He means (I believe) that British people will respect the rules when they perceive them to be rational and necessary.
We don't like officious bureaucracy for the sake of officious bureaucracy.
The classic example is the German or Scandinavian who won't cross the road when the pedestrian light is red, even though the road is obviously clear for a mile in either direction.
In this case, a Brit would cross. On the other hand, he wouldn't just blithely stroll out into a current of heavy traffic.