Section 47 — User-in-charge not liable for manner of driving
Extent: E+W+S
Snapshot: 2026-08-24
Reproduced from legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). Amendments made after 2026-08-24 may not be reflected — always check the official text .
(1) An individual does not commit an offence arising from the way in which a vehicle is driven if subsection (2) or (3) applies (subject to section 48).
(2) This subsection applies if the individual is the user-in-charge of the vehicle at the time of the act that would constitute the offence.
(3) This subsection applies if the act that would constitute the offence—
(a) results from something done by the vehicle while the individual was its user-in-charge, and
(b) does not also result from the individual’s conduct after ceasing to be the user-in-charge falling below the standard that could reasonably be expected of a careful and competent driver in the circumstances.
(4) For the purposes of this section, the way in which a vehicle is driven—
(a) includes (for example) the use of its signals and lighting, but
(b) does not include (for example) the condition or qualifications of the driver.