The Highway Code is about to updated and changes will become law across the UK on Saturday January, 29, pending parliamentary approval.

On January, 13 a collision on Battersea Bridge left a cyclist with life changing injuries.

Among the modifications to the code is the creation of a hierarchy of road users which puts pedestrians at the top and large goods/passenger vehicles at the bottom.

The system seeks to protect those most at risk of collisions, the top two being pedestrians and then cyclists.

In the new rules cyclists have been given clear priority over cars which will have to leave at least 1.5 meters space when passing bicycles and bikes must remain at least 50cm away from the pavement.

In slow traffic bikes must now ride in the centre of the road rather than to the left and it has also been suggested that cyclists could ride two abreast to further protect themselves.

Cyclists are also now given priority at roundabouts and there is recommendation for car users to reduce the risk of opening a car door into the path of a cyclist by using the hand on the opposite side to the door, as it will often lead them looking over their shoulder, this is known as the Dutch Reach technique.

However it has been reported that one in three drivers are unaware of the major changes.

33% of motorists polled for the AA said they did not know the Highway Code is being changed and 4% said they have "no intention" of looking at the details.

More than 13,700 drivers were questioned between January 8 and 18 for the survey.

The AA accused the Government of being "far too silent" on the changed, but the Department for Transport (DfT) insisted it will ensure "all road users are aware".

AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens said: 'These changes affect everyone, so we encourage people to read the updated code now so we can make our roads safer."

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