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Highway Code

Highway Code, Annex 4. The road user and the law (part 1)

Annex 4. The road user and the law. Advisory guidance you are expected to follow.

  • Annex 4. The road user and the law
  • Advisory rule
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Advisory

Road traffic law

The following list can be found abbreviated throughout the Code. It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide, but a guide to some of the important points of law. For the precise wording of the law, please refer to the various Acts and Regulations (as amended) indicated in the Code. Abbreviations are listed below. Most of the provisions apply on all roads throughout Great Britain, although there are some exceptions. The definition of a road in England and Wales is ‘any highway and any other road to which the public has access and includes bridges over which a road passes’ (RTA 1988 sect 192(1)). In Scotland, there is a similar definition which is extended to include any way over which the public have a right of passage (R(S)A 1984 sect 151(1)). It is important to note that references to ‘road’ therefore generally include footpaths, bridleways and cycle tracks, and many roadways and driveways on private land (including many car parks). In most cases, the law will apply to them and there may be additional rules for particular paths or ways. Some serious driving offences, including drink-driving offences, also apply to all public places, for example public car parks. The reference to ‘emergency area’ in the Code is an ‘emergency refuge area’ as defined in the Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982 as amended by the Motorways Traffic (England and Wales)(Amendment)(England) Regulations 2015. Acts and regulations are available as enacted or as amended at www.legislation.gov.uk and are available in their original print format from The Stationery Office.

Acts and regulations prior to 1988

Act or regulation Abbreviation Chronically Sick & Disabled Persons Act 1970 CSDPA Functions of Traffic Wardens Order 1970 FTWO Greater London (General Powers) Act 1974 GL(GP)A Highway Act 1835 or 1980 (as indicated) HA Motorways Traffic (England & Wales) Regulations 1982 MT(E&W)R Pedal Cycles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1983 PCUR Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 PPVA Road Traffic Act 1984 RTA Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 RTRA Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 CUR Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 R(S)A

Rule text reproduced verbatim from the official Highway Code (Crown copyright) under the Open Government Licence v3.0, see the attribution at the foot of this page.

In plain English

Stripped of the formal wording, this guidance comes down to one idea: the following list can be found abbreviated throughout the Code. It is advice rather than law, but examiners and the courts still treat it as the expected standard of safe driving.

It belongs to the annex 4. the road user and the law part of the Code, the habits a confident, considerate driver builds until they are automatic. The aim is not to memorise the sentence word for word, but to understand the hazard it protects you from, so you apply it without having to think when it counts.

If you are learning, treat this rule as one piece of a connected set rather than an isolated fact. The related rules below sit in the same section and reinforce each other, reading them together is how the annex 4. the road user and the law part of the Code starts to feel like common sense rather than a list to revise.

Because this is advisory rather than legal, no one will fine you for the rule alone, but ignoring it can still count against you in a careless-driving case, and it will cost you faults on the test. Either way, the safe move is to build the habit early, while a driving instructor can correct it, rather than relearning it under test pressure. That is exactly what the practice routes and coaching in the DriveRoutes app are designed to help with, turning the rules below into the way you naturally drive.

Why this rule matters on the road

Following this rule keeps your driving predictable and safe, which is what every other road user is relying on. It is one small part of the habit-set that, taken together, prevents the everyday mistakes that cause collisions.

Common faults examiners record

In the annex 4. the road user and the law part of the Code, the faults most often written on the marking sheet tend to be the same handful. Knowing them in advance is the quickest way to drive them out of your own habits:

  • Acting too late because the situation was read close rather than early.
  • Incomplete observation before committing to a manoeuvre.
  • An unsuitable speed for the road, the traffic or the conditions.

On the day

On the day, applying Highway Code, Annex 4. The road user and the law (part 1) is about doing the safe, deliberate thing slightly earlier than feels necessary: read the situation in good time, observe fully, and act smoothly. The examiner is looking for planned driving, not perfection, and good habits formed in lessons carry you through.

Quick checklist

  • Read the situation early and plan your response.
  • Observe fully before you commit to anything.
  • Keep your speed suitable for the road and conditions.

More from Annex 4. The road user and the law

Related Highway Code rules

Highway Code, Annex 4. The road user and the law (part 1), your questions

The following list can be found abbreviated throughout the Code. It is advisory guidance rather than law, but you are still expected to follow it and an examiner can mark a fault if you do not.

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