Skip to content
Highway Code

Highway Code, Annex 4. The road user and the law (part 2)

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

Act or regulation Abbreviation Environmental Protection Act 1990 EPA Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Act 1990 H(PHYR)A Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Regulations 1992 H(PHYR)R Motor Cycles (Eye Protectors) Regulations 1999 MC(EP)R Motor Cycles (Protective Helmets) Regulations 1998 MC(PH)R Motorways Traffic (England & Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 or 2018 (as indicated) MT(E&W)(A)R Motorways Traffic (England & Wales) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2015 MT(E&W)(A)(E)R Motorways Traffic (Scotland) Regulations 1995 MT(S)R Motorways Traffic (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 or 2018 (as indicated) MT(S)(A)R Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 MV(DL)R Motor Vehicles (Variation of Speed Limits) (England & Wales) Regulations 2014 MV(VSL)(E&W) Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations 1993 MV(WSB)R Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 or 2006 (as applicable) MV(WSB)(A)R Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts by Children in Front Seats) Regulations 1993 MV(WSBCFS)R New Roads and Streetworks Act 1991 NRSWA Pedal Cycles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1983 PCUR Police Reform Act 2002 PRA Private Crossings (Signs and Barriers) Regulations PC(SB)R Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Premises (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Scottish SI 2006/No 90 TPSCP(S)R* Restricted Roads (20mph Speed Limit) Order 2022 (SI 2022/800) RR(20)O Road Safety Act 2006 RSA Road Traffic Act 1984, 1988 or 1991 as indicated RTA Road Traffic Act 1988 (Prescribed Limit)(Scotland) Regulations 2014 PLSR Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 RT(ND)A Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 RTOA Road Vehicles (Construction and Use)(Amendment)(No 4) Regulations 2003 CUR(A)(No4)R Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 RV(DRM)R Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 RVLR Road Vehicles (Registration & Licensing) Regulations 2002 RV(R&L)R Sentencing Act 2020 SA Smoke-free (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulations 2007 SI 2007/765 TSf(EV)* Smoke-free Premises etc (Wales) Regulations 2007 SI 2007/W787 TSfP(W)R* Smoke-free (Private Vehicles) Regulations 2015 S-f(PV)R Smoke-free Premises etc (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 S-f(W)R Smoking Prohibition (Children in Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Act 2016 SP(CIMV)(S)A Traffic Management Act 2004 TMA Traffic Signs Regulations & General Directions 2002 TSRGD Traffic Signs Regulations & General Directions 2016 TSRGD 2016 Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988 UICHR Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 VERA Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian…

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: act or regulation Abbreviation Environmental Protection Act 1990 EPA Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Act 1990 H(PHYR)A Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Regulations 1992 H(P… 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 2) 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 2), your questions

Act or regulation Abbreviation Environmental Protection Act 1990 EPA Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Act 1990 H(PHYR)A Horses (Protective Headgear for Young Riders) Regulations 1992 H(P… 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.

DriveRoutes is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).