UK motorists to be hit by new rules this month – list of driving law changes

Farage Talks About The Ulez In The Part Of Rural London Where He Lives

Drivers will be affected by a series of updates and new rules changes across September.

Vital changes to DVLA number plates come into effect at the start of the month followed by speed limit changes later on.

Motorists living abroad could also be affected by a key change to driving licence rules in just two weeks.

The effects of Sadiq Khan’s controversial ULEZ expansion are also expected to continue with road users possibly not hit with fines until later in the month.

Express.co.uk takes a look at the biggest changes in September.

READ MORE Drivers could lose thousands of pounds due to new driving changes from Friday

Number plate changes – September 1

Like every year, the new number plate designs are rolled out on all newly registered vehicles from September 1. The current ‘23’ layout will be axed in favour of ‘73’ designs until the start of March next year.

Motorists can install a ‘73’ plate on all vehicles required after September 1 with a range of personalised options available. However, the DVLA has unveiled a series of designs that have been banned from sale due to their controversial or rude nature.

Phrases not up for sale include ‘EA73 POO’, ‘TE73ROR’ and ‘TH73EAT’. Meanwhile, ‘AN73 VAX’ or ‘AN73 WAR’ are among the combinations to have been removed by licensing chiefs.

Spain driving licence – September 15

UK driving licence holders living in Spain before March 15 must exchange their photocard for a Spanish licence before September 15. It comes after an agreement in March that allowed drivers to swap their licences over without having to take a driving test.

But, this must be done before September 15 meaning time is running out to secure a new licence before the deadline.

Ambassador High Elliott said: “It is very important that UK licence holders who lived in Spain prior to March 15, 2023 and want to drive here exchange their licences on or before September 15. We want this message to reach as many UK licence holders as possible.”

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20mph speed limit – September 17

Wales will introduce their nationwide 20mph speed limit rules in a little over two weeks. From this date, drivers will only be allowed to travel a maximum of 20mph on restricted roads across the entire country.

The Welsh Government has made the decision to reduce the number of collisions and severe juries on the road. They claim the concept will also encourage more people to walk and cycle and was likely to “safeguard the environment”.

However, the scheme has come with lots of opposition from councillors with many calling the scheme to be axed. Drivers have taken matters into their own hands with 21,000 people signing a petition demanding the concept was axed.

Many vehicle owners have also tied red ribbons to their cars in a symbolic gesture of their distaste at the programme.

POLL: Do you support local councils introducing 20mph speed limits?

London ULEZ expansion – September

Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ scheme has already been expanded to Outer London boroughs after rule changes came into effect on August 29. However, the consequences of the changes will rumble on for much of September as residents get used to the new updates.

Drivers could be slapped with fees from September as Transport for London (TfL) suggested that “discretion” would be used in the first few weeks. According to ITV, this would see warning letters issued to motorists who fail to pay the charge rather than £180 fines.

TfL’s Chief Customer & Strategy Officer Alex Williams suggested this would be in place for “four weeks”. However, Mr Khan has seemed to rubbish the claims as he revealed fines may be payable straight away.

Locals are also expected to continue their fight against the project with more protests planned for early September. A ‘Make them Listen’ protest is already set to be held outside parliament on September 6 from 11am.

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