HIGHWAY CODE

[pgarner]

HIGHWAY CODE HAS BEEN UPDATED

dont know how many of you knew the highway code has been updated with some new rules these may apply to a lot of you

thanks to msn for the info

smoking behind the wheel is a breach of the rules of the road and could be seen as a 'distraction'

new safety code for novice drivers, which includes 'don't show off or compete with other drivers'

updates on vehicle emissions information

new traffic calming initiatives explained: quiet lanes, high-occupancy vehicle lanes and home zones

advice on the stopping powers of Highway Agency Traffic Officers

an explanation of the law on smoking in company cars

prob a few more although the new parts are going to stand out in the book so experianced drivers just need to skim through

[aswearing]

i found the highway code from the '60s. great read

[pgarner]

i would have prefered the 30's one there was only 18 pages now theres 307

60'sonewould have been alright there ws no motorway speed limit at the time

[HDi fun]

The smoking in public places law is daft, cars or not.

Highway code is really only meant to be an explanation of road markings and signs and how the law interprets them.

Highway code has not been quoted in any Act of Parliament or Court Case.

Anything else is down to driving attitude really.

[pgarner]

yeah it says that it cant be used in court as such but if can be used to an extent . if your smoking and do something that can be classed as dangourous it can be used to say that you were distracted same with changing cds loud music or even talking to a passenger

but lets see how many parents (both women and men ) het stopped for shouting at the screaming brats in the back seat thats more distracting than changing a cd or having a fag bet its none

[HDi fun]

It will be exactly that. NONE. It's very hard to prove a point of law in court. And costly. That's why speed cameras are so popular.

Speeding is an absolute offence. (Conveniently, it's also profitable!)

Due care........... etc. isn't since the prosecution has to prove that the driver's attention was genuinely distracted. Without a road traffic incident no one's going to bother pursuing a case as the opinion of a police officer alone only represents circumstantial evidence. Cirumstantial evidence alone is not going to secure a conviction.

What the police will do in more serious cases is to try and coerce a confession from the suspected offender. This, in itself, is questionable and cautious defence in court could well see the case thrown out.

As I've mentioned before, it's not what you say, it's what you omit that leaves you with a better chance. Until you're placed under arrest you can largely do as you please and either say or omit to say whatever you choose.

[aswearing]

i was distracted by a marked car parked in a bus stop (the bit off the road)

[HDi fun]

They shouldn't be parked there.

Bus stops are specifically for the use of public service vehicles only.

Police officers of any rank and duty are still required to abide by the highway code and all the terms of the Road Traffic Act and it's subsequent many revisions.

They cannot, for example, set up a radar, or Lidar trap for the purpose of general enforcement [of the prescribed speed limit] within the confines of a nominated bus stop or other area designated for the usage of passengers boarding or alighting from a public service vehicle.

They are also forbidden to park a vehicle in such spaces, although a stationary car, with a driver in the driver's seat and with engine running does not technically constitute a parked vehicle in RTA terms.

[aswearing]

also while waling to uni noticed a marked mondeo parked on th kerb just before a bus stop, if its still there later i'll take a photo.

no one was to be seen either.

not many people like the police on this site do they?

[pgarner]

does any driver tho

example both me and the wife have had cars hit whilst parked out on the street both times the police have said there's nothing they could do as there was no witnesses. granted my car was hit at night but the wifes was done during the day theres a police cctv camera siting panning the street and 3 witnesses saw it but was still told there was nothing that could be done

******** waste of time as phoned them one night as living n the high street theres a lot of fights, the weans come out the pub to tanked up and cant handle it. phoned one night as someone was gettin a proper kickin out the back took an 1hr to arrive. best bit a mate works at the motorway services said they sat there most of the night, at the time they got a meal and coffee for a £1 as the managers liked their presence

thankfully weve just got a new superintendent whose put a stop to that