Roads and vehicles are an everyday part of life for all of us. Either as a driver, a passenger, a pedestrian, or as a cyclist we all must negotiate the road traffic environment on a daily basis.

Road User Hierarchy

Road user hierarchy ensures that the needs of the most vulnerable road users are fully considered in all road schemes. It has significant safety benefits.

Most road’s accommodate a range of users and their, often conflicting, requirements require a balance in the amount of service provided for each user group and the allocation of limited space to each.

A road user hierarchy consistent with the promotion of walking places pedestrians and the mobility-impaired at the top, followed by cyclists, then public transport, with unaccompanied users of private cars last (Land Transport New Zealand, 2007):

• 1. Mobility impaired and wheeled pedestrians.
  
• 2. Able pedestrians.
  
• 3. Cyclists/ recreational pedestrians.
  
• 4. Public transport users.
  
• 5. Commercial/ business users (including delivery and emergency vehicles).
  
• 6. Car-borne commuters and visitors.