News
New driving laws and rules
Key UK driving law changes coming in 2026
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 12/12/2025
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 12/12/2025
We’re motoring through to 2026 and once again drivers will need to be aware of some new driving rules that are coming into force. Do you know what’s changing and which road laws are coming into effect?
As part of the government’s Plan for Change strategy, some of the new driving rules are based around road safety (especially for new drivers) and emissions while there is also a focus on taxation - including for electric vehicles.
These new driving laws will come into force over the course of the year, not on one specific date - but it’s still worth being aware of what’s coming so you can ensure you’re fully prepared.
As announced in the 2025 budget, the fuel duty freeze is set to continue through to September. The current basic rate on diesel and petrol (including the 5ppl cut) has been 52.95p per litre (ppl) since January 2011. From September, it will be reversed and increase annually in line with inflation.
Benefit in King (BiK) rates are scheduled to increase by 1% in the 2026-2027 financial year. This means that from 6 April 2026, electric vehicles will pay 4% BiK as opposed to the current 3%.
What is Benefit in Kind? It’s the tax you pay when you buy a car through a company’s salary sacrifice scheme and the rates are dependent upon your car’s CO2 emissions. The rate increases depending on the level of CO2 - going up to 37% if your car produces more than 154g/km CO2.
Motability recipients will no longer be able to rent luxury vehicles from the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus and Alfa Romeo. Motability is a scheme where people on personal independence payments (PIPs) can sacrifice some benefits in exchange for a rental vehicle. The scheme pays for vehicle adaptations if people need them.
This controversial government decision is designed to support economic growth with an aim of 50% of Motability vehicles that are leased to be built in Britain by 2035. However, critics argue the scheme helps people live more independently.
New car driving test booking rules will come into place from spring 2026.
The new rules for booking and managing car driving tests are:
The learner driver will also be responsible for changing the date or time, test centre and swapping of any appointments.
Although they can no longer book their learner’s test, driving instructors can manage their availability via an online service so students can book their test at a time they are free.
There will also be some changes to the driving theory test. The first aid section will be updated to include questions on CPR and defibrillators in an effort to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. According to the Express, this initiative will ensure ‘more people are equipped to respond in emergencies’.
The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate has been tightened, with all new cars and vans that are manufactured being required to meet Euro 7 emission standards from 29 November, 2026.
There’s also focus on low emission zones, with the Congestion Charge in London rising from £15 to £18 a day if paid for on or before the day of travel and £17.50 to £21 if paid within 3 days.
Owners of all electric cars registered after 1 April, 2025 will have to start paying the full standard VED tax of £195 per year. This is the standard road tax that all vehicle owners in the UK have to pay.
In addition to the VED, from April 2028 EV drivers will be charged Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) on a pay-per-mile basis. Fully electric cars will be charged 3p per mile, while plug-in hybrids will be charged 1.5p per mile.
The Cleaner Vehicle Discount, introduced in 2019, will also expire on Christmas Day, 2025. This will be replaced by a 25% discount for electric cars, including private hire vehicles, and 50% discount for electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles from 2 January, 2026 (providing they’re registered for Auto Pay).
To help encourage the sale of electric vehicles, some cars will be eligible for a government electric car grant. This will be automatically included as a discount in the purchase price.
To be eligible for a grant, vehicles must:
There are two bands of vehicle with two maximum levels of discount: Band 1 is £3,750 and Band 2 is £1,500.
While many of these plans are coming into place in 2026, many of them are led by the government’s target of phasing out the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2035 (extended from the previously announced 2030).
Smart Infrastructure Magazine claims that the EV charging sector has started to be more nuanced and strategic when it comes to installing EV charging points. They suggest this will continue into 2026 and beyond as more and more drivers start to move towards greener vehicles.
The Automated Vehicles (AV) Act was passed in May, 2024, meaning there’s a chance we could see some self-driving vehicles on the road in 2026. The AV Act requires self-driving cars to undergo robust safety testing - and prove they’re as reliable and competent as a human driver. Do you think this will happen over the next 12 months?
A change to the drink-driving limit could come in to help enhance safety and reduce the number of fatalities on the road. This change would see England and Wales align with Scotland’s stronger limits:
Although not confirmed, there are strong rumours that adults over 70 will face mandatory eye tests in order to keep their driving licence. At the moment, over-70s must renew their licence every three years and report their own medical conditions (without evidence). It’s expected that a successfully passed eye test will become mandatory.
If you’re caught not wearing a seatbelt, you could face a fine of up to £500. The expected driving law changes for 2026 could see you also receive three penalty points for not wearing one.
The UK’s new driving laws will come into place throughout 2026. It’s worth keeping an eye on the news, Tempcover and the websites like gov.uk for the exact dates.
Remember, if you need to drive someone else’s car for any reason, you can use temporary car insurance to get where you need to go.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/content/news/driving-laws-and-rules-update
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/2119860/major-2026-driving-rule-change
https://www.devonlive.com/news/motoring/new-dvsa-rules-begin-2026-10651213
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn09v4d2xe7o
https://www.essexlive.news/news/uk-world-news/3-huge-driving-law-changes-10644725
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/uk-news/drivers-warned-three-major-changes-32849960
