The Highway Code is the official road safety manual for the United Kingdom. It contains 278 numbered rules and 7 annexes covering pedestrians, animals, cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers.

As well as the rules and annexes, there is information on traffic signs, road markings and vehicle markings. The annexes contain information on vehicle maintenance, licence requirements, documentation, penalties and vehicle security.

Certain rules in the Highway Code represent various laws and must be obeyed. Other ones are not compulsory, but advisable. The Road Traffic Act 1988 says

A failure on the part of a person to observe any provision of The Highway Code shall not of itself render that person to criminal proceedings of any kind, but any such failure may in any proceedings (whether civil or criminal and including proceedings for an offence under the Traffic Acts, the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 or sections 18 to 23 of the Transport Act 1985) be relied upon by any party to the proceedings as tending to establish or negative any liability which is in question in those proceedings.

The Highway Code is published by The Stationery Office, ISBN 0-11-552290-5. The first edition was published in 1931, with a price of one penny. ^*

External links

• The Highway Code Online
• The Driving Standards Agency
• The Stationery Office
• The parking game
• The Early History of the Highway Code

Road transport in the United Kingdom | Road rule codes of the World

Code de la route | Reglement Verkeersregels en Verkeerstekens