Rules of the road
Driving in the United Kingdom
Every value below links to the official source it was checked against, with the date it was checked. What is not verified yet says so.
Quick answers about driving in the United Kingdom
- Which side of the road do you drive on in the UK?
- In the UK you drive on the left.
- How old do you have to be to drive in the UK?
- You must be at least 17 years old to drive in the UK.
- What is the speed limit in the UK?
- 70 mph on motorways, 70 mph on dual carriageways, 60 mph on country roads and 30 mph in towns and cities. Those are the national default limits, which apply where no sign says otherwise.
- What is the drink driving limit in the UK?
- The legal limit in the UK is 80 mg/100ml. England and Wales. Scotland uses a lower limit.
Which side of the road
Speed limits
Speed limit in towns and cities
Varies by region30 mph
England and Scotland. Wales uses 20 mph as the default in built-up areas.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
- Wales 20 mph The default in built-up areas. Some roads are signed back up to 30. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit when towing a trailer or caravan
- Motorway — 60 mph
- Dual carriageway — 60 mph
- Country roads — 50 mph
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Alcohol
How much alcohol you may have in your blood
Varies by region80 mg/100ml
England and Wales. Scotland uses a lower limit.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
- Scotland 50 mg/100ml Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Your licence and age
Looking to rent a car? The minimum age to drive is 17, but most car rental agencies have their own minimum rental age. Remember to check with your car rental agency before you book. We earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.
Whether you need an International Driving Permit
Not required
A full foreign licence is accepted on its own for visits.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
How long you may drive on your own licence
12 months
Counted from when you last entered Great Britain.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
What you must carry in the car
What you must carry in the car
Nothing — no equipment is legally required
Nothing is legally required. Drivers arriving from most of continental Europe expect a triangle and a vest to be compulsory here; they are not.
Checked 20 Aug 2026 · official source
What you should carry, but do not have to
- Warning triangle
- First aid kit
- Fire extinguisher
- High-visibility vest
Advised, not required. One motorway exception is worth knowing: do not set a warning triangle out on a motorway hard shoulder — get behind the barrier instead.
Checked 20 Aug 2026 · official source
Headlights
When you must switch your headlights on
Not required
Headlights are required at night and when visibility is seriously reduced.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Phones at the wheel
Holding a phone while driving
Not allowed
Applies to holding any device that can send or receive data, even at a red light.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Hands-free phone calls
Allowed
The phone must be in a holder or fully hands-free, and must not block your view.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Who goes first
Turning at a red light
Not allowed
Red means stop for every direction. A separate green arrow is the only exception.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Who has priority at a roundabout
Traffic already on the roundabout goes first
Give way to traffic approaching from your right, unless signs say otherwise.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Seatbelts and children
Who must wear a seatbelt
Everyone, in every seat
A seatbelt must be worn in any seat that has one.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Age below which a child needs a child seat
12 years
Until age 12 or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Height below which a child needs a child seat
135 cm
Until 135 cm tall or age 12, whichever comes first.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Parking
What the lines and painted kerbs mean
- Double yellow line — no parking. No waiting at any time, even without an upright sign.
- Single yellow line — no parking during signed hours. The hours are on nearby time plates, not on the road.
- Double red line — no stopping. Red routes. No stopping at any time.
- Single red line — no stopping. Red routes. Applies during the times shown on nearby signs.
- White zigzag line — no stopping. Marks the approach to a pedestrian crossing.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Parking on the pavement
Varies by regionNo single national answer — it depends on the region:
- England Allowed Except London, where it is banned. Discouraged everywhere, and obstructing the pavement can be fined. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
- Scotland Not allowed Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
- Wales Allowed Discouraged, and obstructing the pavement can be fined. Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Parking facing against the traffic
Allowed
By day only. At night you must not park facing against the traffic flow unless in a recognised parking space.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
How far you must park from a junction or crossing
- A junction — 10 m
Advisory rather than a fixed law, except where markings say otherwise.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Winter driving
Motorbikes and scooters
Helmets on a motorbike or scooter
Required for rider and passenger
Rider and passenger. The helmet must meet an approved standard and be fastened. Sikhs wearing a turban are exempt.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Largest motorbike or scooter you may ride on a car licence
- Engine up to 50 cc
A full car licence lets you ride a moped up to this engine size without L plates or a moped test. If you passed your car test on or after 1 February 2001 you must first complete a compulsory basic training (CBT) course. Anything larger needs CBT and the motorcycle tests. The Highway Code's Annex 2 defines the two-wheeled moped class by a maximum design speed of 45 km/h (28 mph) rather than by engine size; that figure is not on the page cited here. Stated for licences issued in Great Britain; the source does not say whether foreign car licences get the same allowance.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Youngest age you may ride the smallest class of scooter
16 years
Category AM. CBT, a theory test and a practical test are needed for a full moped licence.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
What a rider must wear or carry
Nothing beyond a helmet
No law requires protective clothing beyond the helmet. Eye protection is advised, and if worn it must meet an approved standard.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Riding between lanes of slow traffic
Allowed
No law bans filtering. The Highway Code tells riders to take care and keep their speed low when filtering in slow-moving traffic, and tells drivers to expect it.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Smallest motorbike allowed on the motorway
- Engine at least 50 cc
- Power at least 4 kW
The rule is set by engine size, not vehicle class: riders of motorcycles under 50 cc (4 kW) must not use motorways, so a machine of exactly 50 cc is allowed. The Highway Code gives the power figure in brackets as the equivalent of the engine size rather than as a separate test. Riders holding only a provisional motorcycle licence must not use motorways either.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Headlights on a motorbike in daytime
Not required
Dipped headlights in daylight are advised to make the rider easier to see, but they are not required.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Tolls and city charges
How you pay for motorways
- Toll booths
- City charges
Almost all motorways are free. The M6 Toll and several bridges and tunnels charge. London and Durham charge to drive in the city centre.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Low-emission zones
In many cities
London has its own ultra low emission zone. Clean air zones operate in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside, and Scottish cities have separate low emission zones. Most only charge vehicles that miss emissions standards.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
If something goes wrong
Emergency number
999
112 also works and reaches the same service.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Fines
Typical fines
- Holding a phone — fine from 200 GBP, 6 points (Drivers who passed their test within the last 2 years lose their licence instead.)
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Whether police can fine you on the spot
Yes — visitors must pay at the roadside
Fixed penalties are normally paid later, not at the roadside. A driver who cannot give a UK address must pay a deposit on the spot.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
More questions about driving in the United Kingdom
- What do you have to carry in your car in the UK?
- Nothing. The UK requires no equipment by law.
- Do you need an International Driving Permit for the UK?
- Not required. A full foreign licence is accepted on its own for visits.
- Can you use your phone while driving in the UK?
- No. Holding a phone while driving is against the law in the UK. Hands-free: allowed. Applies to holding any device that can send or receive data, even at a red light.
- Can you ride a scooter or small motorbike on a car licence in the UK?
- Yes, engine up to 50 cc.
Each answer comes from the rules above, where you can also see the official source and the date it was checked.
12 rules not yet verified for the United Kingdom
These rules exist, but no value has been checked against an official source yet. Missing beats wrong.
- Speed limit in living and residential zones
- Speed limit in rain or snow
- Speed limit for drivers who passed their test recently
- Alcohol limit for drivers who passed their test recently
- Alcohol limit for professional drivers
- Headlights in tunnels
- Priority to traffic coming from the right
- Youngest age a child may sit in the front
- How you pay to park
- What happens if you park wrongly
- When winter tyre rules apply
- Snow chains