in five cyclists believe they can ride on pavements
- Admiral’s data reveals 22% of road accidents involving cyclists over the last decade have taken place in the last two years
- 75% of road users believe cyclists SHOULD have third-party insurance
The old `cyclists should have insurance’ is a staple topic for daytime TV and radio presenters, but is it practical? Who is going to stop errant cyclists and demand to see their cover note on a smartphone? Maybe that’s another job the Covid Marshalls could do once they have finished raiding Wendy Houses. It does raise the possibility of farcical bicycle chases, as insurance dodgers pedal away, laughing into their lycra.
The idea that cyclists SHOULD ride on the pavement where the pavement is more than say 2 metres wide, is arguably a step forward in road safety.
With more people turning to active travel following COVID-19, more bikes are likely to be on the roads than ever before, and Admiral is urging both cyclists and motorists to make sure they understand the Highway Code, in order to keep roads safe and reduce the number of accidents involving bikes.
Based on analysis of Admiral’s own data since 2011, 22% of road accidents involving cyclists have happened in the last two years alone, with 2019 being the year with the highest number of claims to date. Accidents involving cyclists in 2020 account for 5% of all claims involving bikes over the last ten years, and as cycling becomes more popular, Admiral is warning this figure could rise.
Understanding the Highway Code
Admiral’s research found that only one in ten road users have read the Highway Code within the last three years, meaning a high number of motorists and cyclists may not be up to date with the latest regulations.
In the last five years alone, the Highway Code has been updated 15 times in total but the data from Admiral’s study shows that road users aren’t keeping up with the changes and therefore, could not only be breaking the rules, facing fines and penalty points, but they could also be putting themselves and other road users in danger.
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