This handy guide lists 32 things many of united states of america do while driving which you may not accept known were against the police – or may have previously been unsure about.

In that location are some obvious no-nos while driving. Anybody is well aware that using your mobile telephone behind the bicycle, drink-driving and tailgating are offences.

Only there are plenty of other little laws which you may not be aware of and several which are considered to be something akin to grey areas.

But for most of them, they certainly are not grey areas, they are against the law.

Several of these things may be things you lot exercise quite often, but they could state you with a fine or even a court appearance.

How many of them have yous done?

1. Using your mobile phone equally a saturday nav in an unfixed position

It is illegal to use your telephone as a saturday nav if it is not fixed on your windscreen or dashboard. The phone must also be in clear sight for use while driving, without you having to concur information technology.

Due to the recent police force change, if you lot are defenseless breaching this, you lot will receive six points on your license and a £200 fine. If yous have had your license for less than two years, yous could also face a driving ban.

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2. Flashing your lights to requite way

Many of us will flash our lights to other motorists to let them become through, but you are non legally allowed to use your lights to do this.

Headlamp flashes should only be used to warn other drivers of your presence. If you are caught flashing your headlights for any other reason, such every bit using them to warn others of a speed trap, you could face a minimum of a £xxx fine.

three. Eating or drinking while driving

Whilst eating or drinking behind the cycle might not exist strictly confronting the law, information technology is frowned upon. Merely if yous're distracted by doing things such as snacking, drinking, applying makeup or changing a CD in your machine, the police can prosecute you, as y'all may not exist in consummate command of your vehicle.

If you are distracted and not in control, you could confront a £100 fine and annihilation from three to nine penalty points.

four. Splashing a pedestrian with rain h2o

Believe it or not, if you lot splash a pedestrian on the pavement with rain water, you could face a fine of anything from £100 - £5,000. This is considering information technology is classed every bit an offence to drive "without reasonable consideration for other persons."

five. Paying with your phone at a drive through eatery

Whilst information technology may seem like the easiest option to swipe your phone through the machine and go, yous could face a maximum £1,000 fine or six punishment points if you apply your smartphone to pay for your repast at a drive thru.

If you do adopt to employ your phone rather than a contactless card, you must brand certain your engine is switched off and your handbrake is applied.

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6. Driving in the center lane of the motorway

If you spend most of your fourth dimension in the centre of the state highway and don't pull into the within lane subsequently overtaking, and so you could see yourself being slapped with a fine.

Staying in the eye lane falls into the category of 'devil-may-care driving' and penalization for this is three penalty points and upward to a £100 fine.

vii. Having a dirty number plate

If at that place'due south 1 thing y'all should do before getting behind the cycle, it'due south checking your number plates. This is because dirty and 'unreadable' number plates could go out you with a fine of up to £1,000. Cars are inevitably going to become muddied on the roads, just just don't allow them go too filthy.

eight. Letting pets out the automobile if y'all're broken down on the difficult shoulder

If you are broken down on the hard shoulder you lot are not immune to let your pets out of your machine. This a rule that is stated in the Highway Code. It is but in an emergency you can actually permit them out. Failing to do and so tin can state you with a driving-offence charge.

nine. Beeping your horn in anger

We've all had those days where we've experienced a picayune road rage and been tempted to honk our horns in frustration. But it is important to always avoid doing this. Beep your horn for whatsoever other reason than alerting someone of your presence and you could receive a £thirty fine.

ten. Sleeping in your automobile when drunk

If you lot find yourself over the limit Practise Not fifty-fifty call up that sleeping in your car to sober up is a good idea. The law states that those in charge of a motor vehicle should not exist inebriated. Law have been known to class sleeping as being in charge – so e'er avoid doing this to be on the rubber side. You could potentially get a minimum of x points and a fine.

11. Not immigration your windscreen before driving

Now this is something those of you that don't clean your number plate could also fall foul of.

The Highway Lawmaking claims that if driving in adverse weather conditions you must, by police force, be able to run across out of every drinking glass console in your vehicle.

This means getting rid of any snowfall or frost on your windows.

It'south as well the police force that all your mirrors are clear and demisted and all lights are clearly visible as well.

12. Undertaking

This is quite tempting when you confront one of the aforementioned centre lane hoggers. Don't let yourself succumb to the temptation though.

Undertaking is a criminal offence. Not merely is information technology dangerous, yous could find yourself in court.

thirteen. Taking prescription drugs before driving

In March 2015 new road-side drug screening devices were introduced, along with new driving limits for a string of prescription drugs.

Over-the-counter drugs including codeine, for example, could see you banned from driving. While many other drugs could potentially cause problems because they induce drowsiness. Obviously illegal and recreational drugs such as heroin, cocaine and cannabis are included in the drug-driving laws, but there is a long list of prescription drugs that could see you banned.

The legal medication that could result in a drug-driving charge:

  • Amphetamine, eg dexamphetamine or selegiline
  • Temazepam
  • Morphine or opiate and opioid-based drugs, eg codeine, tramadol or fentanyl
  • Oxazepam
  • Clonazepam
  • Lorazepam
  • Methadone
  • Diazepam
  • Flunitrazepam

Eating while driving could lead to a road offence

fourteen. Getting out of the auto on a single yellowish line

Y'all're taught that y'all tin can't park on unmarried xanthous lines, so naturally you'd look that the driver shouldn't really go out of the vehicle.

Single yellows are fine for dropping people off or picking people up, only the driver should non become out of the vehicle at whatsoever time.

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fifteen. Smoking

Since October 2015 it has been illegal to smoke in your car if whatever passenger is under the age of eighteen.

