Task for today for readers. Dig out your copy of the highway code. Check it’s up to date (the current one is bright blue and dated the late 90s). If it’s not up to date: go and buy a new one.

Alternatively go to the highway code website where there is a handy online version for reference.

There are so many myths and legends surrounding the Highway Code, many arising from out of date or misinterpreted rules, or people learning by word of mouth rather than directly from the book.

Did you know that where the width of a road is restricted, a car travelling uphill must give way to a car travelling downhill. No? Well that’s because it’s not true; it’s the car going downhill that must give way (except perhaps where the car travelling down hill is towing something). But I’ve heard the opposite yelled at the top of someone’s voice by someone having an argument behind my house.

Did you know that on a dual carriage way the national speed limit for a car is 60mph? No? Good, because that’s not true- it’s 70 contrary to the belief of the bloke gesticulating at me for travelling at 67mph on the A56 near Accrington.

The statistics show that in over two thirds of road accidents that poor driving, and ignorance of road rules and conditions is the major contributing factor.

Now before the simple minded leap on to me saying I’m advocating people being able to drive at whatever speed they like; I will pre-emptively dismiss such arguments as disingenuous interpretations of my message.
Saying that poor driver knowledge and people driving too slowly is a neglected road safety issue is not the same thing as saying speeding is not a problem in some areas. Indeed the same statistics also show that a major subset of poor drivers exceed speed limits. It's just that the focus on excessive speed and excessive speed alone is somewhat missing the point. Perhaps the focus on these targets are because speeding and drinking are soft targets in road safety; you can easily measure them beyond doubt.

So please if you drive, brush up on your highway code. It may well reduce your driver stress to discover that the other driver is actually in the right rather than irritatingly wrong. Or it could reduce other people’s stress if you learn not to do something stupid that your father’s uncle’s next door neighbour swore was stipulated as the appropriate course of action in the highway code.

And there can be no argument that less road stress means safer drivers.