United Kingdom traffic laws

United Kingdom traffic laws comprise the statutes and regulations governing road usage, vehicle operation, driver conduct, and traffic enforcement across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Present laws (Great Britain)

• Highways Act 1980 (England and Wales)
• Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (Scotland)
• Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984
• Road Traffic Act 1988
• Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988
• Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, initially introduced on 1 January 1965
• The Highway Code (Great Britain edition), not law but a set of information, advice, guides and mandatory rules for road users

History

• Turnpike Roads Act 1766
• Highways Act 1773
• Turnpike Roads Act 1773
• Turnpike Roads Act 1822
• Highway Act 1835
• Locomotive Acts
• Highway Act 1864
• Locomotives on Highways Act 1896
• Motor Car Act 1903
• Roads Act 1920
• Road Traffic Act 1930
• Road Traffic Act 1934
• Road Traffic Act 1960
• Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967
• Road Traffic Act 1972
• Road Traffic Act 1988
• Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988

Offences that apply to all vehicles

Causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving

Motor vehicle offences

• Causing death by dangerous driving
• Dangerous driving
• Careless driving/Driving without due care and attention

Motor vehicle document offences: see English criminal law#Forgery, personation and cheating

And see Drink driving (United Kingdom)

Bicycles

• Taylor v Goodwin (1879) 4 QBD 228 bicycles are defined as "carriages" and therefore not allowed on pavements; biker convicted for "furious" cycling.
• Cycle Tracks Act 1984, allows footpaths to be converted into cycle paths
• Highway Act 1835 s 72 (as amended by Local Government Act 1888 s 85(1)) prohibits cycling on footways (pavement beside carriageway). The fixed penalty is £30 under the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 s 51 and Sch 3.
• Crank v Brooks [1980] RTR 441, wheeling a bike is not "riding" it, per Waller LJ,
• Licensing Act 1872, an offence to be drunk and in charge of a bike.
• Road Traffic Act 1988 s 30, creates an offence for being incapable of having proper control, not necessarily being a bit drunk.
• Maximum penalty for dangerous cycling is £2500.
• £30 fine for running a red light.
• Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, amended 2003, cyclists not included in law making it illegal to talk on a mobile phone.

Northern Ireland

Present laws

• Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act (Northern Ireland) 1930
• Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981
• The Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993
• The Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
• The Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996
• The Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997
• The Road Traffic (New Drivers) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998
• The Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 2007
• Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997
• The Highway Code (Northern Ireland edition)

Offences that apply to all vehicles

Causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving

Motor vehicle offences

• Causing death or grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving
• Dangerous driving

See also

• Transport in the United Kingdom

Notes

External links

• Carlton Reid, 'Cycling and the law' (retrieved 2.10.2009) Bikeforall.net