As the commuter, you are too responsible for other passengers who choose to fume if in that location is a child in the vehicle.

16. Itch

The people who never seem to be a rush to get anywhere and coast forth as if they savor motorway driving could notice themselves in merely as much trouble as the speedsters.

While there is no minimum speed limit on most United kingdom roads, driving too slowly can still be a punishable offence if it proves to exist chancy to other motorists.

Roughly 140 accidents are acquired by slow drivers annually, co-ordinate to The Department for Send.

The maximum penalty for slow driving could exist as many as nine points on your licence and an unlimited fine.

17. Driving with snow on the roof

A man clears snow from his motorcar

You might be late for piece of work, or freezing cold but in the optics of the law, you lot need to clear that snow before yous go.

The highway code says that you lot must have a clear view of the route when driving in adverse weather conditions.

This ways that you must exist able to see out of every glass console in your vehicle, by law.

Failure to exercise so could pb to a fine, reports the RAC, and could identify you and others in danger.

Tin I drive with snow on the roof of my car?

Inquire The Police website states that while there is no specific offence relating to snow on a vehicles roof, it could lead to other offences.

If snow slips onto the windscreen or flies into the path of some other road user it could cause a hazard to you and other route users and leave you open to being penalised.

Offences could include driving without due care and attention or 'using a motor vehicle in a dangerous condition'.

Demisting

Hand of woman in glove scraping ice and snow from car windscreen

Make sure as well as clearing snow and water ice from the outside of your automobile to demist all your windows within so you tin see out of them. Mirrors also need to be demisted - yous could find yourself open to a £threescore fine and three points on your licence if you don't do this.

Lights and plates

Information technology is also police force that all lights and number plates are clearly visible too.

This is especially of import in winter then it might be wise to drive with your sidelights or dipped headlights on then other drivers can see y'all.

18. Leaving a car parked with the engine running

Stationary idling is an offence under section 42 of the Road Traffic Deed 1988. The Human activity enforces dominion 123 of the Highway Code which states: "You must not leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road." Of course, it doesn't mean yous've got to cutting your engine at every crimson lite: you lot are allowed to leave your engine running if you're stationary in traffic or diagnosing faults.

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19. Throwing something out of the window

Well-nigh of united states wouldn't throw a McDonald's handbag out of the car window when we're finished (though we've probably seen information technology done). Merely yous might take chucked out an apple cadre (it'll rot, correct?) or a cigarette butt. Well, you lot tin't do that either.

xx. Using your phone

Checking Facebook? Got a text? Information technology is illegal to employ a mobile telephone held in the hand while driving or while stopped with the engine on.

21. Leaving a child alone in the car - fifty-fifty in a petrol station

We've all been there. Y'all're filling the motorcar up at the petrol station and your child is fast asleep in the back.

Do you lot wake them up and accept them with you when you lot go in to pay for your fuel, or do you leave them?

According to gov.uk, information technology is illegal to leave a child alone if it places them at chance.

Parents are urged to apply their judgement on how mature the child is before they decide to leave them alone - whether that be in a car or at domicile.

A toddler sleeping in a car seat (stock image)

A toddler sleeping in a car seat (stock paradigm)

It warns that parents tin can exist prosecuted if they go out their child unsupervised 'in a manner probable to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to wellness'.

Chris Cloke, head of safeguarding in the communities at the NSPCC, told the Hull Daily Postal service : "When left alone in a vehicle, young children can very quickly offset to get anxious and distressed.

"Even if they're sleeping peacefully when you go out they could well wake up and get very upset when y'all're not there to look after them.

"They would not be able to protect themselves in an emergency and may fifty-fifty endeavor to leave the vehicle to find you.

"As children get older parents need to exercise their own judgement. if they can encounter the car the whole time it may be sensible depending on your child'due south maturity.

"Every kid is different and every parent knows their child's readiness to be left in this scenario."

22. Misusing the hard shoulder

Highways England is using cameras on smart motorways to catch people misusing the hard shoulder, ordinarily but opened if there is an incident in another lane.

If you drive in the hard shoulder when it is closed, y'all could be issued with a fine from March 2018.

Highways England has reportedly sent 80,000 letters to motorists ignoring signs not to misuse the hard shoulder, and will be punishing motorists with stock-still charges of £100 and three penalty points from leap.

23. Parking at night

Drivers must not park on a route at nighttime, facing against the menses of traffic, unless in a dedicated infinite.

24. Placing babyseats in seat with airbag

A rear-facing babe seat must not be used in a seat with an activated forepart airbag.

25. Towing speeds

Vehicles towing a caravan or trailer on a throughway must not exceed 60mph.

26. Picking children upward exterior school

Drivers must not stop to set up down and selection upwardly passengers on school archway markings.

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27. Auto seat weight

Children must use a motorcar seat suitable for their weight, upward until their twelfth altogether, or until they accomplish 135cm tall - whichever comes first.

28. Incorrect utilize of lanes

On roads with more than one lane, you must stay in the left hand lane unless overtaking, or turning right.

29. Going off road

Y'all must not bulldoze on a pavement, footpath or bridleway, unless gaining access to a holding, or in an emergency.

30. Parking close to junctions

Drivers must not stop or park within x metres of a junction, unless in an authorised space.

31. Not telling DVLA about changes to your details

It is illegal to modify your name and accost and not tell the DVLA.

32. Not telling DVLA about medical conditions

Information technology is illegal to not tell the DVLA of a medical condition, or inability, such as epilepsy, strokes, neurological and mental health weather, physical disabilities and visual impairments.

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