Consultation on changes to Highway Code

The exercise will take place until May of this year, with a revised Code expected in the spring of 2007. The proposals include changes to provide road safety advice for users of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters and a new section giving advice to newly qualified drivers.

Road safety minister Stephen Ladyman said: "I welcome the revision of The Highway Code as it updates road safety advice for modern driving and riding conditions.

"The Code sells an average of one million copies a year, making it one of the biggest non-fiction best sellers in the UK and it is essential reading for everyone who uses the roads."

He added: "When the Code was launched in 1931 there were just 2.3 million vehicles on the roads and today there are over 30 million. The consultation will take into account the views of a wide range of stakeholders and others with an interest in road safety."