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.
Around a decade the motorcar was born, there were two million of them on the roads and in 1930 there were around 7300 deaths by road accidents. Considering that in 2006 there were around 3000 deaths by road accidents and over 20 million cars on the road, the 1930 statistics needed sorting out.
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.
This original version contained no reference to driving under the influence of alcohol or fatigue, contained nothing on braking distances and no road signs. In fact, of the mere fifteen road signs that were published in the second edition (1946), we only use two of them to this date.
Braking distances did not come into the equation until the second version either. Even then they were just in a plain chart type display. Images were not used to show stopping distances until the 1954 version, along with another 16 roadsigns, bringing the total to 31, which compared to today's 170, who knows what road signs will look like in another 60 years.
The sixth edition was out in 1968 which included 3D images and photographs to show stopping distance. The 1978 version contained these as well. It also contained the Green Cross Code for pedestrians and orange badges for disabled people. Due to a huge increase in car crime, the government made an update on this version to so that it contained advice on how to keep your car secure.
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.
The Highway Code has been adapted over the 78 years that it has been with us to become the comprehensive book on road advice, guidelines and law. One of the newest of which being the fact that you cannot use mobile phones while driving, and considering mobile phones weren't invented when the Code was originally brought out, it just shows how the laws of the road have adapted and changed with society.
Around a decade the motorcar was born, there were two million of them on the roads and in 1930 there were around 7300 deaths by road accidents. Considering that in 2006 there were around 3000 deaths by road accidents and over 20 million cars on the road, the 1930 statistics needed sorting out.
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.
This original version contained no reference to driving under the influence of alcohol or fatigue, contained nothing on braking distances and no road signs. In fact, of the mere fifteen road signs that were published in the second edition (1946), we only use two of them to this date.
Braking distances did not come into the equation until the second version either. Even then they were just in a plain chart type display. Images were not used to show stopping distances until the 1954 version, along with another 16 roadsigns, bringing the total to 31, which compared to today's 170, who knows what road signs will look like in another 60 years.
The sixth edition was out in 1968 which included 3D images and photographs to show stopping distance. The 1978 version contained these as well. It also contained the Green Cross Code for pedestrians and orange badges for disabled people. Due to a huge increase in car crime, the government made an update on this version to so that it contained advice on how to keep your car secure.
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.
The Highway Code has been adapted over the 78 years that it has been with us to become the comprehensive book on road advice, guidelines and law. One of the newest of which being the fact that you cannot use mobile phones while driving, and considering mobile phones weren't invented when the Code was originally brought out, it just shows how the laws of the road have adapted and changed with society.
About the Author:
For free legal 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 free legal advice service in a question & answer style form.
No comments:
Post a Comment