New driving laws for March 2024 including DVLA number plate ban and fuel duty

04 March 2024 , 12:47

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Traffic jam on motorway (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

March will bring in a raft of new driving laws that could catch out drivers.

New number plate designs and updates to driving licences are on the horizon, while company car owners should also be aware of updates to advisory fuel rates. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt may announce changes to fuel duty next week.

There are several changes happening on and off the road in March 2024, reports Coventry Live. The DVLA has started introducing new "24" number plate designs from this month. New number plate designs are released at the start of March and September each year.

With the introduction of a new batch of designs comes a fresh list of banned plates. March 2024 is no exception, with hundreds of phrases not being released. Plates such as BO24 LOK, FA24 NNY, AS24 HLE, SH24 GGY, SK24 NKZ and PE24 VRT are just a few of the designs that won't be available for purchase.

Experts at webuyanycar have warned that the introduction of new models could "devalue" some older vehicles. If you're looking for a second-hand car, this could be good news for you. Dealers might reduce prices on 2023 models to make room for new ones.

Pet owners driving with dogs face £5,000 fine if they break these rules

Brand new advisory fuel rates have also come into force, affecting company car drivers. This affects the amount of money employers could pay back in fuel costs. The advisory fuel rates that apply now have been reduced by between 1p and 2p for petrol and diesel engines. The advisory electricity rate for fully electric cars remain unchanged at 9p per mile.

Then on March 6, the Spring Budget will be revealed. HMRC has announced that the 5p fuel duty cut discount is due to end on March 23, which would see prices return to their previous rate of 57.95p. However, Jeremy Hunt could still prevent this small rise in fuel duty rates in his Spring Budget announcement.

In March, new rules for driving licences could affect Brits living in a popular European country. New advice means that Brits living in Latvia can now use their valid UK driving licence in the country until it expires. UK citizens can also now exchange their driving licence for a new one without having to take any more tests.

S P Jones