Driving Theory Test Kit UK

Code changes

Recent Highway Code changes

Last reviewed against gov.uk on

Several Highway Code updates have reshaped the theory test in the last four years — the 29 January 2022 revisions (8 themed changes spanning new H-rules and dozens of updated rule numbers, including the Hierarchy of Road Users), the 25 March 2022 mobile-phone tightening, the introduction's new 1 July 2022 section on self-driving vehicles, the 27 July 2022 Annex 5 update reflecting the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 penalty uplift for causing death by dangerous driving, the 17 September 2023 Wales 20 mph default, the 10 April 2025 Scotland pavement-parking clarification (Rules 243 and 244), the 22 October 2025 traffic-sign update for "buses and cycles only" and "trams only" signs, and the CPR and AED questions added to the question bank from 2026. Below: every substantive rule-text or annex change since 2022 with the rule number, the before-and-after, and the gov.uk source.

Rules for all types of road users have been updated in The Highway Code to improve the safety of people walking, cycling and riding horses.
— GOV.UK — Highway Code: 8 changes you need to know from 29 January 2022

29 January 2022 — the eight rule changes

The biggest overhaul of the Highway Code since its 1931 first edition. Three brand-new rules were added at the top of the code (H1, H2, H3) and several existing rules were rewritten. All eight changes are routinely tested.

1. Hierarchy of Road Users — Rules H1, H2, H3

The introduction now opens with a hierarchy that ranks road users by how much harm they can cause to others. Pedestrians sit at the top; HGVs at the bottom. Those who can do the most harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce risk.

  • Rule H1: Every road user should know the Code and look out for those most at risk. Drivers of larger vehicles bear the greater responsibility.
  • Rule H2 (drivers, motorcyclists, horse drawn vehicles, horse riders and cyclists): At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning. You MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing (see Rule 195).
  • Rule H3 (drivers and motorcyclists): You should not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse drawn vehicles going ahead when you are turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane, just as you would not turn across the path of another motor vehicle. This applies whether they are using a cycle lane, a cycle track, or riding ahead on the road and you should give way to them. Do not turn at a junction if to do so would cause the cyclist, horse rider or horse drawn vehicle going straight ahead to stop or swerve. You should stop and wait for a safe gap in the flow of cyclists if necessary. This includes when cyclists are:
    • approaching, passing or moving off from a junction
    • moving past or waiting alongside stationary or slow-moving traffic
    • travelling around a roundabout

The catch: H1 and H3 are “should” guidance, and the first half of H2 is too — but the zebra and parallel-crossing portion of H2 is a MUST. Failing to follow any of these can be used in evidence against a driver in court, and the theory test treats them as the expected behaviour.

2. People crossing the road at junctions — Rule 170

Before: Drivers had general right of way through a junction; pedestrians were expected to wait.

After: When turning into or out of a side road, drivers should give way to pedestrians who are crossing or waiting to cross. The waiting case is the most-tested change on the theory exam.

3. Walking, cycling and horse-riding in shared spaces — Rule 63

Cyclists must take care when passing pedestrians, horse riders or horse-drawn vehicles — especially children, older adults or disabled people. Cyclists should slow down, let walkers know they are there (a bell or a polite call) and not pass closely or at high speed, particularly from behind. On shared cycle tracks Rule H2 directs cyclists to give way to pedestrians.

4. Cyclist positioning on the road — Rules 72 and 66

Cyclists are now explicitly advised (Rule 72) to ride in the centre of their lane on quiet roads, slow-moving traffic and at junctions. On busier roads with faster traffic, Rule 72 says cyclists should allow drivers to overtake where safe to do so while keeping at least 0.5 metres away from the kerb edge — and further where it is safer to do so. Groups of cyclists may ride 2 abreast (Rule 66) — particularly safer when riding in larger groups or with children — but should be aware of drivers behind and allow them to overtake when safe. (DfT's 29 January 2022 press release referenced these as Rules 67 and 213 under the pre-update numbering.)

