Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Driving at
As driving tests gear up again, we mark nine decades of the Highway Code. MARION McMULLEN takes a look at how the rules of the road have changed over the years
THE Highway Code is one of Britain’s bestselling books and is an absolute must-read for all learner drivers across the country.
The first edition came out 90 years ago this month, back in 1931, and cost one old penny to buy. It offered advice for both car and motorcycle riders and was conceived by aeroplane designer Mervyn O’Gorman.
There were 2.3 million cars on Britain’s roads at the time and 7,000 deaths a year. Cars had been subject to very little regulation since they first arrived on British roads in the 1890s, but the Government introduced the Road Traffic Act in 1930 and O’Gorman came up with a simple series of dos and don’ts for drivers to complement it.
Alongside quaint advice about speeding, were instructions for drivers of horse-drawn vehicles and a guide to interpreting the hand signals of police officers directing traffic. There was no mention of mirrors or road signs, although it did point out that if a driver of a horse-drawn vehicle was waving their whip in a circle above their head if meant they were going to turn.
Motorists were also advised to beep their horn when overtaking other cars and if a driver extended his right arm and waved it up and down it could mean that they were stopping, slowing down or turning left. Road signs made their first appearance in the second edition, but even then there were only 15 of them to remember.
The first driving test was introduced in 1903, but was not compulsory. However, there was a rush to take the voluntary tests at the start of 1935 ahead of it becoming compulsory in June that same year. A total of 246,000 applicants took the exam and there was a 63% pass rate.
Racing champion Stirling Moss once pointed out: “There are two things no man will admit he cannot do well – drive and make love.”
Driving tests were suspended at the outbreak of the Second World War. Examiners were redeployed to help out with traffic duties and fuel rationing instead. They resumed 75 years ago on November 1, 1946.
Those who had obtained a wartime provisional licence were also given a year to have it converted to a full licence without the need to pass the driving test.
The pass rate was 50% by the 1950s and instructions for drivers of horsedrawn vehicles finally disappeared from the Highway Code in 1954.
Testing was again suspended in 1956 during the Suez crisis, with examiners once more placed on fuel rationing duties until April 1957.
The Swinging Sixties saw music stars like Cilla Black, John Lennon and Lulu take their driving tests and a voluntary register of approved driving instructors was set up. Things also got tough for motorists who had held several provisional licences over the years. They were told they had to take the test or have any future licence applications refused.
A total of 3,500 people were prosecuted in 1970 for driving on forged licences or for wrongly attempting to obtain a licence... and arm signals were dropped from the test in 1975.
Not everyone fully understood the rules of the road. Comedian Tommy Cooper used to joke: “You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a note on the windscreen. It said Parking Fine.”
In the 1980s provisional licences were extended to the age of 70, while new legislation introduced in the 1990s meant anyone accompanying a learner driver in a car had to be at least 21 and have held a licence themselves for three years or more.
A separate written theory test was launched in 1996 and the random emergency stop was added to the test in 1999. The following decade also saw the introduction of the touchscreen theory test.
Learner drivers taking tests resumed in England and Wales this month, with many learner drivers admitting they felt a bit rusty behind the wheel.
No non-emergency tests had been permitted in the UK since early January, due to the coronavirus pandemic and driving licence numbers among young people have fallen to the lowest level since current records began.
Just 2.97 million people in Britain aged 16-25 hold a full licence, down from 3.32 million in March 2020.
Tests recommenced last week, but a backlog of hopeful learners means getting one is not easy! The modern driving test now covers such areas as satellite navigation, environmental concerns and speed cameras.
Yet throughout all the changes, one rule has never been altered in the Highway Code – the stopping distance for a vehicle travelling at 50mph in the 1954 edition and today remains at 175 feet or 53 metres.
As for the future, the next Highway Code is likely to include additional guidance on how to use smart motorways, as well as updates for updated for fatigued drivers, unroadworthy vehicles, unsafe towing and tailgating.
Jeremy Phillips, Highways England’s head of road safety, said: “The updated edition of The Highway Code will help inform the next generation of road users as well as giving important updates to those with many miles under their belt, to help us all stay safer.”