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UK’s New Driving Laws You Must Be Aware of

We all know that driving laws get modified and new ones are introduced in accordance to the latest traffic scenarios. So, it is only natural if some new regulations have gone unnoticed. At Pass ‘N’ Go, we make sure that you are aware of all the new driving laws across the UK, so that you can maintain your untainted driving history. Let’s have a look at some UK’s new driving laws that may have escaped your eyes:

UK New Driving Laws

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Harder Drug Driving Laws:

On March 2nd 2015, the UK authorities made the existing drug driving laws stricter to penalise those driving under the influence of legal and illegal drugs risking their lives as well as the lives of others on the road.

The law covered the following illegal drugs:

  • Cannabis
  • Cocaine
  • Ecstasy
  • Heroin
  • Ketamine
  • LSD

Following prescription medicines were found to be more prone to misuse:

  • Diazepam
  • Flunitrazepam
  • Temazepam

Paper counterpart driving licence Revoked:

Since 1998, drivers in the UK have been using a photocard driving license and a paper counterpart driving licence that was considered an equivalent to the former. The UK government stopped issuing paper counterpart driving licences on June 8th 2015, making photocard driving licence the only identity you need on the road. Paper driving licence can be used if it was issued to you before 1998. Your penalty points, the status of your licence and all other information regarding your driving history will now be saved in DVLA database.

The speed limits for HGVs increased:

The speed limits for HGVs all across England and Wales were revised in April 2015. The changes made are as follows:

  • In England and Wales, HGVs on a single carriageway can go as fast as 50mph. The previous limit was 40mph.
  • Again in England and Wales, HGVs on a dual carriageway can reach to 60mph max. The previous limit was 50mph.

Smoking was prohibited if there was a child in the vehicle:

In October 2015, adults were prohibited by the law to smoke in a vehicle carrying a child under the age of 18. In case of noncompliance, the driver could be fined £60 atleast, which can go up to a whopping £10,000. Additionally, the driver might also receive penalty points on their licence.

Modification in the law concerning car tax:

UK motorists were used to get a paper tax disc to put on their car’s windscreen while paying for car tax. This practice has been revoked. Now, police keep this information on a secure server. Nevertheless, you may not be aware of the change about transferring tax to a new owner. You cannot do it while selling your car.

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