Road Traffic Act 1988

Road Traffic Act 1988[a]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to road traffic with amendments to give effect to recommendations of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission.
Citation1988 c. 52
Territorial extent 
[b]
Dates
Royal assent15 November 1988
Commencement15 May 1989[c]
Other legislation
Amends
Amended by
Relates to
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, concerning licensing of vehicles, insurance and road regulation. It does not extend to Northern Ireland.

The enactments consolidated by the act were repealed by section 1 of, and schedule 2 to, the Road Traffic (Consequential Provisions) Act 1988, a companion act passed on the same day.

Contents

Part I contains a number of traffic offences including causing death by dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (including police powers to arrest, administer tests, etc.), as well as requirements to wear seat belts and motorcycle helmets.

Part II is concerned with regulating the construction and use of motor vehicles, and includes powers to test, inspect and prohibit vehicles that do not meet standards.

Part III sets out the law on driving tests, the requirements for issuing driving licences, and the process for disqualifying drivers.

Part IV deals with the licences required for driving large goods vehicles and passenger-carrying vehicles (buses and coaches).

Part V concerns the registration, licensing and examination of driving instructors.

Part VI contains provisions concerning compulsory vehicle insurance against third-party risks.[1]

Part VII contains miscellaneous provisions.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Section 197(1).
  2. ↑ Section 197(3). While the majority of the act extends only to Great Britain, the provisions of the act concerning driving under the influence, insofar as they apply to 'persons subject to service discipline' (members of the armed forces and civilians subject to service discipline) and section 80, concerning type approval marks
  3. ↑ Section 197(2).

References

  1. ↑ "Business Insurance in the United Kingdom: A Comprehensive Guide for New Entrepreneurs". Business Loan. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  • Wikisource logo The full text of Road Traffic Act 1988 at Wikisource
  • Text of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
  • Text of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.