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Highway Code · Rule 305

Highway Code Rule 305

Road works, level crossings and tramways (288 to 307). Advisory guidance you are expected to follow.

  • Road works, level crossings and tramways
  • Advisory rule
  • OGL v3.0

What the rule says

Advisory

Rule 305 (Tramways (rules 300 to 307)) Always give priority to trams, especially when they signal to pull away from stops, unless it would be unsafe to do so. Remember that they may be carrying large numbers of standing passengers who could be injured if the tram had to make an emergency stop. Look out for people getting off a bus or tram and crossing the road.

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, Rule 305 comes down to one idea: rule 305 (Tramways (rules 300 to 307)) Always give priority to trams, especially when they signal to pull away from stops, unless it would be unsafe to do so. 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 road works, level crossings and tramways 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 road works, level crossings and tramways 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 rule 305 matters on the road

Temporary layouts remove the cues drivers rely on, so the risk of a wrong-lane decision or a late stop climbs. Reading the signs early and committing to the correct lane keeps you and the road workers safe.

Common faults examiners record

In the road works, level crossings and tramways 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:

  • Choosing the wrong lane because the temporary signs were read too late.
  • Braking harshly at a crossing or signal that should have been anticipated.
  • Stopping over a marking or in a box junction when the exit is not clear.

On the day

On the day, applying Rule 305 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 Road works, level crossings and tramways

Related Highway Code rules

Rule 305, your questions

Rule 305 (Tramways (rules 300 to 307)) Always give priority to trams, especially when they signal to pull away from stops, unless it would be unsafe to do so. 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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