Every 2024 driving law and rule change

Drivers always have to be on the lookout for changes to the law and rules of the road which can impact on whether they may be liable to fines and points. Alterations can also mean more cost to the nation’s motorists.

2024 is likely to be no different and there are a number of alterations which could make a big difference. Motorists have faced a challenging year in 2023 with fuel prices hitting big highs meaning the cost of keeping a car on the road has never been higher.

However as we reach the end of the year the cost has at least fallen to lower levels – earlier this month the RAC said a litre of unleaded petrol now costs 142.57p on average at the pumps, a price not seen since the end of October 2021. It is around 10p a litre cheaper than in the run-up to last Christmas, but diesel prices have not fallen. So what can we expect to see in 2024 for drivers?

Here’s our rundown below.

Fuel duty freeze may end in March 2024

Fuel duty has been frozen since January 2011 to prevent its rise with inflation. The basic rate on diesel and petrol has been 52.95 pence per litre (ppl) as per the Office for Budget Responsibility which includes the 5 ppl cut the government has granted till the end of March 2024 to help with the cost of living crisis. In Spring Budget 2024 on March 6 we will find out more about what the government plans to do with the fuel duty freeze and the 5 ppl cut and see if it will continue.

UK carmakers to sell more electric vehicles in 2024 or face fines

In September 2023, the UK Government announced that the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars would be pushed back from 2030 to 2035.

However, at the same time, it confirmed that the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate that was previously only a proposal would be implemented from 2024. And this could mean that the transition to electric cars still happens quite quickly. From 1 January 2024 onwards, car manufacturers will need at least 22% of their car sales and 10% of their van sales to be fully electric under the ZEV mandate which aims at increasing the sale of electric vehicles to help reduce emissions.

So in 2024, 22% of cars sold by each manufacturer must be fully electric. This will then rise to 28% in 2025, 33% in 2026, 38% in 2027, 52% in 2028, 66% in 2029 and 80% in 2030. The Government is still finalising the targets between 2030 and 2035.

However, it’s rumoured that the mandate will rise to 84% in 2031, 88% in 2032, 92% in 2033, 96% in 2034 and 100% in 2035.

DVSA eyesight test changes

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency business plan, 2023 to 2024 contains details about eye tests. Currently, if you can read a number plate from 20 metres away, you pass the eyesight test. It says: “We are considering how the eyesight test is administered during a driving test and will engage with DVLA’s Medical Panel to ensure that any new procedures meet the current standards.

Potential changes to how we conduct the eyesight test were the subject of a public consultation. Most respondents supported the proposal to have more flexibility about how we conduct the eyesight test. The aim of the change is to provide more flexibility about when the driving test is conducted and in different levels of light.”

The DVSA has said that it wants to conduct “the eyesight check in the driving test in any level of light – not just good daylight”, and it will “engage with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) Medical Panel to ensure that any new procedures meet the current standards.”

HGVs face new safety rules in London from 2024

To reduce the number of deaths and injuries on London roads, Transport for London (TfL) has announced its plan to introduce a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and safety permit scheme that mandates heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to have a safety permit before entering most parts of Greater London. TfL assigns a star rating to vehicles based on the DVS which measures how much of the road and surroundings can the driver see through their cab windows to ensure that the other road users are visible and safe. From 28 October 2024 onwards, all lorries over 12 tonnes must have a three-star rating or fit a progressive Safe System in the vehicle to make it safer, and keep driving and operating in Greater London.

Failure to meet the new requirements will result in the drivers getting a Penalty Charge Notice (PNC). HGVs are also required to hold a safety permit before entering and using the areas covered by the HGV safety permit scheme. You can apply for the permit for free.

Find out which areas of Greater London are covered under this scheme here.

E-scooters

The DVSA has said it will assist with policy support around the implementation of regulations for e-scooters in 2024. It added: “We will support DfT and other partners as they gather evidence to inform decisions on e-scooters and other new powered light vehicles including those with zero emissions.” Trials of electric scooters are now underway in 23 regions across England, with many private e-scooters also being seen across the UK.

The original e-scooter trial deadline was November 30, 2021, but was extended three times as a result of the popularity of the scheme. The trials are now set to end on May 31, 2024, which will allow the Government to reflect on further analysis or evidence that may be needed.

MOTS

The DVSA is set to implement rules around pictures being taken at garages during MOTs in order to crack down on fraud. It said: “We expect existing work to focus on helping industry test to the right standards, better enabling us to detect and deal with deliberate and fraudulent behaviours that compromise the MOT.

This will include looking to implement work piloted in 2022-23 on recording photos of vehicles at test, and building on the machine learning technology we already deploy that helps identify patterns of fraudulent behaviours in MOT garages.”

New ’24’ and ’74’ number plates

All vehicles need to display a registration plate to be legally driven in the UK. In March and September each year we get a new set of number plates, which are registered to new car buyers. In 2024, you’ll be able to register a new car under the ’24’ reg plate in March and under ’74’ plate in September.

Electric vehicles exempt from vehicle excise duty and congestion charge until 2025

Electric vehicles will continue to pay GBP0 vehicle excise duty until March 2025.

From the financial year April 2025 to April 2026, electric vehicles will join the lowest rate of tax and pay GBP10 for the first year, and then the standard rate of GBP165 per financial year.

Electric vehicles will also be exempt from paying the congestion charge while driving in London till 25 December 2025.