Rules of the Road

Essential road rules, speed limits, and lane discipline.

At a glance

1
At a STOP sign, stop behind the line; at a give-way line, give way to traffic on the main road.
2
Turning into a side road? Give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross it.
3
At unmarked junctions on side roads and country lanes, nobody has priority — be ready to stop.
4
At roundabouts, give priority to traffic from your right unless signs, markings or lights direct otherwise.
5
Overtake only when it is safe and legal; you may pass a slower right-hand queue without leaving your lane.
6
Yellow lines restrict waiting at the times signed; double yellow lines mean no waiting at any time.
7
Never stop on a clearway, or on a pedestrian crossing and its zig-zag area.
8
Do not park opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised space.
9
Use the horn only as a warning — not while stationary, and not in built-up areas between 11.30 pm and 7.00 am, unless there is danger.
10
Reverse only as far as necessary, and never from a side road into a main road.
11
Car limits: 60 mph on single carriageways, 70 mph on dual carriageways; built-up default 30 mph (20 mph in Wales) — limits, not targets.
12
Hand-held phones are banned even in stationary traffic; you must stop when police or a school crossing patrol signals.

Priority at junctions and unmarked crossroads

Junction markings tell you the legal position. At a STOP sign you must stop behind the solid line, then wait for a safe gap before you join the main road. At a give-way line you must give way to traffic on the main road — slow down, and stop if you need to.

When you are turning into a side road, give way to pedestrians who are crossing or waiting to cross it. Look all around before you emerge, and go only when you are sure it is safe.

On side roads and country lanes, watch for unmarked junctions where nobody has priority. Do not assume you can go first: slow down, be ready to stop, and make sure other drivers have seen you before you commit.

At traffic-light junctions, a green light is not the whole story: go forward only when there is room for you to clear the junction safely. Arriving on green but blocking the junction leaves you stranded across it when the lights change.

Roundabouts: lanes, signals and priority

Unless signs, road markings or traffic lights direct you otherwise, give priority to traffic approaching from your right, and enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap.

First exit (turning left): signal left and approach in the left-hand lane.
Turning right or going full circle: signal right, approach in the right-hand lane, and signal left once you have passed the exit before the one you want.
Intermediate exits: choose the lane the signs and markings indicate, and signal left after you pass the exit before yours.

Lane arrows and markings on the approach override any general habit — there is no single lane that is always correct on every roundabout.

Overtaking on ordinary roads

Overtake only when it is safe and legal. Before you commit, make sure the road ahead is clear for far enough, and that there is a gap to return to in front of the vehicle you are passing.

Passing on the left is allowed in two situations: when the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right and there is room to go past on its left, and when you are in slow-moving queues and the queue on your right is moving more slowly than yours — you may stay in your lane and pass it. Neither is an invitation to change lanes to the left just to get ahead.

Stopping, waiting and parking

Some restrictions are legal prohibitions. You must not wait or park on yellow lines during the times shown on nearby plates, and double yellow lines mean no waiting at any time. You must not stop or park on a pedestrian crossing or the area marked by its zig-zag lines, or on a clearway.

Other rules are strong guidance rather than law: do not stop or park opposite, or within 10 metres (32 feet) of, a junction — except in an authorised parking space. The distance exists to keep sight lines open for everyone emerging.

The two lists carry different weight: the 'must not' restrictions are legal requirements, while the 'do not' list is Highway Code guidance you would still be expected to follow.

Using your horn

The horn has one job: warning other road users that you are there. Never sound it aggressively. You must not use it while stationary on the road, or when driving in a built-up area between 11.30 pm and 7.00 am — except when another road user poses a danger.

In practice: if you are about to sound the horn in protest, you are outside the rule; if you are warning someone who has not seen you, you are inside it.

Reversing safely

Choose somewhere safe and sensible to turn around, and avoid reversing on busy roads. If you need to use a side road, reverse into it and drive out forwards — do not reverse from a side road into a main road.

How far are you allowed to reverse? Only as far as necessary — reversing further than you need is prohibited. The rule is necessity, not a set number of metres. Check all around before and while you reverse, and remember that pedestrians, especially children, may be hidden behind your vehicle.

Speed limits on ordinary roads

For a car, the national speed limit is 60 mph on a single carriageway and 70 mph on a dual carriageway. Those are maximums, not targets — bends, weather, visibility and traffic often demand much less.

On street-lit roads in built-up areas, the default limit is 30 mph in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and 20 mph in Wales — unless signs show otherwise. Local councils can set other limits for clearly signed stretches, such as 20 mph zones near schools. Other vehicle classes, and cars towing, have lower maximums — always match the limit to the vehicle.

Phones at the wheel and instructions to stop

Using a hand-held mobile phone or similar device while driving is prohibited — and that includes sitting stationary in traffic. The narrow exceptions: calling 999 or 112 in a genuine emergency when it is unsafe or impractical to stop, and making a contactless payment at a terminal while the vehicle is stationary. Hands-free equipment is legal, but it can still take your attention off the road.

You must obey signals from police officers, traffic officers and traffic wardens, and the stop signs used by school crossing patrols. If the police or a traffic officer signals you to pull over, you must stop as soon as it is safe to do so — it is an offence not to comply. Signals from DVSA officers carry the same obligation.

Official sources

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These summaries are for study purposes and do not replace the full Highway Code.