5 New Driving Laws & Rules For 2022: Everything You Need To Know
Over the past few years, we’ve all witnessed the changes in driving laws and the highway code, not only as vehicles advance but so do our roads. It can be challenging at times to keep up with all the changes that are happening, that’s why we at The Mansfield Group have put together this list of 5 new law changes for drivers travelling around the UK.
#1 Speed Limiters To Be Fitted To All New Cars In 2022
As you can tell by the name, a speed limiter is a device that stops you from driving faster than the dictated speed limit on any road.
Being a mandatory fixture by law in any new car from 6 July 2022, the cars speed limiter uses a GPS linked system to detect the car’s positioning and any speed signs to alert the driver if they are travelling too fast. If the vehicle doesn’t slow down the speed limiter will intervene, limiting the car’s power, and gradually slowing the vehicle to the speed limit.
Concerns about these speed limiters irritating drivers have been raised throughout production, so in December 2025, data will be reviewed to limit the speed of drivers around the country.
#2 Mobile Phones & Their Use At The Wheel
Serving accidents all over the UK, we’re very aware of how many of these are caused by people being distracted by their mobile phones whilst driving. With 11 million motorists around the country admitting to using their phones behind the wheel, it’s becoming an increasing concern for everyone on the roads.
With the highway, code increasing in the rule regarding phone usage and this is ever-changing even in 2022. New driving laws are coming into place stating that you can be penalised for just touching your phone when behind the wheel no matter if it’s for a call, text or quick selfie. Laws for this have been in place for some time however with the risk of a £200 fine and six points on your licence being put into place, we encourage all drivers to keep away from their phones while driving.
#3 Pavement Parking? Can You Do It
Currently only taking full effect in London, an outright ban on parking on a pavement could be coming into effect later this year over the whole of the UK.
As the Department of Transport is currently taking into review a new law for the highway code after a consultation into people’s views on the issue strongly leads towards it being a problem impacting those countrywide, especially elderly people, disabled people and those with a pushchair.
The highway code does currently state you shouldn’t park on the pavement even partially however this is not fully enforced anywhere beyond London. In some locations, you will find signs indicating that you are able to park on the pavement but only to the extent stated and not fully covering the pavement.
As this new law potentially rolls out countrywide throughout the year, we would advise keeping up to date with the latest news as much as you can to ensure you are not breaking any new rules and regulations.
#4 Just What Can You Tow?
From December 2021 the laws on what can be towed officially changed, meaning if you passed your test on or after 1 January 1997 you won’t have to take any additional tests to tow a trailer up to 3,500kg. This was set in place partially as the government hoped to gain roughly 30,000 more HGV driving tests being passed every year, helping out the current driver shortage.
With an increase in drivers, this could lead to an increase in breakdowns and accidents involving HGV drivers, something we at The Mansfield Group are always here to assist with which you can learn more about here.
#5 Clean Air Zones
Poor air quality affects everyone’s health, this is especially true for those in dense cities such as Manchester or Birmingham where tightly compacted buildings and roads cause vehicle emissions to linger and build up, leading to health issues for the residents within these areas.
The new law behind this would implement a charge of up to £60 for any vehicle that emits a certain amount of emissions including vans, coaches and HGVs. With the first phase of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone going ahead on 30 May 2022, the UK Government is set to expand on this if found to be a viable way of cleaning the air around us all.
Contact Us If You Find Yourself In Some Trouble
As these new driving laws come into place and are implemented into the highway code, we advise you to stay up to date and keep as safe as you can on and around the roads.
In the event that you find yourself in a bit of trouble, we are here for you! Offering services for all kinds of vehicles, our team operate a fleet of service vans equipped with a variety of tools and parts so they are able to cater for your individual needs and get you back out on the road as soon as possible whether you drive a motorcycle, car, van, commercial vehicle or bus. Our service vans are tracked as it travels, meaning we can keep you up to date with how close our team are to you at any given moment, ensuring your peace of mind no matter where your incident occurred.
Our team are always here to help in these stressful circumstances offering breakdown and accident recovery on the roadside around the UK 24/7 and with fully equipped service centres across the northern, central and southern geographical areas of the country, your vehicle if needed can be taken to be serviced and repaired by our excellently trained team of technicians.
In need of breakdown assistance? Simply give us a call on 08706 003 444 and we will dispatch one of our drivers as soon as we can!
