When I walk rural roads I step onto the verge as cars approach, it is courtesy for the vehicles, and safety for me. It is actually safer to do that if there is sufficient verge than look behind for other cars.

The statistics run to about 50% thank you on narrow roads, and 10-20% on fast roads.

But the law has always said "Give way to pedestrians at all times". And the hierarchy of: people, cyclists, (horses?), mobility vehicles, motorbikes etc has also been around a long time. But in reality it is a jungle out there.