- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As adopted by EU)
Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on driving licences (Recast) (Text with EEA relevance)
After exit day there will be three versions of this legislation to consult for different purposes. The legislation.gov.uk version is the version that applies in the UK. The EU Version currently on EUR-lex is the version that currently applies in the EU i.e you may need this if you operate a business in the EU.
The web archive version is the official version of this legislation item as it stood on exit day before being published to legislation.gov.uk and any subsequent UK changes and effects applied. The web archive also captured associated case law and other language formats from EUR-Lex.
EU Directives are being published on this site to aid cross referencing from UK legislation. After IP completion day (31 December 2020 11pm) no further amendments will be applied to this version.
Controlling the vehicle; taking into account: proper use of safety belts, rear-view mirrors, head restraints; seat; proper use of lights and other equipment; proper use of clutch, gearbox, accelerator, braking systems (including third braking system, if available), steering; controlling the vehicle under different circumstances, at different speeds; steadiness on the road; the weight and dimensions and characteristics of the vehicle; the weight and type of load (categories BE, C, CE, C1, C1E, DE, D1E only); the comfort of the passengers (categories D, DE, D1, D1E only) (no fast acceleration, smoothly driving and no hard braking);
[F1Driving economically and in a safe and energy-efficient way, taking into account the revolutions per minute, changing gears, braking and accelerating (categories B, BE, C, CE, C1, C1E, D, DE, D1, D1E only);]
Observation: all-round observation; proper use of mirrors; far, middle, near distance vision;
Priority/giving way: priority at crossroads, intersections and junctions; giving way at other occasions (e.g. changing direction, changing lanes, special manoeuvres);
Correct position on the road: proper position on the road, in lanes, on roundabouts, round bends, suitable for the type and the characteristics of the vehicle; pre-positioning;
Keeping distance: keeping adequate distance to the front and the side; keeping adequate distance from other road users;
Speed: not exceeding the maximum allowed speed; adapting speed to weather/traffic conditions and where appropriate up to national speed limits; driving at such a speed that stopping within distance of the visible and free road is possible; adapting speed to general speed of same kind of road users;
Traffic lights, road signs and other indications: acting correctly at traffic lights; obeying instructions from traffic controllers; acting correctly at road signs (prohibitions or commands); take appropriate action at road markings;
Signalling: give signals where necessary, correctly and properly timed; indicating directions correctly; taking appropriate action with regard to all signals made by other road users;
Braking and stopping: decelerating in time, braking or stopping according to circumstances; anticipation; using the various braking systems (only for categories C, CE, D, DE); using speed reduction systems other than the brakes (only for categories C, CE, D, DE).
The Whole Directive you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As adopted by EU): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was first adopted in the EU. No changes have been applied to the text.
Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
This timeline shows the different versions taken from EUR-Lex before exit day and during the implementation period as well as any subsequent versions created after the implementation period as a result of changes made by UK legislation.
The dates for the EU versions are taken from the document dates on EUR-Lex and may not always coincide with when the changes came into force for the document.
For any versions created after the implementation period as a result of changes made by UK legislation the date will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. For further information see our guide to revised legislation on Understanding Legislation.
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including: