Overview
- Rule H2 requires drivers, riders and cyclists to give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross the road they are turning into, and to yield on zebra crossings and to pedestrians and cyclists on parallel crossings, which place a cycle lane alongside the stripes.
- Fresh warnings from insurers and safety specialists say many motorists remain unaware of the 2022 changes, with Nextbase citing 35% not up to date and dashcam evidence of drivers turning without yielding to waiting pedestrians.
- Driving instructors report persistent mistakes at side roads, stressing that pedestrians have priority when crossing a side road a vehicle is turning into, but this does not give priority to someone stepping into the main carriageway.
- Legal consequences include on‑the‑spot fines of about £100 with three licence points, escalating to prosecution, fines up to £5,000 and nine points in cases involving injury, with injured pedestrians able to pursue personal injury claims using evidence such as CCTV or dashcam footage.
- The pedestrian‑priority rules formed part of the DfT’s 2020 consultation and came into force on 29 January 2022 under the new hierarchy of road users, with experts urging drivers to review the Code and take an extra moment to scan for pedestrians at junctions.