Transport for London has launched a new campaign across the capital to remind people of the Highway Code rules that are designed to keep those most at risk safe on the roads.
The posters, which will be seen on roadside sites and across TfL’s social media channels, focus on rules around pedestrian crossings, giving way to cyclists and ensuring that everyone shares responsibility for safer streets. It comes after a TfL survey found that only 16 per cent of people correctly understood the updated rules, despite changes being made in 2022 to give greater protection to those walking, cycling and motorcycling.
Figures from last year show that 81 per cent of all people killed or seriously injured on London’s roads were walking, cycling or motorcycling. TfL said the new campaign is part of the Mayor’s Vision Zero strategy, which aims to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from the transport network by 2041.
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “Making London’s roads safer for everyone is a key priority for the Mayor and this important campaign, supported by the Government, is part of the work we’re doing to ensure people are aware of the rules of the road. Through the Mayor’s Vision Zero Strategy, we are doing everyone we can to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from our roads and investing record amounts in green transport options and initiatives for Londoners across our city as we build a better and safer London for all.”
Lilli Matson, TfL’s Chief Safety Health and Environment Officer, said: “We are proud to launch this new campaign to raise awareness of the Highway Code, with a particular focus on the rules that protect people walking and cycling. These are some of the most at-risk road users, and it’s vital that everyone understands their responsibilities to help keep them safe. This campaign is an important reminder that road safety is a shared responsibility, and by following the Highway Code, we can all play a part in creating a safer and more sustainable transport network for everyone in London.”
Howard Jones, RoadPeace CEO, added: “Breaking the rules can break people. Our ability to live alongside each other in an increasingly mechanised and fast-moving world, full of distractions and demands, depends upon us accepting rules that benefit us all. Dangers can never be eradicated in full, but we know that consensual rules of behaviour, if they are obeyed and respected, enable us to get along with each other, to live our lives side by side, with courtesy, kindness and tolerance for others. More than this, good rules help our society and communities to prosper, with confidence, security and mutual respect. Take that away, and humans can tend to hurt each other – and when heavy machinery such as a car, operated unwisely and unthinkingly – selfishly – is put into the mix, the results can be tragic. We know this – so let’s play by our rules and stop breaking people.”
Alongside the campaign, TfL confirmed that £87m has been set aside for walking and cycling projects with boroughs across London. Over the coming years this money will help fix dangerous junctions and deliver almost 100km of new cycle routes, as part of a wider plan to expand London’s network of safer streets.
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