5. Overtaking people cycling or on horseback — Rule 163

The clearance distances were quantified for the first time:

  • Cyclists: at least 1.5 metres at speeds up to 30 mph; more at higher speeds.
  • Horses and horse-drawn vehicles: pass at under 10 mph and allow at least 2 metres of space.
  • Pedestrians in the road: at least 2 metres of space and keep to a low speed.

6. People cycling at junctions — Rule 76

Cyclists going straight ahead at a junction have priority over traffic waiting to turn into or out of the side road, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise (Rule 76). Where the junction has dedicated cycle facilities — separate cycle traffic lights or a cycle lane through the junction — cyclists should use them (Rule 73); at junctions without those facilities, Rule 73 directs cyclists to follow the same priority rules as other traffic (see Rules 170 to 190).

7. People cycling at roundabouts — Rule 186

Drivers should give priority to cyclists on the roundabout and watch carefully for them. Cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles may stay in the left-hand lane when they intend to continue across or around the roundabout, and should signal right to show they are not leaving. Give other traffic — especially cyclists — time and room to move into the correct lane.

8. Opening vehicle doors — “the Dutch Reach” — Rule 239

Where you are able to do so, you should open the door using your hand on the opposite side to the door you are opening — for example, use your left hand to open a door on your right-hand side. This will make you turn your head to look over your shoulder, so you are then more likely to avoid causing injury to cyclists or motorcyclists passing you on the road, or to people on the pavement.

25 March 2022 — mobile phone tightening (Rule 149)

Before: Drivers could be charged with using a hand-held mobile phone only if it was being used for an “interactive communication function” (call, text, browsing). Stationary scrolling or photo-taking sometimes escaped prosecution under that narrower definition.

After: From 25 March 2022 it is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet or any similar device for any use — including taking photos or videos, scrolling through playlists, using a camera, or playing games. The change closed the loophole that had let drivers escape conviction when they were not actively communicating. The fixed-penalty notice is 6 points and a £200 fine; cases that go to court can carry a fine of up to £1,000 (£2,500 for a lorry or bus). For a new driver inside the 2-year probation, the 6-point endorsement causes automatic licence revocation.

The narrow exception remains: a hands-free or built-in vehicle system you do not pick up is legal. Genuine 999/112 emergencies (when it is unsafe or impractical to stop) and contactless payment to a payment terminal while the vehicle is stationary are also exempt under Reg 110 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.

1 July 2022 — self-driving vehicles section added to the introduction

On 1 July 2022, a new section on self-driving vehicles was added to the Highway Code's introduction. It reflects the framework set out in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018: the driver is not responsible for the way a self-driving vehicle drives itself while it is in self-driving mode, but the technology must be designed for the driver to take back control safely. The driver must be ready to resume control when prompted, and stays responsible for everything not covered by the self-driving function (insurance, fitness to drive, fitness of the vehicle). The change underpins the way Rule 150 handles driver-assistance systems — motorway assist, lane departure warnings, or remote control parking — on conventional cars; see also the 25 March 2022 update above for the related mobile-phone tightening.

27 July 2022 — Annex 5 penalty uplift for causing death by dangerous driving

On 27 July 2022, Annex 5 (Penalties) was updated to reflect the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which raised the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving, and for causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs, from 14 years' imprisonment to life imprisonment. The Sentencing Act 2020 also replaced the older Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 in Annex 5's legislative references. The PCSC Act 2022 brought the new maximum into force on 28 June 2022; the Highway Code annex caught up four weeks later.

For the theory test: penalty-table questions on death-by-dangerous-driving now expect the "life imprisonment" answer, not "14 years". Older revision materials printed before mid-2022 still show 14 years — make sure your study source is post-July 2022.

17 September 2023 — Wales default 20 mph in built-up areas (Rules 113 and 124)

From 17 September 2023, the default national speed limit on restricted roads in Wales dropped from 30 mph to 20 mph. Rules 113 and 124 of the Highway Code were updated to reflect this. The change applies to most residential streets and many town centres in Wales; signed limits override the default where they appear. The English and Scottish default remains 30 mph on restricted roads.

