The year 2022 is a new one, which means there will be some fresh automobile legislation in the United Kingdom!
National Numbers examines the DVLA regulation changes that are scheduled to take effect in 2022 so you can avoid being fined on the roads. We’ll go through everything from auto insurance to the Highway Code, as well as mobile phone loopholes and pavement parking bans.
Table of Contents
Highway Code Changes for 2022
The classic Highway Code is expected to be revised in 2022, with the “Hierarchy of road users” being altered to place a greater emphasis on protecting vulnerable road users such as cyclists. The new hierarchy looks like this: Pedestrians, bicyclists, horse riders, motorcyclists, cars and taxis, vans and minibuses.
Essentially, it implies that the lighter you are, the higher up the hierarchy you will be, so drivers must give way to you if they’re in a vehicle that is bigger or heavier. It’s very simple!
Mobile Phone Loopholes Ban
In the United Kingdom, cell phone usage on the roads is an enormous problem. In fact, it’s one of the most serious issues there is. As a result, measures are being taken to address the issue of drivers using their phones on the roads, with stricter enforcement of existing legislation.
As we all know, you can’t text or call someone while driving in the United Kingdom now, but people are still checking their phones and tapping them to see if they have a message. However, from 2022, you will not be permitted to take photographs, make films, browse your phone or play games. Not that you should be attempting any of
If you are discovered to be in violation of these brand-new regulations by the police, you will be fined £200 and given six points on your license for good measure.
You can, nevertheless, use hands-free technology like a sat-nav to navigate while driving. The only restriction is that the phone be held in a phone holder or cradle, and you must not pick up your phone during the process of using the software. You’ll still be able to make contactless payments on your phone when you’re stationary,
The changes will be implemented in the new Highway Code, which we’ll look at next.
Potential Pavement Parking Ban
Parking on footpaths can be a problem for dog walkers, casual walkers, and those in wheelchairs or with other mobility issues. It is already prohibited in London and Scotland has just banned all off-pavement parking by 2023, and England may soon do the same. Nothing is certain yet; the plans are still being discussed.
Council Authority for Drivers in 2022
Finally, we come to a new legal change in which councils and their authority over road users is expanded. All around the United Kingdom, authorities will have greater power as part of the larger changes to motoring that will go into effect in 2022. This means they’ll be able to hand out £70 fines for things like “moving traffic.”
But what exactly is moving traffic? It refers to a broad range of behaviours, from taking illegal turns on the road to stopping in yellow box intersections rather than obeying antiquated rules that only concerned apparent movements like driving in bus lanes.
The law change will apply to 300 local councils in the United Kingdom, allowing them to hand out fines with the police. There is some cause for worry, however, because certain prominent people believe that local governments will go too far and avoid the nuance offered by law enforcement.
Speed Limiters
The European Commission has mandated that all motor vehicles produced after July 6, 2022, be equipped with speed limiters in order to improve road safety. This is why the European Commission came up with the notion of requiring all automobiles to be equipped with speed limiters if they are built after 2022 as a way of reducing collisions and fatalities. In 2019,
From December 2022, the first batch of vehicles will be equipped with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) black boxes that will use GPS to determine speed restrictions, ensuring that the vehicle does not exceed them.
The total number of cylinders has changed from 8 to 12. However, rather than applying to cars currently in production and sold after July 6, 2022, it only applies to vehicles manufactured after that date and released thereafter.
Compulsory EV Chargers for New Builds
By 2022, if you’re creating anything, it must have an electric charging port. This is in the hopes of increasing the usage of electric vehicles in the United Kingdom to fulfil the government’s goal of eliminating new petrol and diesel-powered cars sales by 2030.
This study suggests that if there are more electric vehicle charging stations available, consumers will be more inclined to buy an electric car.
Clean Air Zone Charges
Once again, this new regulation is already in use in London, under the ULEZ, or Ultra-Low Emission Zone, commonly known as the Clean Air Zone.
In the City Centre, residents are able to pay for vehicle parking through a time-limited permit issued by Transport for London. Vehicles that do not meet TFL’s criteria for eco-friendly driving may be fined up to £5,000 and have their registrations revoked in this area. If drivers choose to drive through it in a car that does
All of the above locations will charge between £2 and £10, depending on the location, with larger vehicles such as buses, coaches, taxis, and other heavy goods vehicles initially being affected.
Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, Sheffield, and Bristol will follow suit in July. However, these areas won’t have to pay until later this year.
Ban on Red Diesel and Rebated Biofuels
Don’t be alarmed if the term diesel makes you cringe, because red diesel is only used in agricultural or commercial vehicles. In fact, red fuel is almost always used to power something big, such as a bulldozer or crane. The bottom line is that if you drive a regular car or even a van, you will not be affected by the restriction
Car Insurance Changes
This isn’t just good for drivers. It will, in fact, be beneficial to road users! The Financial Conduct Authority’s new rules ban auto insurance carriers from raising policy prices gradually for existing customers. This is known as “price walking” and has been widespread in the UK for some time, catching drivers by surprise as their costs rise.
According to the Daily Mail, this new piece of legislation may save motorists up to 4 billion pounds over ten years. However, it will reduce contract offers for potential customers and perhaps even end them. I suppose that’s life…
Number Plates
Nonetheless, certain things don’t change, and you may still purchase the ideal private number plate with National Numbers. They have 61 million unique private registrations to select from, with zero percent financing available on most of them.
So, there you have it: the most significant changes in UK vehicle laws that will take place in 2022.