Learning to drive can be tough and many parts of what you need to know when you learn to drive can seem overwhelming. There is certainly a lot to learn, but something that you should familiarise yourself with when learning to drive is the highway code. This is something that your examiner will expect to see when you are taking your practical driving test, and you may have to answer questions about the highway code.
This is something that has been in place in the UK since the 1930s and contains all of the rules of the roads – from driving on country lanes to the use of chapter 8 chevrons like these www.pvluk.com/chapter-8-chevrons/ on motorways, every person who is learning to drive should certainly have a copy that they can use to learn these rules, and it is highly recommended that people who have passed their test also have a copy too so that they can make sure that the rules are always fresh in their mind.
As well as being a book for motorists, it is also something that should be used by other road users, such as cyclists and horse riders. Keeping abreast of this, as well as rule changes like those that were made recently, will ultimately make Britain’s roads a much safer place to be!
The highway code is not only something that covers the rules of the road. Because of the many different road signs that we have in the UK, it also covers the majority of these. Some are very common, whereas others are not seen very much, so getting to grips with these are important as you never know when you will be driving in a different area where there may be a road sign that you haven’t seen before- knowing this could save your life or the lives of other road users.
Another thing to be aware of when it comes to the highway code is that some of it is the law, but some of it is guidance, This can cause confusion to many people, but a good thing to remember when reading it is when must or must not are used this is the law, and by not abiding by this you are breaking the law and could face a fine, points on your driving licence, time in prison or a ban from driving depending on how seriously you have violated the law, and also if you have had previous convictions for driving related offences.
Although some other parts of the highway code are not the law, they are advisory, and if something should happen such as an accident, if you are going against this guidance then the police may use this to provide evidence against you. Remember that everything is in there for a reason and ultimately that reason is to make the road a safer place for every road user.