Road Traffic Law
The Rules of the Road
Road traffic law, also referred to as motoring law, driving law or road law, is probably the field of law with most effect on everyday life for many of us. Taking control of a car, no matter how normal it may seem, is actually a situation of extreme responsibility, and the authorities will be quick to swoop if you should fall foul of the rules in place.
Road Traffic Offences
Regardless of how fair you may consider the laws of the road, a wide variety of road traffic offences are in place in order to punish those felt to be acting irresponsibly on the road. These include such things as careless or dangerous driving, drink driving and speeding.
Any motorist should be aware of what penalties they may face if charged with a road traffic offence, and be aware of how best to present their side of the case. Professional legal advice can be a godsend, and our Find a Solicitor service is the perfect solution for finding the right lawyer for your needs.
Points on your Licence and Convictions
Being convicted of a road traffic offence could lead to what is known as an “endorsement” being applied to your licence. Penalty points are another possibility in this eventuality. If your licence should garner too many of these punitive measures, you run the risk of losing it entirely.
Even if you don’t lose your licence, penalty points can affect the amount you pay for motor insurance – we’ve done a survey into the cost of points on your licence and shown this to be the case, and can also advice on how to get the cheapest car insurance with points on your licence.
If you have been convicted of one or more motoring offences, you may also want to read up on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act to find out about spent convictions and when you have to disclose your past misdemeanours.
Road Traffic Accidents
If you’ve been in a road traffic accident and suffered harm as a result, you need not suffer in silence. Though it may sound like a laughable cliché, you may be able to make a personal injury claim. Even if you did not suffer physical injury, you’ll surely want to submit an insurance claim over damage done to your car.
Regardless of the nature of your claim, we’ve put together a helpful car accident checklist that should bolster your knowledge of how to prepare and submit your case to give you the best chances of meeting with victory.
If you need legal advice with regards to road traffic law, we recommend that you try our new Instant Law Line, whereby you can get unlimited telephone advice for £7.99 a month, whenever you need it.
Share your experiences
Please note: The views expressed in community areas of this site do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of Law on the Web, its owners, its staff or contributors.
A DAS Licence Assist policy offers legal advice, defence of motor prosecutions and a fixed monthly benefit if you lose your licence. How much is your driving licence worth to you? Protect your licence today – visit Licence Assist now!
Find out more
Perhaps the most serious of all driving offences — get the lowdown on drink driving laws here and find out what you might face if caught.
Find out more
There exists a wide range of motoring offences of varying severity which carry different penalties for the perpetrator. Click here for detailed information.
Find out more
The consequences of misbehaving on the road can be penalty points on your licence, disqualification from driving or the confiscation of your license altogether.
Find out more
Driving offences are not an indelible stain upon your character. Find out how those who err on the roads are given a second chance.
Find out more
Make sure you don't fall foul of any of the many miscellaneous laws and rules which pertain to driving a motor vehicle.
Find out more