Strong wind is a hazard for more than lorries. A gust can also push a car, cyclist, motorcyclist or horse rider off course. Recognising where that gust may arrive helps you anticipate a change in conditions before you reach it.
Highway Code Rule 232 identifies three places that deserve particular attention: exposed stretches of road, bridges and gaps in hedges.
A sheltered road can become exposed
Hedges and surrounding features can provide shelter along part of a route. Passing a gap or reaching an open stretch can expose you to a crosswind. Conditions may therefore feel different over a short distance, even when the weather has not otherwise changed.
Look ahead for places where that shelter ends. A bridge or an open section of countryside is a reason to anticipate wind rather than assume the next section will feel like the road behind you.
High-sided vehicles are particularly affected
The Highway Code says that high-sided vehicles are most affected by windy weather. Their large sides give the wind more surface to act on. However, drivers of smaller vehicles should not assume that their vehicle is immune.
Rule 232 also identifies cars and vulnerable road users as being at risk of being blown off course. Give other road users room and avoid relying on them holding a perfectly steady line during a gust.
Be aware of turbulence around large vehicles
There is a related warning in Rule 233: in very windy weather, turbulence created by large vehicles may affect your vehicle. Motorcyclists are particularly affected. The guidance says to keep well back from motorcyclists when they are overtaking a high-sided vehicle.
This is a separate hazard from the exposed-road crosswind described in Rule 232, but both make anticipation and space important. A large vehicle can affect the airflow around nearby road users as well as being affected by the wind itself.
Quick revision check
Question: Are high-sided vehicles the only road users that can be blown off course by strong gusts?
Answer: No. Cars, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders can be affected too. Watch particularly for exposed roads, bridges and gaps in hedges.
Watch the matching Short
The accompanying Short uses recorded narration from our existing Highway Code lesson to explain Rule 232. Its original AI-created educational image illustrates a British rural bridge and a gap in hedges; it does not document a real incident.
Independent driving-theory revision. Checked against Highway Code Rules 232 and 233 on 16 October 2026.
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