Department For Transport
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Guidance for Northern Ireland
You can order a copy of The Highway Code book online or buy a copy from most high street bookshops.
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- Introduction
Who The Highway Code is for, how it's worded, the consequences of not following the rules, self-driving vehicles, and the hierarchy of road users (Rules H1 to H3).
- Rules for pedestrians (1 to 35)
Rules for pedestrians, including general guidance, crossing the road, crossings, and situations needing extra care.
- Rules for users of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters (36 to 46)
Rules for powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters, including on pavements and on the road.
- Rules about animals (47 to 58)
Rules about animals, including horse-drawn vehicles, horse riders and other animals.
- Rules for cyclists (59 to 82)
Rules for cyclists, including an overview, road junctions, roundabouts and crossing the road.
- Rules for motorcyclists (83 to 88)
Rules for motorcyclists, including helmets, carrying passengers, daylight riding and riding in the dark.
- Rules for drivers and motorcyclists (89 to 102)
Rules for drivers and motorcyclists, including vehicle condition, fitness to drive, alcohol and drugs, what to do before setting off, vehicle towing and loading, and seat belts and child restraints.
- General rules, techniques and advice for all drivers and riders (103 to 158)
Signals, stopping procedures, lighting, control of the vehicle, speed limits, stopping distances, lines and lane markings and multi-lane carriageways, smoking, mobile phones and sat nav.
- Using the road (159 to 203)
Rules for using the road, including general rules, overtaking, road junctions, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings and reversing.
- Road users requiring extra care (204 to 225)
Rules for road users requiring extra care, including pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists, other road users and other vehicles.
- Driving in adverse weather conditions (226 to 237)
Rules for driving in adverse weather conditions, including wet weather, icy and snowy weather, windy weather, fog and hot weather.
- Waiting and parking (238 to 252)
Rules for waiting and parking, including rules on parking at night and decriminalised parking enforcement.
- Motorways (253 to 274)
Rules for motorways, including rules for signals, joining the motorway, driving on the motorway, lane discipline, overtaking, stopping and leaving the motorway. A number of the rules for motorways also apply to other high-speed roads.
- Breakdowns and incidents (275 to 287)
Rules for breakdowns and incidents, including rules for motorways, obstructions, incidents, incidents involving dangerous goods and documents.
- Road works, level crossings and tramways (288 to 307)
Rules for road works (including on motorways and other high-speed roads), level crossings and tramways.
- Light signals controlling traffic
Light signals used to control traffic, including traffic light signals, flashing red lights, motorway signals and lane control signals.
- Signals to other road users
Signals used to other road users, including direction indicator signals, brake light signals, reversing light signals and arm signals.
- Signals by authorised persons
Signals used by authorised persons, including police officers, arm signals to persons controlling traffic, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency officers and traffic officers and school crossing patrols.
- Traffic signs