We’re not asking ‘have you broken any of these rules?’ It’s more a case of ‘how many?’ Maybe you’re not quite as good a driver as you had thought. RegTransfers published a list containing numerous different ways in which motorists have been punished for crimes they didn’t necessarily know they had committed. Here are 10 of the most peculiar rules that people are commonly breaking.
- Driving too slowly
While speeding is obviously irresponsible, there are a number of motorists that mistakenly believe they can go as slow as they like. If you’re caught driving too slowly then this could qualify as ‘careless driving’ and a police officer can pull you over and give you anything from a telling off to 9 points
- Eating, drinking or doing your make up
This might come as a surprise to a lot of people but according to the law of the roads, while these acts alone are not illegal, you can find yourself with a juicy £100 fine and between 3 and 9 points if you’re caught doing any of the above and your driving standards are reduced. This would qualify as the motorist being ‘severely distracted.’
- Having a booze-snooze
If you ever return from a night on the town to find you’ve been locked out the house, but you’ve got your car key on you, don’t think about napping in your car while intoxicated. This is a crime which carries a minimum of 10 points and probably a chunky fine too…
- Letting a passenger cradle a baby
In 2017 some pretty stringent new rules placed to protect young children in the car. The driver of a vehicle can now be fined up to £100 for letting a passenger cradle a baby. Seems harsh but it’s part of a wider project to encourage parents to take better care of their little ones while driving.
- Paying with your phone at the drive thru or the toll road
A lot of motorists and consumers now tend to pay for more affordable items with services like Apple Pay or Android Auto, but using these while behind the wheel of a car is illegal and can warrant a £200 fine and up to 6 points. Don’t let anyone tell you the drive-thru isn’t a public highway because technically it is.
- Hogging the middle lane
This defies the highway code and, frankly, it winds up every other motorist on the road and can cause major delays. Just get to the left, please. You’ll be risking a £100 fine and 3 points if you don’t!
- Swearing
Whether verbally or through the creative use of hand gestures, this qualifies as ‘disorderly behaviour’ and you can be fined up to 75 percent of your weekly income.
- Blasting your tunes
You’re probably not going to get pulled for this if you’re cruising down the M6 listening to Mr Brightside at full-whack, but if you’re in a built-up area and your music is irresponsibly loud then a copper can pull you over and give you a verbal warning which, if ignored, can lead to your car being confiscated temporarily.
- Beeping your horn unnecessarily
Beeping your horn for any reason other than alerting traffic of your presence can result in a fine between £30 and £1,000. Just remember that when you’re waiting outside and your mate is taking forever to come out.
- Mounting the kerb
In London you can expect a chunky fine of £70 if your tyre mounts the pavement while parked. There are calls to have this rolled out nationwide, which will upset a lot of people who live on tight, often terraced, roads were mounting the kerb is essential.
