UK Act of Parliament 1988 United Kingdom

Road Traffic Act 1988

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At a glance

What's here

109 compliance obligations, 25 practical guides across 3 topics · 21 journeys · 1 statutory instrument

Penalty landscape

34 of 109 obligations carry a fine up to £1,000. 58 carry different penalties and 17 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Who this Act binds

Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.

  • Any Person 95
  • Employer 3
  • Licence Holder 2
  • Director or Officer 2

Plus 7 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.

Step-by-step journeys using this legislation

Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.

Relevant guidance

Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.

Direct — cites this Act

4 guides

Supporting — topic alignment

21 guides
View all 25 guides →

Other Acts binding the same actors

For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.

Any Person also bound by 749 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Employers also bound by 171 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Licence Holders also bound by 50 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Directors and Officers also bound by 224 other Acts (top 5 shown)

What this Act requires

Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.

Part I — Principal Road Safety Provisions

s.001

Causing serious injury by dangerous driving

5 years imprisonment
  • Cause serious injury by dangerous driving Any Person
s.002

Causing death by careless, or inconsiderate, driving

5 years imprisonment
  • Cause death by careless or inconsiderate driving Any Person
s.002

Causing serious injury by careless, or inconsiderate, driving

2 years imprisonment
  • Cause serious injury through careless or inconsiderate driving Any Person
s.003

Causing death by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs.

Life imprisonment
  • Cause death by careless driving while under the influence Any Person
s.003

Causing death by driving: unlicensed ... or uninsured drivers

2 years imprisonment
  • Cause death while driving without a valid licence or insurance Any Person
s.003

Causing death by driving: disqualified drivers

  • Cause death while driving while disqualified Any Person
s.003

Causing serious injury by driving: disqualified drivers

  • Causing serious injury while driving while disqualified Any Person
s.005

Driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle with concentration of specified controlled drug above specified limit

6 months imprisonment
  • Drive or be in charge of a vehicle with illegal levels of drugs Any Person
s.007

Specimens of blood taken from persons incapable of consenting

6 months imprisonment
  • Refuse permission to test a blood sample taken while unconscious Any Person
s.012

Determination of applications for motor race orders

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Highway authority must evaluate impacts before permitting a motor race Local authority
s.015

Requirement to notify bus passengers to wear seat belts

Fine up to £2,500
  • Fail to notify bus passengers to wear seat belts Director or Officer
s.022

Causing danger to road-users.

7 years imprisonment
  • Cause danger to road users by interfering with vehicles or equipment Any Person
Browse 30 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.002

Meaning of dangerous driving.

s.003

Meaning of careless, or inconsiderate, driving

s.006

Preliminary breath test

s.006

Preliminary impairment test

s.006

Preliminary drug test

s.006

Arrest

s.006

Power of entry

s.012

Motor race orders: England and Wales: overview

s.012

Permission to apply for motor race order

s.012

Application for motor race order

s.012

Effect of motor race order

s.012

Regulations by appropriate national authority: procedure

s.012

Authorisation of races and trials of speed in Scotland

s.012

Races and trials of speed in Scotland: further provision

s.012

Regulations under section 12G or 12H: procedure

s.013

Disapplication of sections 1 to 3 for authorised motoring events.

s.015

Safety equipment for children in motor vehicles.

s.019

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

Part II — Construction and Use of Vehicles and Equipment

s.040

Using vehicle in dangerous condition etc.

Unlimited fine
  • Use or allow the use of a vehicle in a dangerous condition Any Person
s.041

Breach of requirement as to brakes, steering-gear or tyres.

Unlimited fine
  • Use a vehicle with defective brakes, steering, or tyres Any Person
s.041

Breach of requirement as to weight: goods and passenger vehicles.

Unlimited fine
  • Use or allow an overweight goods or passenger vehicle on the road Any Person
s.041

Breach of requirement as to speed assessment equipment detection devices

Fine up to £2,500
  • Use or allow unapproved speed detector equipment Any Person
s.041

Breach of requirements as to control of vehicle, mobile telephones etc.

Fine up to £2,500
  • Use a hand-held mobile phone or lose control of a vehicle while driving Any Person
s.066

Stopping officers: offences

Unlimited fine
  • Impersonate or obstruct a DVSA stopping officer Any Person
s.080

Approval marks.

2 years imprisonment
  • Unauthorised use of vehicle part approval marks Any Person
Browse 42 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.046

Use of records of vehicle examinations, etc.

s.046

Evidence from records of vehicle examinations.

s.049

Use of records of goods vehicle examinations, etc.

s.063

Alteration of plated weights for goods vehicles without examination.

s.064

Failure to hold EC certificate of conformity for unregistered motor cycle or tractor

s.065

Motor cycles not to be sold without EC certificate of conformity

s.066

Appointment of examiners.

s.066

Appointment of stopping officers

s.067

Remedying defects discovered on roadside test.

s.067

Tests to check whether defects have been remedied.

s.069

Prohibitions conditional on inspection etc.

s.072

Official testing stations.

Part III — Licensing of drivers of vehicles

s.094

Driving after refusal or revocation of licence.

