Drivers are being warned of new motoring law changes which have been introduced in recent weeks that could have a large toll on their finances and how they stay on the road.
April saw a number of key changes introduced affecting Britain's motorists, including new rules for MOT garages, Vehicle Excise Duty price alterations and the groundworks for further law changes to protect drivers at the pumps.
As people continue to deal with the lingering effects of the cost of living crisis, new changes could see prices hiked for many petrol and diesel drivers with new car taxes, signalling the start of the new financial year.
To help Britons, GB News has rounded up the most important driving law changes of the last month and analyse how they could affect millions of motorists across the nation.
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Motorists are being warned of new driving law changes introduced in April
GETTY
Car tax changes
As previously announced in the Government's Autumn Statement, car tax bands were raised in line with the rate of RPI inflation, with many petrol and diesel drivers facing higher costs to stay behind the wheel.
For vehicles registered on or after April 1, 2017, that emit less than 75g of CO2 per kilometre, there will not be an increase in their car tax payments.
However, the first rise will come for vehicles which emit between 76 and 90g/km which will see prices rise from £130 to £135.
Jeremy Hunt unveiled plans to uprate car tax in the 2023 Autumn Statement
PA
All other tax brackets will see a £5, £10 or £15 increase until the 151 to 170g/km band, where a hike of £35 will be seen, bringing the total to £680.
Drivers will see a £55 price hike if their car is in the 171-190g/km band, a £95 jump for the 191-225g/km rate and a massive £120 rise for those with vehicles emitting between 226 to 255g/km.
The largest increases will apply to vehicles that produce more than 255g/km, with drivers seeing their taxes soar from £2,605 to £2,745.
Further car tax changes are set to launch next year with Vehicle Excise Duty applying to electric cars from April 1, in a move the Government described as helping to make the system of taxation more fair.
An IDP is recommended for more than 100 countries
PADVLA
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency introduced a handful of new updates in March to help British motorists more easily stay on the road.
When travelling abroad to more than 140 countries around the globe, drivers are often required to have an International Driving Permit (IDP), and through new updates, drivers can now get the documents at PayPoint stores, rather than Post Office branches.
At the same time, the DVLA and Post Office Ltd confirmed the start of a new agreement which will see motorists continue to use branches to tax their vehicles and renew their 10-year photocard driving licence.
Further law changes are expected to protect against fuel shortages
PA
Fuel shortages
At the beginning of April, the Government published the results of a consultation which looked at proposals to help petrol and diesel drivers in the event of another fuel crisis as seen in late 2021.
Original proposals suggested that the Government could make temporary exemptions to the maximum weight of fuel tankers at times when fuel shortages were present, raising the total weight from 44 tonnes to either 48 or 50 tonnes.
As part of the response to the consultation, the Government said it would "seek legal powers to make the necessary changes when Parliamentary time allows.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The MOT test backlog could see drivers waiting months for a test GETTYMOT tests
From March 31, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) stated that all MOT testers at garages around the country must complete annual training and assessment.
If they had not done this by the start of April, they could risk being suspended, potentially leading to a lack of garage workers to complete MOT tests for drivers.
The DVSA also clarified that from April 29, physical MOT pass certificates would no longer be issued by default, in a move to get more drivers to switch to its online services.
