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Home : Motoring Advice : General Advice & Info : UK Driving Advice :

UK Driving Advice

General advice for drivers

Drinking and Driving

The maximum permitted level of alcohol in the blood is 0.08%. The police can ask a driver suspected of having committed an offence to undergo a breath test. Penalty £5,000 and/or 6 months' imprisonment and 12 months withdrawal of driving licence if first time.

Driving Licence

A visitor may use his national driving licence only if he has reached the minimum age to drive a vehicle in the United Kingdom:

• Motorcycle with or without sidecar, up to 25 kW and a power to weight ratio not exceeding 0.16 kW/kg – 17 years.
• Motorcycle with or without a sidecar above 25kw – 21 years.
• Temporarily imported car 17 years.

A provisional (learner's) driving licence issued abroad is not valid for use in the United Kingdom.

Fines

Police officers can issue fixed penalty tickets for a range of offences, e.g. speeding, defective tyres, failure to wear a seat belt, etc. These tickets are issued at the discretion of the police. Offenders have 28 days in which to pay or to request a court hearing. If no action is taken on a ticket, the penalty is increased by 50% or a summons issued for a court hearing. In addition, traffic wardens as well as the police have power to issue tickets. Vehicles illegally parked are liable to a fine and may also be wheel-clamped or removed.

In practice, foreign visitors are not normally given tickets but are, where possible, taken straight before a court.

Fuel

Unleaded 95 octane petrol is sold as "Premium Unleaded" and unleaded 97-octane petrol as "Super Unleaded". Ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) is sold at all filling stations; "City Diesel", a diesel with reduced sulphur is also available at some filling stations. There are more than 1200 filling stations which sell Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Leaded "4-star" petrol and Lead Replacement Petrol (LRP) are no longer available. Drivers of older cars designed to use leaded petrol are advised to use lead-replacement additives available widely in filling stations and accessory stores.

Fuel prices vary according to the region, fuel brand and type of outlet; supermarkets may be lower priced.

Lights

Motorists must use sidelights between sunset and sunrise and headlights at night (between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise) on all roads without street lighting and on roads where the street lights are more than 185m apart or are not lit. Motorists must;

• use headlights or front and rear fog lights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally to less than 100 m,
• use dipped headlights at night in built-up areas unless the road is well lit,
• use headlights at night on lit motorways and roads with a speed limit in excess of 30 mph.

Motorcycles

It is compulsory for riders of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds to wear a safety helmet of an approved design. This also applies to passengers, except those in sidecars. The helmet must be manufactured to a standard similar to the British Standard.

Motor Insurance

It is prohibited to drive an imported vehicle in the United Kingdom without adequate motor insurance. If the importer does not hold an insurance certificate valid for the United Kingdom, arrangements should be made prior to travel. Minimum third party insurance, including trailers.

Child Passengers

Children under 3 years MUST use a child restraint appropriate for their weight in any vehicle (including vans and other goods vehicles). The only exception is that a child under three may travel unrestrained in the rear of a taxi if the right child restraint is not available.

Rear-facing baby seats MUST NOT be used in a seat protected by a frontal air-bag unless the air-bag has been deactivated manually or automatically.

In vehicles where seat belts are fitted, children 3 years to 12 years and under 135cms in height (approx 4ft 5ins) MUST use the appropriate child restraint. These children may travel in the rear and use an adult belt

• in a taxi, if the right child restraint is not available
• for a short distance in an unexpected necessity, or
• where two occupied child seats in the rear prevent the fitment of a third.

Drivers are responsible for children under 14 years with the fine varying between £30.00 and £500.00 for non-compliance.

Seatbelts

Seat belts must be worn in the front and rear of vehicles if they are fitted.

Speed Limits

Standard legal limits, which may be varied by signs, for private vehicles without trailers:

In built up areas: up to 30mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise indicated,

outside built up areas: 60 mph (96 km/h).

Motorways and dual carriage ways up to 70 mph (112 km/h).

Motor caravans with an unladen weight exceeding 3.5 t or motor vehicles adapted to carry more than 8 passengers are banned from the outside lane of a motorway with 3 or more lanes.

Special Features

Whilst it is not compulsory, it is recommended that you carry a warning triangle, first aid kit and fire extinguisher.

It is an offence to use a hand-held phone or similar device when driving.

It is prohibited to use the horn when the vehicle is stationary, except at times of danger due to another vehicle in movement, or as an anti-theft device. The use of the horn is prohibited in built-up areas from 2330 to 0700 hours.

A toll (also called "congestion charge") is payable when driving or parking in central London on weekdays (Monday to Friday excluding public holidays) between 0700 and 1830 hours. The entrances to the zone are indicated by the letter C in white on a red background.

Tolls are payable when using certain motorways sections / bridges.

Visiting motorists driving left hand drive should ensure that their headlights are adjusted for driving on the left, otherwise they risk being stopped by the police and subsequently fined up to £1000.