The Highway Code is widely known by many as the set of laws and guidelines that govern the way we all use the roads, whether you are a pedestrian, a driver, a cyclist, a horse rider, or any other kind of road-user.
Back in 1930 there were only around two million motor cars on the roads, and in that year alone there were well over 7000 deaths by road accidents. Which is really, a staggeringly high number of deaths, considering there were well over 20 million motor vehicles on the road in 2004 and only around 3000 deaths.
So, probably as a (direct or indirect) result of this, the Highway Code was born. Launched in 1931, it celebrated its 75th birthday in 2006, it has undergone many changes and updates over those years. For example the original version of the Code was a mere 24 pages long and contained information such as how to indicate when turning in your horse drawn carriage.
The original version of the Code was very limited, but then so were the laws of the road in comparison to today so I suppose that is to be expected. There were no road signs when the Code first came out, and nobody had thought twice about driving after drinking, or when tired, so you can see, the Code still had a long way to go. Even among the 15 road signs that were included in the second edition (1946), there are only two that we use today.
The 1946 version was the first to include many things, such as the very early days of measuring braking distances which were displayed in the form of a dull chart. They didn't use images to to portray braking distances until the 1954 version. Also in the 1954 version, there were 16 new roadsigns, putting the total number up to 31, which really isn't a lot when compared to today's 170.
By 1968 we were on the sixth edition which included such visual aids as 3D images and photographs. There was a new version in 1978, which contained the Green Cross Code for pedestrians and introduced the orange badges for disabled people. A later update of this version contained advice on car security after a massive rise in car crime.
The version of the 90s contained advice and information about the theory driving test that had just been introduced. The information that new drivers are required to learn in order to pass their theory test has now become part of the Code itself.
So over the 78 or so years that the highway code has existed, it has become the main resource for road law, guidelines and advice. Of course one of the newest laws to be added being that you cannot use mobile phones while driving. This shows that the Highway Code is as adaptable to change as the society we live in.
Back in 1930 there were only around two million motor cars on the roads, and in that year alone there were well over 7000 deaths by road accidents. Which is really, a staggeringly high number of deaths, considering there were well over 20 million motor vehicles on the road in 2004 and only around 3000 deaths.
So, probably as a (direct or indirect) result of this, the Highway Code was born. Launched in 1931, it celebrated its 75th birthday in 2006, it has undergone many changes and updates over those years. For example the original version of the Code was a mere 24 pages long and contained information such as how to indicate when turning in your horse drawn carriage.
The original version of the Code was very limited, but then so were the laws of the road in comparison to today so I suppose that is to be expected. There were no road signs when the Code first came out, and nobody had thought twice about driving after drinking, or when tired, so you can see, the Code still had a long way to go. Even among the 15 road signs that were included in the second edition (1946), there are only two that we use today.
The 1946 version was the first to include many things, such as the very early days of measuring braking distances which were displayed in the form of a dull chart. They didn't use images to to portray braking distances until the 1954 version. Also in the 1954 version, there were 16 new roadsigns, putting the total number up to 31, which really isn't a lot when compared to today's 170.
By 1968 we were on the sixth edition which included such visual aids as 3D images and photographs. There was a new version in 1978, which contained the Green Cross Code for pedestrians and introduced the orange badges for disabled people. A later update of this version contained advice on car security after a massive rise in car crime.
The version of the 90s contained advice and information about the theory driving test that had just been introduced. The information that new drivers are required to learn in order to pass their theory test has now become part of the Code itself.
So over the 78 or so years that the highway code has existed, it has become the main resource for road law, guidelines and advice. Of course one of the newest laws to be added being that you cannot use mobile phones while driving. This shows that the Highway Code is as adaptable to change as the society we live in.
About the Author:
For legal motoring advice on the laws of the road and to fully clarify what is within driving law and what isn't, completely free of charge, visit pattersonlaw.co.uk. They provide a full legal motoring advice service in a question & answer style form.
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