Chaos likely once Give Way rules change

Many motorists are still confused or unaware of major changes in the Give Way rules, says a leading road safety campaigner.

Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car review website dogandlemon.com, says the current media blitz, aimed at educating the public about the changes, is “too little, too late.”

“This campaign is trying to change a lifetime of driving habits in just a couple of weeks. That’s not going to happen. This campaign should have started six months ago, with billboards and tv ads counting down to the day the changes begin.”

“By modern standards, the budget for this campaign is tiny, and much of the advertising will simply be missed by many people. As any ad agency will tell you, there are more and more people who don’t watch the news, who skip tv ads and who simply throw away the dozens of leaflets that appear in their letterboxes each week.”

“I predict widespread confusion for weeks after the Give Way rule change, and probably quite a few minor accidents. Perhaps a few major ones.”

“I applaud the government’s courage in making these changes to the Give Way rules, but the way these changes are being publicised is simply not good enough.”