Highway Code

Every day millions of people use the road network to complete essential tasks, from travelling to school and work to delivering goods and providing services to households across the UK. To ensure the road is a safe environment for all concerned, the DVSA has produced a handbook called the Highway Code and it contains a set of rules and regulations that govern the road.

Amara Ukaigwe

Last Updated: 16 June 2021

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What is the Highway Code?

All motorists who use the road agree to abide by the rules set out in the Highway Code. The rules govern all aspects of the road and provide guidance on everything from dealing with pedestrian crossings and junctions to administering first aid and keeping your vehicle safe. You are also required to answer a range of questions taken from this handbook during your driving theory test and you will need to pass this test, before taking your practical driving test.

Why is the Highway Code important?

Every year a significant number of serious incidents take place on roads throughout the UK. In some cases, they can lead to loss of life, or cause serious injury. The Highway Code sets out a framework to make using the road as safe as possible and it is essential reading for motorist and pedestrians alike.

Highway code signs

As well as making the road a safer place, the Highway Code is important because many of the rules contained are legally binding, which means breaking any of these can be considered a criminal offence. Such rules are annotated with MUST/MUST NOT and breaking any of these can lead to fines, penalty points and in extreme cases imprisonment.

Highway code books

There are several ways you can access the Highway Code. You can read it online at the official Highway Code website, you can download an app, or purchase one the official books.

You can also view the Highway Code as a PDF below

The Highway Code covers all roads in Scotland, England and Wales and it is split into several sections, each pertaining to a different aspect of the road. These include;

Rules for pedestrians

Studying for your theory test with one of the available Highway Code books, is an excellent way of preparing for your test. The books contain each of the rules, along with images and specific situations to which they apply. You can also make notes and annotate your book and each year the DVSA produces an updated version, which includes any new rules added in the previous 12 months.

If you are interested in staying up to date with the Highway Code and would like to be notified when a rule is changed, you can sign up for email alerts here.