New Highway Code rules coming in today could see you hit with £1,000 fine. The annual shakeup to the motorists’ manual could see drivers bombarded with penalty notices if they’re not careful.
The SUN are reporting that drivers have been warned to take heed of the new Highway Code rules coming in today, as they could be hit with a £1000 fine for breaking them.
Council Powers
From today, councils throughout England and Wales that have applied to the Department for Transport can start to issue fines for motoring offences.
Drivers can often slip through the net for minor road offences such as making an illegal U-turn and driving in a bus lane.
But now fines for driving the wrong way down a one-way street or stopping in a yellow box junction are not only enforced by the police.
From today councils who have applied and been accepted are free to dish out the penalty charge notices (PCNs) instead, some of which could total as much as £1,000.
As well as this, some offenses such as running a red light can also land you three penalty points to your license.
Experts have voiced concerns that this will result in a huge spike in the number of fines being issued to drivers every day.
Other rules include stopping before the brow of a hill, being forbidden from mounting the kerb and braking harshly.
Electric vehicles
Another new rule for motorists to keep in mind relates to electric vehicles – specifically the home chargers used to top them up. From 15th June, all new homes and buildings will need to have an electric vehicle wall box charger installed.
Any new residential buildings with associated parking must have access to electric car charge points too.
On top of this, buildings undergoing large scale renovations need to have EV charge points added, provided they have more than 10 parking spaces.
From 30th June, homes and businesses with a charger already installed will need to have smart charging capability too.
This is due to worries about the load on charging infrastructures as more people move to electric cars. It is hoped this move will encourage drivers to buy electric vehicles amid plans to cut carbon emissions.
Clean Air Zones
The controversial Clean Air Zones will be rolled out further this year, and in many years to come.
To improve air quality, some local authorities have implemented a charge for motorists travelling in certain areas if the vehicle exceeds emission standards.
Birmingham, Bath and Portsmouth already have Clean Air Zones in force while Bradford and Bristol are starting to charge drivers of older cars to drive in certain parts this year.
Greater Manchester is also under review, with the government website promising more cities will adopt the scheme in 2022.
