Drivers are being warned about major new motoring changes that were introduced over the last month which could have a huge impact on Britons.
In the final month of 2023, the Government continued to roll out new legislation affecting the roads and motorists across the country, including new speed limits, bans on parking and new road signs.
Major road rules have been updated over the last 12 months with Transport Secretary Mark Harper vowing to protect drivers from anti-motorist policies.
GB News has rounded up the biggest and most important new driving law changes from December that you may have missed.
Drivers could face new fines with new motoring laws introduced
PA/GETTY
20mph speed limits
Drivers in Wales saw the speed limit on the majority of restricted roads across the country drop to 20mph in September in a move that was met with widespread hostility from hundreds of thousands of motorists.
It was suggested that three months after the introduction, Welsh police and the GoSafe road safety partnership would begin to enforce the new speed li mits.
GoSafe said it would apply the National Police Chiefs’ Council guidelines which use the threshold of “not less than 10 per cent plus 2mph”, although as drivers get used to the new speed limits, it would allow an increase to 10 per cent plus four miles per hour on 20mph roads only.
This means GoSafe and Welsh police forces will only start to prosecute drivers if they drive at 26mph in a 20mph limit area.
Motorists can now be fined for driving faster than 20mph
PA
Pavement parking
Scottish drivers can now be hit with a £100 fine if they are caught parking on the pavement, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs.
Charities and road safety organisations have praised the changes to the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, saying it will make pavements safer for pedestrians and those with wheelchairs or prams.
Fiona Hyslop, Minister for Transport, said: "The message here is clear: pavement parking is unsafe, unfair and illegal, and you could be fined up to £100 for it.”
Electric car tariffs
On December 21, just days away from the deadline, the Government announced that it had reached an agreement with the European Union to avoid massive tariffs that could have hammered the UK car manufacturing industry.
The Prime Minister announced that a three-year extension had been granted to ensure existing “rules of origin” regulations continue until the end of 2026.
The original deadline of January 1, 2024, would have seen tariffs of 10 per cent imposed on car sales between the UK and the European Union if at least 45 per cent of the vehicle’s value did not originate in the UK or EU.
There were fears that drivers would see the cost of EU-made electric cars rise by around £3,400 had the rules of origin regulations gone ahead.
E-scooter riders now need to register their driving licence number
PA
Electric scooters
All new and existing members of electric scooter trials must provide their name and driving licence number and submit a photograph of the front of the photocard.
The new rules that were introduced on December 5 are designed to crack down on the number of accidents and injuries to all road users, as well as reduce the levels of antisocial behaviour.
The Government has also extended e-scooter trials to May 31, 2024, with further analysis being collected before making a final decision on the vehicles.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The new sign was rolled out by Transport Secretary Mark Harper
DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT
Road signs
New signs were rolled out by Transport Secretary Mark Harper on December 22 as part of plans to boost road safety for drivers and wildlife in rural areas.
The new changes will allow local authorities to avoid logistical red tape by being granted the ability to install wildlife warning signs where they are most needed. The hedgehog warning sign was also updated to include white quills on the animal’s back.
Electric car chargers
It was a busy month for Mark Harper, with the Transport Secretary also unveiling £70million in funding for new rapid electric car chargers while attending the COP28 climate conference in Dubai.
He announced that 10 new trial sites in England would be backed with funding to ensure motorway service stations are future-proofed until at least 2035 to handle the growth of electric cars.