Road Traffic Act 1972

Road Traffic Act 1972

Long title	An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to road traffic with amendments to give effect to recommendations of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission.
Citation	1972 c. 20
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent	1972
Status: Unknown
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Road Traffic Act 1972 (1972 c. 20) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It consolidates earlier road-traffic legislation and introduces provisions governing driving offenses, licensing, insurance, vehicle use, and road-safety powers. ^[1]

Background

The Act was passed to consolidate existing road-traffic laws and implement recommendations from the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission. ^[1]

Provisions

Category	Summary	Source
Dangerous and reckless driving	Creates offenses for dangerous driving, reckless, and negligent driving, including causing death by dangerous driving.	[2]
Drink- and drug-driving	Makes it an offence to drive or be in charge of a vehicle while under the influence or alcohol or drugs.
Motor racing and motoring events	Regulates motor-racing and other motoring events held on public highways.
Driver licensing	Establishes the framework for issuing and regulating driving licences.	[3]
Driving instruction	Regulates paid driving instruction and instructor registration.	[4]
Third-party liability and insurance	Requires third-party risk insurance for vehicles used on public roads.	[5]
Road-safety funding	Permits funding of road-safety training and information programmes.	[6]
Foreign vehicles	Regulates the operation of foreign public service and goods vehicles in the UK.	[7]

Amendments and later impact

• Transport Act 1980 which amended parts of the 1972 Act.
• Road Traffic Act 1988 which replaced or repealed several provisions.
• Section 36B (pavement-parking ban) originated in this Act (via amendment in 1974). ^[8]

Reception and legal commentary

• Academic commentary has analysed how the Act defined "reckless" and "dangerous" driving. ^[9]
• The Act supports the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Risks) Regulations 1972. ^[10]

References

1. Parliament of the United Kingdom (1972). "Road Traffic Act 1972". legislation.gov.uk.
2. Her Majesty's Stationery Office (1989). "20". Road Traffic Act 1972 (PDF).
3. Parliament of the United Kingdom (1972). "Road Traffic Act 1972, PART III". legislation.gov.uk.
4. Parliament of the United Kingdom (1972). "Road Traffic Act, Table of contents". legislation.gov.uk.
5. Parliament of the United Kingdom (1972). "Road Traffic Act 1972, PART VI". legislation.gov.uk.
6. Parliament of the United Kingdom (1972). "Road Traffic Act 1972, PART I". legislation.gov.uk.
7. "Road Traffic (Foreign Vehicles) Act 1972". vLex. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
8. "PPA0351 - Evidence on Pavement parking". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
9. Newman, Christopher J. "Relevance of driving skill to a charge of dangerous driving" (PDF). Journal of Criminal Law. 74 (1): 12–16.
10. "Motor Vehicles (Third Party Risks) Regulations 1972". vLex. Retrieved 2025-11-21.