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Every year, new driving laws and rules are introduced in the UK and it’s important for motorists to be aware of what they are and how it might affect them.
While some of the changes may be subtle, it’s still worth being fully informed to ensure you don’t get caught out.
In this article, the team here at The Windscreen Company will take a closer look at what’s changing, providing you with everything you need to know about the new rules.
The start of a new calendar year typically sees all kinds of changes, and this is often the case in the automotive industry.
2024 will see a number of new laws and driving rules come into force, so let’s take a look at what they are.
If you drive a HGV, then you will need a safety permit to drive in London after October 2024.
This is because new rules will be introduced by Transport for London (TfL) to attempt to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the capital’s roads, with every HGV driving into Greater London requiring one of these new permits.
Each vehicle will be given a star rating from zero to five based on the visibility the HGV offers to the driver. Every HGV must have at least a three-star rating or have a SafeSystem installed on the vehicle.
Failure to comply will result in hefty fines.
One way to make sure your HGV’s windscreen offers excellent visibility is to have a new windscreen installed.
It’s not just motorists who face new laws and rules this year. From January onwards, every manufacturer that sells vehicles in the UK will be required by law for 22% of its car sales and 10% of its van sales to be electric.
This is to ensure that they are complying with the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate which is committed to increasing the sales of EVs as this is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of harmful emissions the country produces.
This amount will increase over time, and by 2030 it will need to be 80% before there is an entire ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars which comes into force in 2035.
Those manufacturers that do not comply with this rule will face fines of £15,000 per car and £9,000 per van short of the target.
For drivers in Scotland, the start of the year has seen a new law introduced that has banned parking on pavements. The rule actually began being enforced in December 2023, and the ban also means people in the country can no longer park on dropped kerbs or double park.
If you do any of the above, a £100 fine may be coming your way.
One of the biggest anticipated changes for 2024 involves the eyesight test that takes place at the start of every driving test. At the moment, driving test examiners will ask those being tested to read a licence plate from 20 metres away. This is to ensure that they have a suitable level of vision to drive a car safely.
However, this may be changing.
The Driving Standards Agency (DVSA) announced that they are reviewing this test in 2024, and they’re currently in the process of consulting the opinion of a medical panel to see how this test can be improved. They intend to make the test more flexible and be able to test eyesight at different light levels. No decision has been made at the time of writing, but it is one to keep an eye on in 2024.
While it might not seem like it, you might be surprised to learn that fuel duty has been frozen since 2011. This policy was introduced to ensure that fuel prices would not rise with inflation. While it was unable to prevent sharp price increases following the fuel shortages that came about as a result of the Ukraine war, it has stopped inflation from impacting these rises further.
However, there is some suggestion that this could come to an end in 2024. While we have to wait until the Spring Budget in March 2024 to find out for certain, many experts are suggesting this is likely.
2024 is likely to see more 20mph zones being introduced in England’s residential areas.
In Wales and Scotland, it’s been made mandatory for every residential area in the country to be 20mph. England has decided against a blanket ban, but the government has instead asked local councils across the country to make decisions on a case-by-case basis.
Some councils have already begun this process, such as in the Wirral where more than 1,500 new 20mph areas have been introduced.
As well as the new rules outlined above, a new year means new licence plates will be introduced. Every March and September sees the arrival of new licence plates on new car registrations.
March 2024 will get this underway with the ‘24’ licence plates and in September ‘74’ will be used for new registrations.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that the ban on illegal licence plates will continue. You can see more information on this here.
At The Windscreen Company, we pride ourselves on providing leading windscreen services to customers across the West Midlands and South East. Whether you need a windscreen repair or windscreen replacement, we’ll be by your side to get you moving again as soon as possible. Plus, we offer an emergency windscreen replacement service when you need us most and will make sure to calibrate any ADAS systems your vehicle has in place. To find out more about what we do, get in touch with our team today.
The Windscreen Company, has over 20 years of experience in windscreen repair and replacement. Since 1998, they have been at the forefront of industry innovation, leveraging the latest technology to ensure customer safety and satisfaction.
The Windscreen Company's, help-and-advice pages offer valuable tips and guidance on maintaining vehicle safety through quality windscreen care, while also featuring updated industry realted content.
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