Government promotes changes to Highway Code
The Government has announced that the Highway Code on GOV.UK, has now been made easier to use, after research shows how keeping up to date changes people’s road behaviour.
The improvements to how The Highway Code is published on GOV.UK mean that you can now:
- search just within The Highway Code, rather than all of GOV.UK
- quickly move between related rules
- follow links to the original laws that the rules are based on
- print sections more easily
For life, not just for learners
The rules in The Highway Code are updated when there are changes in the law. Changes made in the last year include:
- banning smoking in cars carrying under 18s
- increased speed limits for lorries on single and dual carriageways
- lower drink-drive limits in Scotland
The Highway Code on GOV.UK now includes a list of the latest updates that have been made, making it easier than ever to stay up to date.
Test your knowledge of recent changes to The Highway Code on BuzzFeed.
More ways to stay up to date
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has been encouraging all road users to sign up to get reminders and updates about The Highway Code on email or social media.
Changing the way people use the road
Most people who get reminders from The Highway Code say they have used the road differently since getting them.
Research carried out by DVSA with people who use these services found that:
- 83.2% of respondents improved their knowledge of the rules
- 66.2% of respondents have used the road differently as a result
- 94.1% of respondents would recommend the service to family and friends
Change between chart and table
| Question | Respondents who answered yes |
| Improved knowledge and understanding | 83.2% |
| Used the road differently | 66.2% |
| Recommend to friends | 94.1% |
Transport Minister, Lord Ahmad said, ‘The Highway Code is essential reading for all road users – not just those who are learning to drive. It’s now easier than ever to keep up to date with The Highway Code and the rules of the road.’
‘Making sure all road users keep their skills and knowledge up to date will help to keep Great Britain’s roads amongst the safest in the world.’
‘The most vulnerable road users are pedestrians, particularly children, older or disabled people, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders.’
‘It’s important that all road users are aware of the code and are considerate towards each other. This applies to pedestrians as much as to drivers and riders.’
