Road Traffic Act 1960

The Road Traffic Act 1960 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom consolidating prior road-traffic legislation. It provided statutory provisions on traffic offences, vehicle equipment and lighting, speed limits on restricted roads, control of motor trials, and the use of footpaths and bridleways by vehicles. The Act has been partially amended and repealed by subsequent road traffic legislation.

Background

The act was enacted to consolidate earlier statutes into a single system, with corrections and improvements under the Consolidation of Enactments (Procedure) Act 1949. The Bill, known as the "Road Traffic and Roads Improvement Bill" during its passage, was debated in both Houses of Parliament in 1960.

Provisions

Significant areas covered by the Act include:

Category	Section	Description
Traffic offences	s.1–15	Driving offences, conduct rules.
Vehicle equipment	s.16–18	Lighting, reflectors, equipment.
Speed limits	s.19–20	Restricted road speed rules.
Footpaths & bridleways	s.21–23	Use of non-road rights of way.
Enforcement & penalties	s.24–30	Fines, prosecutions, summary offen.

Amendments and later legislation

The 1960 Act has been partially repealed or amended by later road traffic legislation, including successive Road Traffic Acts and the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. It was a consolidation statute and did not introduce radical policy changes, but subsequent amendments and reforms built on its structure.

Parliamentary history

Debate on the Bill is recorded in Hansard for both Houses. The discussions focused on enforcement, lighting provisions, and regulatory matters.

Reception and legal commentary

The Act has been cited in legal texts and academic literature as an important consolidation measurement in twentieth-century British road law, concerning road deaths and injuries. Contemporary annotated editions summarised its operation, and later scholarship references the Act's role in developing subsequent legislation, including accident compensation and vehicle regulation legislation.