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Traffic codes are laws that generally include provisions relating to the establishment of authority and enforcement procedures, statement of the rules of the road, and other safety provisions. Administrative regulations for driver licensing, vehicle ownership and registration, insurance, vehicle safety inspections and parking violations may also be included, though not always directly related to driving safety. Violations of traffic code (i.e., a "moving violation") are often dealt with by forfeiting a fine in response to receiving a valid citation ("getting a ticket"). Other violations, such as drunk driving or vehicular homicide are handled through the criminal courts, although there may also be civil and administrative cases that arise from the same violation (including payment of damages and loss of driving privileges). In some jurisdictions, there is a separate code-enforcement branch of government that handles illegal parking and other non-moving violations (e.g., noise and other emissions, illegal equipment). Elsewhere, there may be multiple overlapping police agencies patrolling for violations of state or federal driving regulations.
For the traffic code in the United States, each state has its own traffic code, although most of the rules of the road are similar for the purpose of uniformity, given that all states grant reciprocal driving privileges (and penalties) to each other's licensed drivers. There is also a "Uniform Vehicle Code" which has been proposed by a private, non-profit group, based upon input by its members. As with many such offerings, some states adopt selected portions as written, or else with modifications, and others create their own versions. Similarly, most states have adopted relevant standards for signs and signals, based upon the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Many of the standard rules of the road involve consistent interpretation of the standard signs and signals, such as what to do when approaching a stop sign, or the driving requirements imposed by a double yellow line on the street or highway. Many federal departments have also adopted their own traffic code for enforcement on their respective reservations (e.g., national parks, military bases).
Most countries define national legislation relative to car driving and penalties. Most of those regulations have some common basis to help people driving from one country to one other: Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals have helped this harmonization effort.
Road, driving and traffic regulations are the subject to specific codification of the law in countries such as:
In Morocco, the law loi n°52-05 portant code de la route deals with a new traffic code, approved on 14 January 2009[4] and adopted on 11 February 2010 (26 safar 1431).
In Belgium this regulation is not a code although it is road traffic specific. It is defined by Koninklijk besluit houdende algemeen reglement op de politie van het wegverkeer en van het gebruik van de openbare weg. [KB. 09.12.1975].
In Switzerland, this legislation is not considered as code it is legislation number 741.01.
In United Kingdom there is no codification. Some laws, such as a Road Traffic Act 1988 and a Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, do exist; a manual titled Highway Code is edited by a public entity with guidelines based on and/or compatible with local law.
In European Union law, legislation is more oriented on transport competition and not on sharing the road. There is some effort oriented to issues such as driving license and car control.
See also:
See also small-mini-drafts:
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Traffic law and safety
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| Rules of the road |
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| Road user guides |
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| Enforcement |
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| Speed limit |
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| Moving violations |
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| Driver licensing |
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| Traffic violations reciprocity |
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| Parking |
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| Automotive safety |
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| Road safety |
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Authority control databases: National  |
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