Motor Act 1903

[Rolebama]

Well, after much research, (spent an hour or so rummaging in the spare room), I finally found it. So here are some extracts from the Motor Act 1903 which may also clear up some of the queries there have been on the Forum.
Driving Licenses
A driver of a motor car or motor cycle must be the holder of a personal licence, which should be obtained from the Clerk to the Council of the County or County Borough in which the applicant resides. The fee for the driver's license is 5s, and the licence remains in force for 12 months only, being renewable at any time within 1 month of the date when it expires.
No person under the age of 17 can obtain a driver's licence for a motor car, but anyone over 14 years of age can obtain a licence to drive a motor cycle.
Taxation of Motor Vehicles
The tax on motoor cehicles is an Excise duty payable in the form of annual licences obtainable at any Postal Money Order Office, the money paid for such licence going to the County Council with which the vehicle is registered. The taxation of private motor cars being arranged on a graduated scale as set forth in the accompanying table. The horsepower on which the car is rated is obtained by means of the R.A.C. formula, and the cylinder bores set forth in the table are the maxima that can be adopted to secure a certain rating. Medical men are allowed one-half the duty if the car is kept for professional purposes. The taxation licences rum from Jan 2 to Dec 31, and a whole year's tax must be paid if the car us used before Oct 1; only half taxes are payable if the car is used on or after Oct 1. The annual duty for the use of armorial bearings on a car is £2 2s. (Sorry I cannot reproduce the graph on this Forum, but essentially it is the horsepower (not bhp) rating which dictates the annual amount due. A 6.5 horsepower rated car is £2 2s per year, up to 60+ horsepower costing £42 per year.)
Licence for Chauffeur
If a paid chauffeur is employed, the owner of the car must pay the same tax as for any other male servant, namely 15s per annum.
Rule of the Road
In the United Kingdom, wheeled traffic keeps to the left-hand side of the road along which it is travelling. The rule of the road for pedestrians is just the opposite to this, as they should keep to the right, since this prevents their being on the same side as an overtaking vehicle while they; receive ample warning of the approach of any vehicle meeting them.
Speed Limit
By the Motor Act of 1903 no one may drive at a higher speed than 20 mi per hour, no matter how open the country. There are very many places where a speed limit of 10mi per hour is in force, and limits of 5 mi per hour are occasionally met with, where the streets of country towns and villages arre extrememly narrow and tortuous. A motorist is forbidden, under heavy penalties, from driving recklessly, negligently, or to the common danger.
Law Affecting Drivers
At the request of any police officer in uniform or of a person in charge of a horse, the driver should stop at the signal and remain stationary.
Endorsement and Suspension of Licences
A driver's licence cannot be endorsed for the first or second offence of exceeding the speed limit.

These are only extracts, not the complete Act, but how some things have changed!

[RoverV6]

You have been busy!