In the United Kingdom during the 19th century, an early transportation law known as the Locomotive Act, popularly called the Red Flag Act, mandated that any self-propelled vehicle on public roads be preceded by a person walking at least 60 yards ahead, carrying a red flag or lantern to warn others of its approach. Enacted in 1865, this unusual rule was a product of growing concerns about the safety risks posed by early steam-powered vehicles among pedestrians and horse-drawn traffic. While this law reflected understandable caution at a time when motor vehicles were a novelty, it severely restricted the speed and development of motorized transport, with vehicles limited to just 4 miles per hour in the countryside and 2 miles per hour in towns. The Red Flag Act was eventually repealed in 1896, paving the way for faster automobile travel. Today, this peculiar legal relic illustrates early regulatory attempts to adapt to technological change and remains a quirky anecdote in the history of British transport legislation.
Source / verification note
Based on historical records of the UK's Locomotive Act (1865) and its repeal in 1896.