New driving laws have come into force this month. The new rules, which began on Saturday, April 1, are in addition to various others British drivers have faced - most of which came in last month and included things like number plate changes, updates to the Highway Code and the implementation of new Clean Air Zones, like the one here in Bristol.
While driving rules, laws and changes to roads in our area are everchanging, it is important to ensure you are kept up to date before you head out for a drive, or you could find yourself facing a hefty penalty. Bristol's Clean Air Zone came into force late last year, however many motorists are still unsure as to when and why they may face charges for driving through it.
What's more, new bus lanes and other road changes are still catching some drivers out in the city centre and elsewhere. ExaminerLive reports that new rules for 2023 include things like electric car parking fines, car tax changes, new powers for councils, and even new rules around e-scooters.
Read more: I spent 24 hours as a traffic warden in Bristol and learnt about a little-known five-minute rule
Here's what we know so far...
Car tax changes
New vehicle tax rates have been released ahead of the planned changes on April 1, 2023. Compared to the last vehicle tax window, charges are increasing for almost all vehicles, with the exception of electric vehicles, which are still exempt from tax until 2025.
For petrol and diesel vehicles registered after the April 1 deadline, charges will rise, starting from vehicles in the 51 to 75 CO2 band, where drivers will need to pay £30, up from £25. The most polluting petrol and diesel vehicles - which fall in the over 255 CO2 band - will need to pay £2,605, a rise of £240 from last year.
For cars registered between March 2001 and April 2017, the highest income is again for the most polluting group of vehicles - band M. Last year, drivers of these vehicles would have paid £630 or £661.50 through 12 monthly installments.
This has now increased to £695 and £729.75 respectively. Drivers who are unsure of their own tax rate can visit GOV.UK/check-vehicle-tax for the technical details of their vehicle.
New rules in Sheffield on electric car parking fines
Drivers who leave their electric cars charging for too long, will now face hefty new fines. In Sheffield, the rules mean motorists will be charged up to £20 if they stay too long at a charging station. The fines come into effect from April 1 and are similar to those in Glasgow, whose fine is a bit more (£30).
The “overstay charge” is being introduced to ensure drivers aren’t taking up space and to prevent other drivers from being blocked when needing to charge. In one instance, a motorist left his vehicle charging overnight and received a fine of £123, when the charge was only supposed to cost £26.
Electric car giant, Tesla, already includes an “idle fee” on its Supercharger network, with drivers being charged if they overstay once their car is charged. Motorists are charged 50p per minute as an idle fee, which rises to £1 a minute when the station is 100 per cent occupied.
Some experts fear these changes may impact the popularity of electric vehicles, with drivers put off by the fines, rising electricity costs and the upfront cost of an electric vehicle (EV).
New powers for councils
Drivers in Reading and Hampshire may be at risk of new traffic fines as the councils gain new powers to fine motorists. Reading Council and Hampshire Council are set to gain new powers in “spring 2023”, allowing them to enforce “moving traffic offences”. These fines can be as low as £20 and as much as £105 for late payment of high-level penalties.
These include driving in a bus lane, stopping in a yellow bus junction or illegal U-turns.
E-scooters
In recent weeks, many drivers have called on the UK Government to take action against electric scooters, with thousands being available across the country through rental schemes. On April 2, residents of Paris will be able to vote on whether 15,000 for-hire e-scooters will be able to remain on roads in the French capital.
The vote will ask: “Do we or don’t we continue with free-floating rental scooters?”
Read next:
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- Changes to the Highway Code you need to know about
- Dogs can cause drivers '£5,000 fines and £1,800 of damage'