For the theory test: questions on speed limits and signs that originate in Wales now expect the 20 mph baseline. Sign-recognition questions are unchanged — a 30 mph or 20 mph repeater sign means what it says — but a Welsh restricted-road scenario with no posted limit will assume 20 mph.

2022–2023 — smart motorway programme paused, then cancelled

15 April 2023: the Department for Transport announced that all new smart motorway schemes were cancelled — including 11 already paused from the second Road Investment Strategy (2020–2025) and 3 earmarked for the third (2025–2030). The existing smart motorway network (mostly all-lane-running, no hard shoulder) remains in operation; it will receive £900m of further safety investment, including 150 extra emergency areas and improved stopped-vehicle detection technology, but the hard shoulder is not being reinstated .

For the theory test, this means the rules on smart motorways still apply: Red X means leave the lane (Rule 258); the hard shoulder of an existing all-lane-running motorway is a live running lane unless signed otherwise; emergency areas (Rule 270) are short refuges marked by blue signs with an orange SOS telephone symbol and may have orange surfacing — use them only in an emergency, and if you stop in one, Rule 278 says you MUST use the emergency telephone provided and follow the operator's advice — a lane may need to be closed so you can rejoin the carriageway safely.

10 April 2025 — Scotland pavement parking (Rules 243 and 244)

On 10 April 2025, Rules 243 and 244 of the Highway Code were clarified to reflect Scotland's pavement-parking and dropped-kerb prohibitions, which came into force on 11 December 2023 under The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (Pavement Parking etc.):

  • Rule 243 — drivers must not park anywhere a kerb has been lowered (in Scotland).
  • Rule 244 — clarified to explicitly cover Scotland. The rule now opens "You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London or Scotland" (with limited exceptions), followed by the original elsewhere-prohibition ("You should not park partially or wholly on the pavement elsewhere unless signs permit it"). The long-standing London prohibition is unchanged.

The change brought the Highway Code wording into line with the Scottish offence; the existing local-authority enforcement regime for pavement parking in the rest of England and Wales is also unchanged. For the theory test: a parking question set in Scotland now expects the pavement / dropped-kerb prohibition to be treated as a national rule, not a local one.

22 October 2025 — "buses and cycles only" and "trams only" signs no longer need an "Only" plate

On 22 October 2025, the traffic-signs chapter of the Highway Code was updated. The buses and cycles only and trams only signs no longer need a separate Only word-plate beneath the sign — the meaning is now carried by the sign itself. The older signs (with the plate) remain valid and you will still see them on the road for some time, but the modernised, plate-less version is the version the theory test now expects.

For the theory test: a sign-recognition question that previously expected you to identify the "Only" plate as part of the symbol now treats the sign as complete without it. If you trained on materials older than late 2025, refresh your recognition of these two signs.

August 2025 — CPR and AED questions confirmed for 2026

On 13 August 2025, DVSA confirmed that the car and motorcycle theory tests would include enhanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) content and, for the first time, questions about using a public-access automated external defibrillator (AED). The new questions begin appearing in tests in 2026, with candidates told to start familiarising themselves from autumn 2025. There is no change to the test duration, the question count or the pass mark. The questions were developed with the Resuscitation Council UK and the Save a Life programmes in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. See the 2026 changes guide for the detail you need to revise.

How to revise the changes efficiently

  1. Memorise H1, H2 and H3. Three short rules that recur across multiple questions on the test.
  2. Remember the numeric clearances — 1.5 m cyclist at speeds up to 30 mph, 2 m horse at under 10 mph, 2 m pedestrian at low speed.
  3. The Dutch Reach is short, visual, and almost always asked. Practise the hand-swap when you next park.
  4. Any interactive phone use is driving with the phone. Stationary at lights does not exempt you.
  5. Smart motorway hard shoulders are live lanes unless signed otherwise. The old “pull onto the hard shoulder” advice is wrong for an all-lane-running stretch.

The full updates list — Highway Code on gov.uk

GOV.UK publishes a running log of every update at gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/updates. Use that page if you want a complete diff at any point in time — it’s the canonical source and is updated within hours of any change taking effect.

Sources

Highway Code excerpts are reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0.