... was introduced by Minister of Transport Leslie Hore–Belisha, in a year when there had been a record number of road casualties. It had three main elements:
| • | Introduced the speed limit of 30 mph in built–up areas – just four years after the speed limit had been abolished |
| • | Made driving tests compulsory for new drivers |
| • | Strengthened legislation relating to insurance for drivers |
The 30 mph speed limit was seen as a temporary measure, to be reviewed by Parliament each year; it was made permanent in 1956.
The driving test was initially voluntary, to avoid a rush of candidates. Anyone who had started to drive on or after 1 April 1934 needed to have passed the test by 1 June 1935.
Testing was suspended during World War II, and again during the 1956 Suez Crisis.
© Haydn Thompson 2018