Learn about the raft of new motoring regulations being introduced so you don’t inadvertently fall foul of the law in the months and years ahead.
As motorists, it’s essential that all of us keep up to date on new legislation to ensure that we stay free from prosecution, so use the following guide to stay abreast of important up-and-coming changes to motoring law here and overseas:
March – New drug-driving laws to be introducedFrom March 2nd, stricter rules are coming into force to combat the threat of drug driving whether under the influence of legal or illegal drugs.
Illegal drugs covered by the new rules (and that can be tested for at the roadside) include cannabis, cocaine, LSD, heroin, ecstasy and ketamine. Prescribed drugs that are more prone to abuse will include diazepam, flunitrazepam, temazepam and clonazepam.
If caught under the influence of drugs, it will be treated in the same way as drink-driving with severe penalties. If you are uncertain about any prescribed drugs you are taking (say, for treating an ongoing medical condition), consult your GP or pharmacist.
June – Abolition of the driving licence paper counterpartCome June 8th, the paper counterpart will be no more as it follows in the footsteps of the road tax disc which was shown the paper shredder in October 2014.
It means you will need to destroy your paper licence and instead, your information (including existing penalty points and your licence’s status) will be held on a DVLA database. The authority has pointed out though that owners of paper licences issued before 1998 will need to keep hold of their document until they renew their licence.
October – No smoking allowed in a vehicle carrying a childFrom October 1st, adults will not be allowed to smoke in a vehicle if it is carrying an individual under the age of 18.
If any person in a vehicle is caught smoking, the driver could face fines ranging from £60 up to £10,000 (plus potential points on their licence) for smoking behind the wheel or failing to stop passengers from lighting up when a child is present.
“Over 430,000 children aged 11-15 in England are exposed to second-hand smoke in their family cars at least once a week.” – British Lung Foundation
2016 – Customer claims to be protectedThe recently-passed Insurance Act means insurers will no longer be able to reject customers’ claims if it is discovered inaccurate but unrelated information was given by the policy holder at the time of taking out the insurance.
The Act won’t come into play until 2016 but when it does, the onus will be on the insurer to ask potential customers the right questions before deciding on whether to insure them – and not the customer to provide all the necessary information when they decide to take out a policy.
Say a customer has an insurance policy on their garage and the policy contains a warranty that means a burglar alarm has to be installed. If the garage were to burn down and inspectors see there was no burglar alarm installed, at present the breach could invalidate the claim. But this won’t happen under the new rules.”
–Paloma Kubiak, MoneySavingExpert.com
2017 – EU to clamp down on law-breaking foreign driversNew EU laws are being finalised that will see British motorists being fined or even losing their vehicles if they are caught speeding or committing other motoring offences while driving in Europe.
Under existing EU legislation, British drivers can be handed on-the-spot fines if they are caught breaking the law by roadside police. But if they are driving their own car (and not a rental) and are caught, for instance, by a speed camera, British motorists can’t currently be fined, pursued through the courts or allocated points on their licence. With the new legislation though, this will change and penalties for the following offences can be followed up by authorities:
Speeding Jumping red lights Drink and drug driving Driving while using a mobile phone.
The European Commission is also considering whether to harmonise penalty points across the EU so drivers caught breaking the law overseas will have points added to their licences at home. While the new laws are expected in mainland Europe this year, Britain has been given an extension to 2017 to allow the DVLA time to update its systems.
IMAGES: Police cars © West Midlands Police, Cigarette © Anastasia Massone