Have you ever broken the law while driving? Maybe one or two of you have been fined for speeding or parking somewhere you shouldn’t have. If you haven’t and you believe you have never broken any laws while driving think again! Here are 10 UK driving laws you could be breaking without knowing it.
No money at the parking meter
It happens to us all, you are paying at the parking meter and you fall slightly short. Some people will ask others passing by if they have a spare bit of change. Although this may seem harmless, it is actually breaking the law. This is because it could be classed as begging and is classed as a crime under the Vagrancy Act.
Driving with Pets
Do you take your dog with you everywhere? Make sure if you take them in the car they are properly restrained, failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £5000! So as long as the dog is restrained so it can’t distract you, injure itself or others in the event of a sudden stop you will avoid any fines.
Loud Music
At some point, everyone loves listening to music, some people listen to it louder than others. If you are caught with it too loud it is against the law as it as seen to be distracting to the driver meaning they are driving without due care and attention. Get caught with your music too loud and this could result in a fine or points on your licence.
Driving with interior lights on
There is no specific law that says you can’t drive with lights on inside your car, however a police officer could consider this as a distraction. As a result, they could ask you to turn them
off or charge you with careless driving.
Being ill in a taxi
Although sometimes unavoidable if you are suffering from a disease or illness and you use a taxi, it is the taxi driver’s decision if they want to take their fare. With that been said if you are ill and you don’t let the driver know, you are breaking the law.
Drinking in a motorhome
If you own a motorhome this one applies to you. If you happen to get caught drinking inside your motorhome when it is parked in a public space, you could be fined or even banned from driving. This applies even if you don’t have any intention of driving.
Arguing while driving
Everyone argues sometimes and especially if you are stuck in a car for long periods of time it doesn’t take long for arguments to start. If you’re the driver next time maybe you should think twice before arguing back as this is classed as a distraction from driving. As a result of this if you are pulled over for arguing in a car you could get points on your licence or a fine.
We decided to do a little poll on social media for a few of the lesser known laws.
Driving with flip flops
Last summer the weather in the UK was amazing, for once and I’m sure many of you put your flip flops on to allow your feet to get some fresh air. It can be very easy just to get in your car and go to the shop without changing your footwear. While the law does not say it is illegal to drive in flip flops, it is illegal to drive while wearing unsuitable footwear.
This is because unsuitable footwear does not offer enough grip on the pedal that can lead to your foot slipping off. Other types of footwear in this category include Ugg boots, wellies and some high heels. So choose your footwear wisely next time you drive. If caught you could end up with points on your licence or a fine.
A quick poll on social media shows, 67% of those who answered admit to driving in Flip-Flops or other unsuitable footwear.
Splashing Pedestrians
If there has been a lot of rain and there is a lot of standing water, make sure you look around to make sure there are no pedestrians about. If there is and you splash them, you could be fined £100 for driving without reasonable consideration for other persons under the Road Traffic Act 1998.
45% of our followers who answered said they would purposely splash a pedestrian. Well done to the other 55%.
Paying at a drive-thru
Do you use cash, card or your mobile phone to pay at the drive-thru? If you use your mobile phone you are breaking the law as you are using a handheld device behind the wheel. This applies even if you are stopped at lights, in traffic or waiting for your food at the drive-thru. The law is that you shouldn’t have a phone in your hand if the engine is on and that includes if the engine turns off when the car is not moving to save fuel.
50% of those who completed our poll admitted to using their phone for contact-less payments at a drive-thru. That’s half!
We say be a little more careful out there, regardless of whether you think you know the law or not. If you are seen to be doing any of the above, you could attract un-necessary attention from the boys and girls in blue.
The driving licence check code system has now been in place almost 3 years and we are pretty happy to report that the transition has been almost without issue.
