An update on the new Highway Code rules for 2023

A New Year brings new road rules for UK drivers, courtesy of the Highway Code. 2022 saw many different additions to the Code, including giving pedestrians the right of way. These new changes are small, but being caught in violation of any one of them could land you with an unwanted £200 fine and 6 points on your licence.

Here at Intack Self Drive, we know it can be quite tricky to keep up with all the changes and amendments that are constantly being made to UK's driving laws, so we've put together an easily digestible guide to the new changes that have been put into place over the last 12 months. With that in mind, here's our quick update on the new guidelines added to the Highway Code in 2022.

Hands free only!

You are probably aware that it's now illegal to use your phone while driving, unless of course you're operating it from a hands free device. However, the updates that were put in place last year regarding the mobile phone guidelines state that it is now completely illegal for those who are driving to hold or use their mobile phones, sat navs, tablets and any other devices that can send and receive data. As we touched on above, hands free access like voice command systems are perfectly acceptable. The new updates are there to stop drivers from physically holding their devices while driving, as this can be distracting and lead to accidents.

Prioritise pedestrians

The new changes put into practice last year also included a change to the hierarchy of road users, which essentially explains that pedestrians will now always have the right of way. These new guidelines have been put in place as a way of better protecting more vulnerable and exposed road users like pedestrians and cyclists, placing a greater responsibility on drivers of larger vehicles like vans, lorries, tractors and so on.

The onus is now on the drivers of these larger vehicles to be extra aware of their surroundings when on the road, as the Highway Code states that motorists who are in control of a vehicle which will cause the greatest harm in a collision must drive safely to protect road users who are most at risk.

So, now that you're all caught up with the latest updates to the Highway Code, you're ready to take advantage of our fantastic car hire, van hire, or minibus hire deals.

All of our rental vehicles here at Intack Self Drive come with the option to rent through daily hire, or our outstanding Flexi hire service, so wherever your intended destination, we'll have a vehicle that suits your requirements. We've got almost half a century of car and minibus hire experience under our belt here at Intack Self Drive, and we're always here to help. Ready to get started? You can browse the best hire deals, right here on our site, or give us a call on 01254 57811!