New year new rules, at least in the UK. For 2022, there’s a bumper set of new laws that will apply to drivers. If you’ve been struggling to keep up or read about and then forgotten some of them, don’t worry. We’ve summarised them below. Read on to see what’s new for ’22 when it comes to driving.
Bus lane and box junction fines are changing
Currently, if you’re caught in a yellow box junction, it’s up to the police to hand you a £70 penalty. This is different in London and Cardiff, where local authorities are responsible for handing out penalties / fines instead of the police. Moving forward, everywhere in the UK will be the same as London and Cardiff – it’ll be up to local authorities to penalise what are known as ‘moving traffic offences’.
The result: assuming this move is passed by parliament (it was supposed to happen at the end of 2021), there is likely to be an increase in the number of yellow box junctions around the country that are monitored by a camera. That means there’s a greater chance of being caught if you break box junction rules.
Parking on pavements
Leaving your car with a wheel up on the kerb is already penalised in London. That will spread throughout the country in 2022. Obviously there are some streets that are too narrow for cars to park without going on the pavement. These will either get pavement markings or in some cases, yellow lines will be painted.
The result: it’s good news for anyone who needs more space on pavements such as anyone pushing a buggy or a wheelchair user. For drivers, it’s likely to put more pressure on already-scarce parking spaces in some built-up areas.
There’s a new Highway Code
The Highway Code is changing early in 2022 with a new ‘hierarchy of road users’. This is designed to protect the more vulnerable such as cyclists and pedestrians. It puts more responsibility on drivers to ensure they don’t harm vulnerable road users.
The result: drivers changing lanes or turning into junctions should not cross the path of cyclists or horse riders. And pedestrians waiting to cross the road now have priority (before they had to be in the process of doing so to have priority).
The end of EV charging point grants
Until the end of March 2022, the government gave grants towards having an electric vehicle (EV) charging point installed at home. This Electric Vehicle Homecharging Scheme (EVHS) will end on 31 March 2022. That means if you want a £350 or 75 per cent contribution (whichever is lower) towards the price of a charging point, you have until then to benefit. It’s worth noting the end of EVHS is just for regular houses and doesn’t apply to flats.
The result: there’s likely to be a rush for approved installers to fit EV charging points. However, the car industry is also concerned that it might hit sales of EVs and some people could be tempted to go for cheaper, unsuitable charging solutions.
The law about mobile phone use is changing
Currently there’s a loophole in the law surrounding mobile phones. Although it’s against the law to make and receive calls and texts while driving, you can still legally scroll through music or look at and take photographs. That is set to change in 2022.
The result: any use of a handheld mobile phone while driving that’s spotted by law enforcement will result in a £200 fine and six penalty points on your licence.
Who can tow trailers?
The existing law says that any driver who passed their test after 1 January 1997 has to sit a car and trailer test to tow anything heavier than 750kg. The change will bring drivers who passed their test after that date into line with their older peers.
The result: under the planned changes which are expected to be passed early in 2022, all drivers will be able to tow trailers (including caravans, boats etc…) that weigh up to 3,500kg without taking any additional test.
Speed limiters will be standard
To be approved for production, all new cars must have speed limiters built into them from 2022 onwards. These systems will enable the car to read speed limit signs. They will then warn the driver if they’re exceeding the limit. If the driver ignores the warning, the car will automatically slow. The systems will be able to be overridden to allow drivers to cope with emergencies.
The result: theoretically, it should make using our roads safer as more drivers will abide by the speed limit. Some will find the tech invasive but there’s nothing wrong with safer roads.
A useful summary thank you.
Some very useful points well over due.
Having passed my driving test some 50 years ago I am grateful that you have brought these new rules to my attention
So glad there is no parking on pavements that means the vehicles cannot pass through our lane so buses wont get through either.
Good about time they stopped parking on the foot path +we have too change with the times.
It is just a typical money / fine spinner for the government.
thankyou for the information i maybe would never have heard about
Thank you. Very helpful to be informed of these changes
Thank you for this useful guide to the new road regulations.
When will it come into law that EVERYONE using roads must carry insurance — and be visible. It is grossly discriminatory that cyclists do not have to be insured — nor visible. Both of these should be mandatory as it is for ALL drivers.
If the speed limiter kicks in while overtaking, there could be an accident.
Overtaking should only take seconds and unless you’re an impatient (potentially dangerous) driver you should only be overtaking if a vehicle in front is driving significantly below the road speed.
I agree with you Robert. The system of slowing you down is really dangerous if a sudden acceleration is needed. In normal conditions you have time to think and deactivate the slow down featured we need the sudden increase to be in our power.
So don’t break the speed limit when you’re overtaking.
