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1 million copies of the official Highway Code sold - have you got a copy of this life saver?

DRIVING STANDARDS AGENCY News Release (DSA 06/09) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 20 January 2008

* Highway Code hits Million mark

* Life Saving book not just for learners, but all drivers

* Code No 1 non-fiction paperback in 2008

1 Million copies of The Official Highway Code (2007 edition) have been sold in the UK - are you one of the other 33 million UK road users without this life saving book?*

The Driving Standards Agency is proud to announce record sales of the 2007 edition of The Official Highway Code. 1 million copies sold in 15 months compared to the previous 2004 edition which sold 1 million copies in 20 months. The Bookseller Magazine has also recorded this latest edition as the No1 best selling non-fiction paperback for 2008!

January sees the launch of a national media campaign promoting The Official Highway Code to all road users, including learner drivers and experienced motorists. A TV advert will be appearing across a broad range of channels including TV, online, shopping malls and retail outlets to help celebrate the 1 millionth copy sold.

The Official Highway Code is for life, not just for learners. All road users - whether car drivers, motorcyclists, fleet drivers, transport managers, cyclists or pedestrians - need to ensure they are up-to-date to help reduce road casualties in 2009. Get your copy of the Code today for only £2.50!

Rosemary Thew, DSA Chief Executive, said: "It is essential that all motorists refresh their knowledge of the rules and signs of the roads time and time again. The volume of sales is encouraging. But we still need to do more to reduce the number of casualties on our roads. We all have a responsibility to observe the Highway Code and drive appropriately and every road user needs to take road safety seriously. "

The Official Highway Code was first launched in 1931. This best selling latest edition, published 28 September 2007, contains the very latest rules as well as information on road signs, road markings, license requirements and vehicle maintenance, many of which are legal requirements which if not observed risk penalty.

The Official Highway Code is published by TSO (The Stationery Office Ltd), DSA's official publishing partner. It is now more convenient than ever to get up-to-date with The Official Highway Code as it is available in book, interactive CD-ROM and British Sign Language DVD formats and can be purchased from all good High Street or online bookstores, or direct from TSO: Web: http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/highwaycode Tel: 0870 243 0123 Textphone: 0870 240 3701

How well do you know The Official Highway Code 2007 edition? (Answers below)

Q1. What are Home Zones and Quiet Lanes?

NOTES TO EDITORS

For further information contact Michael Watkinson at the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) Press Office on 0115 936 6136.

1. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is an executive agency * of the Department for Transport.

2. The DSA's vision is "Safe Driving for Life" with an overall mission to contribute towards a Government target of achieving a 40% reduction in riders and drivers killed or seriously injured in road accidents, in the age group up to 24 years, by 2010.

3. Current information on road casualties is available from the Department for Transport website: http://www.dft.gov.uk

4. The Agency's aim is to promote road safety through setting standards for drivers, riders and trainers, testing drivers and riders fairly and efficiently, maintaining the registers of Approved Driving Instructors; Large Goods Vehicle Instructors; Fleet Trainers; Driving Instructor Trainers and Post Test Motorcycle Trainers; supervising Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) for learner motorcyclists; and driver education and the provision of learning resources.

5. DSA is a trading fund * with an expected turnover of around £199 million for the year 2008/9, fully funded by fee income and revenue from its activities.

6. DSA employs over 2,700 staff, of which some 2,000 are driving examiners based at over 400 test centres across mainland Great Britain. In 2007/2008 the Agency conducted 1.8 million practical tests for car drivers, over 95,000 vocational tests and 94,000 motorcycle rider tests. A total of 1.7 million theory tests were carried out at 158 centres. At the end of the year there were around 43,600 people on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.

7. DSA was one of the first Government Agencies to introduce an online booking service. Candidates can book and manage their theory and practical test appointments on line at http://www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest

8. *1 million copies sold by TSO

9. Answers to Highway Code questions:

Q1) Areas where people could be using the whole of the road for a range of activities

* Executive agency:

An executive agency is semi-detached from its parent department and manages its own budget with freedom from ad hoc, day to day intervention and much of central, government-wide regulation. They are run under the organisation and direction of a Chief Executive recruited through open competition. An executive agency has accountability for the performance of specific operational tasks as a corporate unit, including focused performance targets set by the parent department and personal accountability of the chief executive for performance.

* Trading Fund:

A trading fund is a means of financing trading activities undertaken by Government that would previously have been financed by annual appropriation from Parliament. A trading fund permits the establishment of a self-accounting unit that remains under the control and management of Ministers and accountable to Parliament through Ministers, but has greater freedom to manage its financial affairs. Effectively that means the trading fund body can use its income to settle its liabilities and retain year-end cash balances.

Establishing the trading fund does not alter the Agency's constitutional position and it remains part of the Department for Transport.