UK Motoring Laws

There are various laws you need to be aware of as a driver, besides the one stating that you must have a minimum of third party insurance for any vehicle registered to you. We've supplied a brief outline of some of the motoring laws UK drivers should know about. 

Driving licences

British drivers must not drive unless they hold either a full or provisional driving licence. You can apply for a driving licence online via the Government's website.

If you are driving in Great Britain on a non-British licence, you might find it helpful to use this Government tool to see if there are any restrictions on you driving in this country. 

MOT

An MOT ensures that your vehicle is road worthy and not a danger to you, your passengers and other road users. By law, every car must have an MOT certificate when it reaches the third anniversary of the date it was registered, and every year after that. Some vehicles are exempt from requiring an MOT.  To help you prepare for your car's MOT, we've listed the things your car will be tested on.

Road Tax

By law, you must pay road tax for your vehicle, unless it's in the small category of vehicles which are exempt from road tax. This applies even if you don't drive your car, unless you have completed a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). If you don't use a SORN you will be fined for not paying car tax.

Car vehicle tax rates are based on either engine size or fuel type and CO2 emissions, depending on when the vehicle was registered. You can find out what tax rate you have to pay for your car online.

Paper tax discs were abolished in October 2014; instead, DVLA keeps a central database from which they send reminders to car owners when their tax is due for renewal or overdue. 

What to do after an accident

There are do's and don'ts when it comes to dealing with a smash follow some of these guidelines.

Highway Code

Brush up on some of the basics that you may have forgotten since taking your test.