The Rules of The Road

A recent MORI survey, commissioned to establish drivers' awareness of their basic rights and responsibilities, reveals that a quarter (26%) do not have a copy of the highway code. Furthermore, over a third (35%) of those who have a copy wouldn't be able to find it if they needed it.

Less than half of drivers questioned (46%) knew that they would have to produce a MOT certificate if stopped while driving and only 19% were aware that they must produce a valid tax disk. The most common reason for drivers being stopped is speeding (26%).

Over three-quarters of drivers agree that police should be allowed to stop drivers at any time and perform 'spot checks'.

Only half of drivers said that they would know their legal rights if stopped by the police. Men are slightly more likely to know their rights than women (58% compared to 45%).

Technical details

MORI interviewed a representative sample of 2,048 adults aged 15+ (1,380 drivers) across Great Britain. The interviews were carried out face-to-face, in-home, between 8-11 May 1998. Data were weighted to reflect the known population profile.