ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Road Laws – Part Two

As drivers, we need a clear understanding of UK road laws — but just how much do you know? Van retailer Van Monster has created the following article to breakdown some of the most essential UK road laws, providing you with a greater understanding of each.

The law
Rule 99: A seat belt must be worn in cars, vans and other goods vehicles where they are fitted. Furthermore, a seat belt or child restraint must be used by adults and children aged 14 years and over when seated in buses, coaches and minibuses, where they are fitted.

There are exemptions to this law, which are:

• Holders of medical exemption certificates.
• Anyone making deliveries or collections in goods vehicles where they travel less than 50 metres.

Potential consequences of breaking the law
An on-the-spot £100 fine or a maximum fine of £500 if prosecuted.

How well is the law being enforced?
95.3% of motorists in England and Scotland were observed as using seat belts during research carried out during a period in 2014, according to a survey released by the Department of Transport.

It was also discovered that:

• 6% of all front seat passengers based in England and Scotland were using seat belts or child restraints.
• 3% of all rear seat passengers based in England and Scotland were using seat belts or child restraints.
• 2% of car drivers based in England and Scotland were using seat belts.
• 7% of car front seat passengers based in England and Scotland were using seat belts or child restraints.
• 6% of car rear seat passengers based in England and Scotland were using seat belts or child restraints.

The law
Rule 105: Signs used by school crossing patrols must be obeyed (as well as those provided by police officers, traffic officers and traffic wardens).

Potential consequences of breaking the law
If a patrol officer holds up their stop sign and you fail to abide, you will be:

• Fined up to £1,000.
• Given three penalty points on your driving licence.

How well is the law being enforced?
A concern in relation to this is that the amount of school crossing patrols there is in decline.

Brake, a road safety charity, revealed that the amount of school crossing patrols has decreased by almost 1,000 between 2010 and 2014. This is despite the fact that 36% of children aged between five and ten years old walk to school, as well as 38% of kids aged between 11 and 16 years old.

The law
Rule 109: All traffic light signals and traffic signs giving orders must be obeyed — this includes temporary signals and signs.

Potential consequences of breaking the law
If you cross the stop line when a traffic light has turned red, you could receive:

• A £100 fixed penalty.
• Three penalty points on your driving licence.

How well is the law being enforced?
Here are the top 20 roads where UK motorists were caught going past a red light in 2015:

Information from insurance firm Esure.

The law
Rule 124: The maximum speed limit for a road and for a vehicle should never be exceeded. These speed limits are as follows, unless otherwise stated:

*This speed limit is reduced to 60mph if the goods vehicle is articulated or towing a trailer.

Potential consequences of breaking the law
The minimum penalty for a speeding offence is:

• A £100 fine.
• Three penalty points on your driving licence.

How well is the law being enforced?
LV= car insurance discovered that individual police forces logged an average of 56,080 speeding offences during 2015.

This growth shows an 8% increase year-on-year on 2014’s figures (there were an average of 52,028 speeding offences recorded that year) and a rise of 20% compared to 2013 (when an average of 46,905 speeding offences were recorded).

The Freedom of Information Act request also found the following:

1. Top five hotspots for speeding in 2015

2. Fastest drivers caught by police forces in 2015