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Highway Code

Highway Code, Annex 5. Penalties (part 2)

Annex 5. Penalties. Advisory guidance you are expected to follow.

  • Annex 5. Penalties
  • Advisory rule
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Advisory

Offence Maximum penalty Penalty points Causing death by dangerous driving Life imprisonment / Unlimited fine / Obligatory - 5 years minimum 3 to 11 (if exceptionally not disqualified) Dangerous driving 2 years’ imprisonment / Unlimited fine / Obligatory disqualification 3 to 11 (if exceptionally not disqualified) Causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs Life imprisonment / Unlimited fine / Obligatory - 5 years minimum 3 to 11 (if exceptionally not disqualified) Careless and inconsiderate driving Unlimited fine / Discretionary disqualification 3 to 9 Driving while unfit through drink or drugs or with excess alcohol: or failing to provide a specimen for analysis 6 months’ imprisonment / Unlimited fine / Obligatory disqualification 3 to 11 (if exceptionally not disqualified) Failing to stop after an accident or failing to report an accident 6 months’ imprisonment / Unlimited fine / Discretionary disqualification 5 to 10 Driving while disqualified 6 months’ imprisonment (12 months in Scotland) / Unlimited fine / Discretionary disqualification 6 Driving after refusal or revocation of licence on medical grounds 6 months’ imprisonment / Unlimited fine / Discretionary disqualification 3 to 6 Driving without insurance Unlimited fine / Discretionary disqualification 6 to 8 Using a vehicle in a dangerous condition LGV or PCV unlimited, other vehicles £2,500/ Obligatory disqualification if offence committed within 3 years of a previous conviction for a similar offence - 6 months min. Otherwise discretionary 3 in each case Failure to have proper control of vehicle or full view of the road and traffic ahead £1,000 fine (£2,500 for PCV or goods vehicle) / Discretionary disqualification 3 Using a hand-held mobile phone when driving £1,000 fine (£2,500 for PCV or goods vehicle) / Discretionary disqualification 6 Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence £1,000 fine / Discretionary disqualification 3 to 6 Speeding £1,000 fine (£2,500 for motorway offences) / Discretionary disqualification 3 to 6, or 3 (fixed penalty) Traffic light offences £1,000 fine / Discretionary disqualification 3 No MOT certificate £1,000 fine

Seat belt offences £500 fine

Dangerous cycling £2,500 fine

Careless cycling £1,000 fine

Cycling on pavement £500 fine

Failing to identify driver of vehicle £1,000 fine / Discretionary disqualification 6 *Where a court disqualifies a person on conviction for one of these offences, it must order an extended retest. The courts also have discretion to order a retest for any other offence which carries penalty…

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: offence Maximum penalty Penalty points Causing death by dangerous driving Life imprisonment / Unlimited fine / Obligatory - 5 years minimum 3 to 11 (if exceptionally not disqualified) Dangerous drivi… 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 5. penalties 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 5. penalties 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 5. penalties 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 5. Penalties (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 5. Penalties

Related Highway Code rules

Highway Code, Annex 5. Penalties (part 2), your questions

Offence Maximum penalty Penalty points Causing death by dangerous driving Life imprisonment / Unlimited fine / Obligatory - 5 years minimum 3 to 11 (if exceptionally not disqualified) Dangerous drivi… 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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