If you are driving in the UK for the first time, learn the rules before you rely on habit from another country or from being a passenger. This is a starter list, not the whole Highway Code. Signs and road markings override a guess. When a rule has a penalty, use the official page rather than a social-media summary.
Key takeaway. Drive on the left, read the signs in front of you, and do not treat a national speed limit as a target.
Position, junctions and roundabouts
Keep left unless you are overtaking or the lane markings tell you otherwise. On roundabouts, give way to traffic already on the roundabout approaching from your right, unless signs say something else. Signal for your exit in time for others to use the information. At junctions, do not assume someone will let you out. Wait until you can see.
Speed
National limits in Great Britain, when no lower limit is signed, are widely taught as 30 mph in a built-up area with street lights, 60 mph on a single carriageway, and 70 mph on a dual carriageway or motorway. Signs and conditions can set a lower speed. A wet road, a school, or a queue is a reason to go slower than the number on the sign. Learners in Northern Ireland have a separate 45 mph limit while they are learning, which GOV.UK states on the learning-to-drive pages. Passed drivers should still check NI rules if that is where they are driving.
People, phones and belts
Stop for pedestrians on a crossing they are using. Give cyclists room. Seat belts are required for you and for the seating positions the law covers. Do not hold a phone while you drive. Set the route before you move, or pull over and park if you must change it. A cradle does not make a handheld scroll legal.
Drink, drugs, insurance and the car
Drink-driving and drug-driving limits are legal limits, not a personal estimate of “feeling fine”. Scotland’s drink-drive limit is not the same as the limit in England and Wales. Look up the current figures on GOV.UK before you rely on a number you half remember. The safest figure before driving is none.
You need insurance that covers how the car is being used. The car needs to be taxed and, when the age rules say so, to have an MOT. Keep your licence with you when the rules require it, and certainly for a test. New drivers also face revocation if they collect 6 or more penalty points within two years of their first test. That rule is on GOV.UK.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the road do I drive on?
The left.
Do speed-limit signs beat the national limit?
Yes. Obey the signed limit, and go slower when the road is not safe at that speed.
Can I check a map on my phone at lights?
Do not hold the phone. If the car is not safely parked, leave the phone alone.
Are the drink-drive limits the same across the UK?
No. Scotland’s limit differs from England and Wales. Use the current GOV.UK page rather than a remembered number.
What if I passed abroad?
Exchange and visitor rules depend on the country of the licence. Use GOV.UK’s licence guidance for that country. Do not assume a foreign pass equals a full British licence.
Sources and further reading
- The Highway Code
- Highway Code penalties annex
- Learning to drive, including the NI learner speed limit
- New drivers
Related reading
After the rules, read the first year of driving and how learning is structured.
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