United Kingdom traffic laws

Present laws

• Road Traffic Act 1972
• Highways Act 1980
• Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984
• Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988
• Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions
• Highway Code

  History

• The Locomotives on Highways Act 1896
• The Motor Car Act 1903
• The Roads Act 1920
• The Road Traffic Act 1930
• The Road Traffic Act 1934

  Offences that apply to all vehicles

Motor vehicle offences

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

Bicycles

• Taylor v Goodwin 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 prohibits cycling on footways. The fixed penalty is £30 under the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 s 51 and Sch 3.
• Crank v Brooks RTR 441, wheeling a bike is not "riding" it, per Waller LJ,

"In my judgment a person who is walking across a pedestrian crossing pushing a bicycle, having started on the pavement on one side on her feet and not on the bicycle, and going across pushing the bicycle with both feet on the ground so to speak is clearly a 'foot passenger'. If for example she had been using it as a scooter by having one foot on the pedal and pushing herself along, she would not have been a 'foot passenger'. But the fact that she had the bicycle in her hand and was walking does not create any difference from a case where she is walking without a bicycle in her hand."

• 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.

"It is an offence for a person to ride a cycle on a road or other public place when unfit to ride through drink or drugs - that is to say - is under the influence of a drink or a drug to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the cycle."

• Maximum penalty for dangerous cycling is £2500.
• £30 fine for running a red light.
• Road Vehicles Regulations 1986, amended 2003, cyclists not included in law making it illegal to talk on a mobile phone.

  Northern Ireland

Offences that apply to all vehicles

Motor vehicle offences

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