This Is Jersey

Driving in Jersey takes place on the left-hand side of the road but there are some idiosyncracies worth pointing out to visitors and newcomers.

Accidents
If you are involved in an accident that results in damage or injury, you must stop and immediately report it to a police officer on 612612 or 999 if it is an emergency. Don’t move your car until instructed by an officer. If required, you must provide your name and address and the name and address of the owner and the registration mark of the vehicle as well as details of insurance.

Beaches and slipways
It is an offence to drive on any beach. Do not park on slipways unless there is a sign to indicate that parking is permitted.

Drinking and driving
It is against the law to drive under the influence of drink or drugs. In Jersey, the blood alcohol level must not exceed 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood; breath alcohol level must not exceed 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. This is the same as in the UK. In Portugal and France, the drink drive limit is 50 milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood.

Driving Licences
You must be 17 to drive in Jersey and you must have a valid driving licence, a current windscreen insurance disc and valid third party insurance, which covers your use of the car.
A licensed driver must always accompany those driving on a provisional licence. Learner (L) plates must be attached to the front and back of the car. The forms needed for both provisional and full licences are available from your parish hall.
If you will be living in Jersey for more than one year, you must get a Jersey driving licence immediately. If you hold a driving licence from an area that has a reciprocal agreement with Jersey, go to your parish hall to exchange your licence for a Jersey licence. All other foreign licence holders must sit the appropriate driving test (theory and practical). A provisional licence is available from the parish hall. Drive with learner’s plates until you pass the driving test.
After passing the driving test, go to your parish hall to obtain your Jersey licence. Bring your provisional licence, the Pass Certificate issued by DVS and two passport size photos. If you move to another part of the Island, go immediately to the parish hall and exchange your old licence for a new one free of charge. Failure to do so may result in a £500 fine.
Visiting motorists are required to hold a current driving licence (not provisional) and insurance certificate.

Filter In Turn
If the intersection is marked by a filter in turn sign, drivers must take turns when negotiating the junction.

Fitness To Drive
You must report any health condition likely to affect your driving to the parochial authority. Your eyesight must be up to the standard required for the driving test at all times.

Green Lanes
These lanes are principally intended to give priority to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. Motor vehicles should try to keep off the green lanes, using them only if absolutely necessary for access.

Parking
It is not always easy to find parking spaces in town or near popular attractions. Parking within these areas is often controlled by:
Yellow lines: A single yellow line parallel to the kerb or roadside prohibits parking day and night.
Parking (scratch) cards: Parking on St. Helier streets and in most public car parks is paid for with parking cards, which can be bought at the Sand Street car park or from any shop or garage that display the parking card symbol.
Season tickets: This monthly disk, effective from the first day of the month, costs £88. It can only be used in long stay car parks such as Green Street and Pier Road. Season tickets can be bought in areas displaying the car park season tickets sign, e.g. Sand Street car park and Trading Standards in the Central Market. For more information, contact Transport and Technical Services at 448660.
Parking discs: On some roads on the outskirts of St. Helier, parking is free but controlled by parking discs, available for £2 from the St. Helier Town Hall or the St Brelade and St Saviour parish halls.
Disabled parking: Orange Badge holders can park in one of the special parking places set aside for disabled drivers in St. Helier streets and public car parks around the Island. All disabled space parking is free. The Orange Badge must be used in conjunction with a parking disc and in parking card areas. You can park up to two hours for a basic value paycard.

Mobile Phones
It is illegal to use your mobile phone while driving and you will be fined if caught. A Centenier at the parish hall can impose a maximum fine of £50 or if it goes to the Magistrate’s Court, a fine of up to £500 may be imposed.

One-Way Roads
St. Helier has a number of one-way systems so pay careful attention to the road signs.

Pedestrian Crossings
Zebra and pelican crossings: Drivers must give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing or when an amber light is flashing on a pelican crossing. Zigzag lines mark the approach to a zebra or pelican crossing. In this area, drivers cannot overtake. School crossing patrols: Drivers must stop when signalled to do so by a school crossing warden exhibiting a “Stop-Children” sign.

Providing Information To The Police
Stop when required to do so by a police or motor traffic officer, who may ask for your name, address and driving licence. If you are not carrying these documents, you must bring them to the parish hall or police station by the date specified.

Road Rules
Keep to the left. Overtake on the right unless the driver of the vehicle in front has signalled his intention to turn right. Give way to horses or non-mechanically propelled vehicles.

Seat Belt Use
The driver and passenger must wear a seat belt in the front of the vehicle, unless exempt. Exemptions include the holders of medical exemption certificates and people making local deliveries in a vehicle designed or adapted for that purpose. It is the driver’s legal responsibility to ensure that children below the age of 14 comply with the law.

Speed Limit
Jersey has a maximum speed limit of 40 mph. The limit is 20-30 mph in urban areas and 15 mph when driving on the Island’s green lanes. If caught speeding, you must provide all relevant details to the police, who will report the incident to a Centenier in the parish in which the offence occurred. At the parish hall, the Centenier may impose a fine or if is not able to deal with the offence, he will charge the offender and present the offender to the Magistrate’s Court for the Magistrate to hear the case.

Traffic lights
The sequence of traffic lights differs from that of the UK and goes from red to green with no amber in between.

Vehicle Condition
Drivers should keep their cars in good condition and good working order. This includes brakes, steering, lights, windscreen and windows, exhaust, seat belts and fittings, speedometer and horn. Tyres should be properly inflated, headlights adjusted to prevent dazzling oncoming traffic, and windscreens and windows clean and free from obstruction for good vision.

Vehicle Registration
If you are going to live in Jersey for more than 12 months, you must immediately re-register your car. There is no grace period for driving in Jersey on foreign registration plates. All cars that have previously been registered in a different country must be inspected.