Or if you pass through a 30 zone and the car fails to see the national sign on exit then your stuck doing 30 in a 60, very dangerous indeed!
You should only be overtaking when it’s safe to do so anyway and that includes NOT needing to exceed the speed limit!
Speed limiters are already on most commercial vehicles from PSV to Heavy goods as well as a lot of company smaller vehicles. You soon get used to the limiter and don’t attempt to overtake if you are anywhere near your allowed maximum speed so not an issue.
Was travelling on a main road in the centre of my lane, approaching from the opposite direction was a cyclist sticking the the new code riding in the centre of the lane, behind him was a motorist who overtook and as per the code tried to allow the 1,5 metre clearance. He took up o out half the width of my lane in doing so, required sudden braking on my part and a steering job t avoid.
Another stupid unnecessary law which our government is so good at. Payrick
don’t buy a new car ?
Your manoeuvre shouldn’t force you over the speed limit. If it does then consider if the manoeuvre was safe.
If you need to break the speed limit in order to carry out a manoeuvre (including overtaking), then you shouldn’t be carrying out that manoeuvre, surely? Compliance with the law seems to be such an incredibly archaic concept to so many road users these days…
Don’t be stupid, in that case, the overtaking driver was driving dangerously, and could have either caused or been involved in an accident anyway !! If you “need” to exceed the speed limit to overtake, you shouldn’t BE overtaking !!!
If you need to break the speed limit to overtake, why are you overtaking in the first place?
If the person you want to overtake is keeping to the speed limit you shouldn’t need to overtake!
That should clog up the motorways and leave very frustrated drivers probably resulting in more accidents.
Agreed!
Then don’t overtake if it’s over the speed limit, it’s not rocket science
Speed limiters can be overridden in an emergency, such as avoiding an accident.
Regarding overtaking, if you know the speed limit is, for instance, 30 and the person you are overtaking makes you have to drive over the limit, should you in fact be overtaking? We should all take a breath and slow down.
If you are exceeding the speed limit in order to overtake you are driving dangerously.
In my area the speed limit is 20MPH on all the roads including dual carriages. Fafer may be but will definitely mile long tail back on all the roads. Journeys will take longer time hence pollution will increase. Instead why not educate the other road users safety including Cyclist E scooter. They don’t pay any road tax or insurance and ride without any ducare. Cyclist have started to ride like motor Cyclist on the right side of a car and cut in front of the car, no indicator or hand signal is given. The new law will give them licence to drive as they please and this cause concerns. I see this every day.
Also these new laws will increase road rage
i am all for the new rules but one thing concerns me is that pedestrians are just walking into the road without looking and expecting a car doing 30 to stop in 20 feet this has happened twice since new rules have come out and my passenger has had wiplash because i have had to break so hard i think all road users should abide and read the highway code so that all are safe
Thank you for all that information it is very useful.
I like the new parking about not using the pavement. Our road is narrow and all cars that do not live in our road park on the corner and pavement. The police say they cannot do anything as they live local.
Just buy a motorbike
My Audi often does not pick up the speed signs and, I enter a motorway with 30mph displayed.
Restricting my speed to 30mph on a motorway will be very dangerous and result in massive congestion!
I understand that a driver of RHS vehicle is required to open the door using the the left hand. Is this correct? Please advise.
If the speed limiter reads the wrong speed sign there will be a lot of frustrated people going at 40mph
What about pedestrians while walking and texting and not looking where they going and are not aware of the surrounding. Also cyclist listening to music and not aware of the noise.
There should be an emergency over ride for limiter. This is likely to cause more injuries than anything else
very interesting and all to make driving safer
An elderly couple walked straight in front of me in Sleaford high street. With both hands on my bonnet he shouted read the new rules.
As a member of the IAM I should have charged him with Jay walking.
People already are miss understanding the rules
Pedestrians & cyclists should also be responsible for their own safety. Riding in the dark without lights particularly in bad weather and pedetrians walking straight out into the road whilst texting or playing playing games on phone ablivious to what is happening around them.
It should be a legal requirement that cyclist must wear something reflective at night and during the day in inclement weather,the same should apply to pedestrians/joggers.Some cyclists are using lights that are as powerful as Full Beam car headlights,these should be banned,if they are not set correctly they blind on coming drivers.
can only be for the better, slow the speeding drivers down.
It all sounds like it ain’t gonna work.
Just more crap that’s going to become a pain whilst driving that’s just going to be another pain to try and get deleted from vehicle system just like the Lane keeping control which is very dangerous and besides if you can’t keep in lane on the road you shouldn’t be driving
HI,
Thank you for the information.
I wish to suggest that you put a list of the content of the themes at the beginning of the page .
regards
sabah