EchoMaster are familiar with working in many different industries, each with their own set of requirements and safety laws, these laws and regulations are often updated to either improve safety and efficiency within the industry or to modernise to include the latest technologies and ensure their safe introduction. It’s not only vehicle owners and operators who have to update their procedures to comply with new regulations though, we are constantly working to improve our technology product offering to help fleet owners and organisations surpass the new standards for safety and efficiency.
Recent updates to the highway code are set to really shake up the road system we have at the moment with drivers of larger vehicles such as commercial vehicles set to be hit hardest by new rules. The new regulations are set to create a hierarchical system for road users with priority being given to those more vulnerable such as pedestrians and cyclists.
These new rules have been introduced to reduce road deaths and injuries, a cause which is of top priority for many companies including us here at EchoMaster, our role in encouraging the use of road safety technology such as Dash Cameras and reversing cameras is just a small part of pushing fleets to become safer and more efficient organisations. Our Advanced driver assistance systems alert the driver to the presence of vehicles and obstacles in front and provides warnings for Distance, Forward Collision & Lane Departure, giving the driver every opportunity to take avoiding actions to prevent accidents with other road users including cyclists and pedestrians.
“The importance of road safety when behind the wheel of some of the largest and most powerful vehicles on the road has never been more important.” said Clare Tolson, Head of EchoMaster Commercial at AAMP Global. “We here at EchoMaster welcome the introduction of these new rules to the highway code, it encourages all of us to take more care when on the roads in any vehicle to help ensure the safety of all vulnerable road users.”
EchoMaster is not only providing drivers with accurate safety technology to monitor their driving habits, we also provide a range of Driver Monitoring Solutions that actively provide a series of warnings to the driver along with sending a notification to the system administrator / fleet manager (Connected Device and Sim Contract Required) when mobile phone usage is detected, whilst also giving alerts for driver fatigue and smoking. These valuable safety technologies are essential for any fleet looking to provide the safest possible service.
The key highway code updates are listed below:
Rule H1. Hierarchy of road users
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. Priorities for pedestrians
At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning. You MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing (see Rule 195). Pedestrians have priority when on a zebra crossing, on a parallel crossing or at light-controlled crossings when they have a green signal. You should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross a parallel crossing.
Horse riders should also give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing. Cyclists should give way to pedestrians on shared use cycle tracks and to horse riders on bridleways. Only pedestrians may use the pavement. Pedestrians include wheelchair and mobility scooter users. Pedestrians may use any part of the road and use cycle tracks as well as the pavement, unless there are signs prohibiting pedestrians.
Rule H3. Drivers to give priority to cyclists in certain situations E.G. on a roundabout
Rule for drivers and motorcyclists You should not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse drawn vehicles going ahead when you are turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane, just as you would not turn across the path of another motor vehicle. This applies whether they are using a cycle lane, a cycle track, or riding ahead on the road and you should give way to them.
Do not turn at a junction if to do so would cause the cyclist, horse rider or horse drawn vehicle going straight ahead to stop or swerve. You should stop and wait for a safe gap in the flow of cyclists if necessary.
This includes when cyclists are:
- Approaching, passing or moving off from a junction
- Moving past or waiting alongside stationary or slow-moving traffic
- Travelling around a roundabout
To read the full list of updates to the Highway code please click here
For more information about our ADAS and DMS products feel free to get in touch with our team.
To view our Advanced Driver Assistance System please click here
To view our Driver Monitoring System please click here