2022 New UK Laws That Every Motorist Should Know.
In order to keep you in check with the laws and regulations, we’ve put together a list of some of the major changes you can expect for both car drivers and car manufacturers in 2022.
Stricter laws on using a mobile phone whilst driving.
As previous laws state, it is illegal for UK drivers to text or make a phone call whilst driving (other than in an emergency), in addition to this, from 2022 any use of a hand-held mobile phone will be illegal. For example, scrolling through playlists, taking photos/videos or playing games.
Prosecution regulations will be tightened and police will be able to easily prosecute drivers. Anyone who is caught, will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence.
Drivers are still able to use a device that is hands-free while driving, as long as it’s secured in a holder.
Introduction of new Clean Air Zones
More Clean Air Zones will be introduced in the UK in 2022.
What is a Clean Air Zone?
A Clean Air Zone is an area in a town or city which charges highly polluting vehicles. The charge is based on the vehicle’s Euro emission standard.
If your vehicle does not pass the emission standards, you may not be able to enter the area, or you will be charged a higher fee to enter.
This has been introduced in order to improve the quality of air, protecting public health and contributing to a low carbon future.
Where are Clean Air Zones in the UK?
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Bath
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Birmingham
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Bradford (charging starts in 2022, date TBC)
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Greater Manchester (charging starts on 30 May 2022)
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London
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Oxford
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Portsmouth
Does your vehicle meet the Euro emission standards?
Find out if you would have to pay to drive in a Clean Air Zone HERE.
All new cars to be fitted with Speed Limiters.
All new cars sold in Europe, including the UK, will be fitted with speed limiters from July 2022. With a key focus to improve road safety and keep cars within the speed limit.
What is a speed limiter?
A speed limiter is a safety device which prevents the driver surpassing a certain speed. The limiter can be set by the driver or it will automatically adopt the maximum speed allowed in the area.
How do speed limiters work?
The maximum speed in an area is determined by the speed limiter technology - Intelligent Speed Assistance system (ISA) which uses GPS data and/or traffic-sign-recognition cameras.
Many manufacturers already include ISAs as standard. Such as: Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, MINI, Kia and Volvo.
Currently, speed limiters can be turned off, however, warning signs can pop up in some models when the maximum speed has been reached. This could also change in the future to be mandatory.
The push for the new safety device has been introduced in a bid to dramatically decrease road traffic accidents caused by speeding.
Changes to the Highway Code.
The new changes to the Highway Code, if approved from Parliament, will come into force at the end of January 2022.
It establishes a hierarchy of road users, which means those who present a higher level of risk to others, have a higher level of responsibility to reduce this risk. For example, cyclists will have greater responsibility to look out for pedestrians, drivers will have greater responsibility to look out for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
The biggest impact of these changes will be seen at junctions; road users should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road.
Another key alteration to the Highway Code, includes more room to be left for cyclists. Drivers should leave a minimum of 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists.
The full amendments can be found HERE.
New buildings in England to have built-in EV chargers.
There will be no sale of new petrol or diesel cars and vans by 2030, in a bid to make this achievable the government has set a new initiative. All new housing (including flats), commercial buildings, along with renovations on properties with more than 10 parking spaces, will have a compulsory EV charging point installed.
The government is hoping that this will see the uptake of electric vehicles and significantly improve the EV charging point infrastructure.