6 months imprisonment
  • Driving after a licence has been refused or revoked Any Person
s.099

Information about resident Community licence holders.

Fine up to £1,000
  • Register Community driving licences for vocational vehicle drivers Licence Holder
s.099

Revocation of authorisation conferred by Community licence because of disability or prospective disability.

Fine up to £1,000
  • Fail to return driving licence following medical disqualification Any Person
s.099

Information relating to disabilities etc.

  • Fail to notify disability information to the Secretary of State Any Person
s.099

Return of Community licences delivered to Secretary of State.

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must return or forward surrendered Community licences Crown / Minister / Government department
s.102

Disqualification while disqualified in Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands or Gibraltar

Amended 1 time
s.109

Information about Northern Ireland licence holders

Amended 4 times
s.109

Revocation of authorisation conferred by Northern Ireland licence because of disability or prospective disability

Fine up to £1,000 Amended 4 times
  • Fail to return Northern Ireland driving licence following medical revocation Any Person
s.109

Information relating to disabilities etc

Amended 4 times
Browse 14 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.089

The alternative requirements to those in section 89.

s.097

Residence requirement

s.098

Compulsory surrender of old-form licences

s.099

Authorisation to drive in Great Britain.

s.099

Compulsory driver training courses.

s.099

Requirements to complete training courses.

s.099

Driver training courses: supplementary.

Part V — Driving Instruction

s.125

Registration of disabled persons.

6 months imprisonment Amended 35 times
  • Fail to notify disability when applying to be a disabled instructor Any Person
s.125

Provisions supplementary to section 125A.

Amended 35 times
s.131

Compensation in respect of suspension

Amended 37 times
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must establish a compensation scheme for driving instructors Crown / Minister / Government department
s.133

Assessment of disabled person’s ability to control a motor car in an emergency.

Amended 6 times
s.133

Further assessments.

Amended 6 times
s.133

Duty to disclose further disability.

Fine up to £1,000 Amended 6 times
  • Fail to disclose physical or mental health changes (Driving Instructors) Any Person
s.133

Offences relating to giving by disabled person of paid driving instruction.

Fine up to £1,000 Amended 6 times
  • Use an unauthorised car or lack an emergency control certificate for paid driving lessons Employer
s.133

Direction to disregard emergency control assessment requirement

Amended 6 times
s.138

Offences by corporations.

2 years imprisonment
  • Personal liability of directors and officers for corporate offences Director or Officer
s.141

Meaning of “motor car".

Amended 3 times
Browse 1 other section in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement

Part VI — Third-Party Liabilities

s.144

Offence of keeping vehicle which does not meet insurance requirements

Unlimited fine Amended 42 times
  • Keep a registered vehicle without valid insurance Any Person
s.144

Exceptions to section 144A offence

Amended 42 times
s.144

Fixed penalty notices

Amended 42 times
s.144

Section 144A offence: supplementary

Amended 42 times
s.156

Assimilated law relating to compulsory insurance

Amended 2 times
s.159

Disclosure of information

Amended 3 times

Part VII — Miscellaneous and General

s.162

Approved test assistants

Amended 3 times
s.165

Power to seize vehicles driven without licence or insurance

Amended 8 times
s.165

Retention etc. of vehicles seized under section 165A

Amended 8 times
s.192

Tramcars and other guided vehicles: drink and drugs.

Amended 6 times
Browse 11 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.193

Tramcars and trolley vehicles.

Schedules

Browse 3 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
s.sch002an

Offence of keeping vehicle which does not meet insurance requirements: immobilisation, removal and disposal of vehicles

Other sections — not classified into a Part

These sections exist in the Act but the contents-of-Parts walker did not place them under a Part. Likely amendments or sections inserted out of the original Part structure.

s.115

Community licence holders: cessation of authorisation, etc.

Amended 3 times
  • Return Community driving licence if you are found unfit to drive Any Person
Browse 3 other unclassified sections
s.117

Community licences: disqualification etc.

Read the full Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Official guidance

Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.

Enforcement and responsible bodies

The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.

DVSA

Primary

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

Regulates drivers, vehicles, and operators in UK road transport. Issues operator licences for goods vehicles (HGVs) and PSVs. Enforces roadworthiness and driver …

VCA

Vehicle Certification Agency

Type approval authority for new vehicles, components, and systems. Certifies that vehicles meet safety and environmental standards. Issues UK type approvals replacing …

DVLA

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Maintains registers of drivers and vehicles in Great Britain. Issues driving licences and vehicle registration documents. Collects vehicle excise duty. Businesses operating …

National Highways

Government company responsible for operating, maintaining, and improving England's strategic road network (motorways and major A-roads). Sets standards for highway design, construction, …

Traffic Commissioners

Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain

Independent regulators responsible for licensing and regulating operators of heavy goods vehicles, public service vehicles (buses and coaches), and local bus services. …

Connected legislation

1 statutory instrument

These instruments amend, apply, or refer to this Act. They may not all create direct business obligations.

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Browse legislation

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Regulators

Learn more about the bodies that enforce this legislation.