Did you know that splashing a pedestrian could result in a fixed penalty notice?
As motorists, most of us are aware of the things we shouldn’t be doing whilst driving on our roads, such as using a mobile phone, speeding, driving whilst over the limit, or driving without insurance. All of these, if caught, usually result in points on your licence and/or a fine.
However, what a lot of motorists don’t realise is that there’s a good number of not so obvious bad driving habits that could catch us out, cost us money or ruin that clean driving licence that we’re so proud of.
Here are just five that you might not be aware of:
1. Did you know that since 2013, it’s been an offence to sit in the middle-lane on the motorway? Then you are in a minority, as only one third of drivers say they are aware of the new law, which has already resulted in 135 people being handed a fine of £100.
2. Next time you stop for a snack, think twice before getting back behind the wheel and taking a bite or sip whilst you carry on with your journey. You could end up being stopped and charged for ‘driving without due care and attention’ and have anywhere up to nine penalty points added to your licence.
3. By law, number plates must be clearly visible and easy to read, from both the front and rear of your vehicle. The letters and numbers mustn’t be altered in any way so as to make it hard to read, neither should they be damaged, or so dirty that the registration number can’t be read easily. Not displaying your number plate correctly could result in a fine of up to £1,000!
4. Driving too slowly can be just as dangerous as driving too fast and is known to be the cause of many accidents. The offence of driving too slowly is regarded as ‘inconsiderate driving’ and if found guilty, you could receive a fine and up to nine penalty points on your licence.
5. Finally, who’d have thought that splashing was an actual road traffic offence – well it is! Motorists thought to be driving ‘without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road’ could find themselves landed with a fixed penalty notice.
So remember, next time you jump in your car – no hogging the middle-lane, stay away from puddles and pedestrians, don’t drive too slowly, keep your number plates clean and don’t eat or drink whilst driving!
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