Back in October last year, we unveiled the three new motoring laws you need to know about, but what about those that you didn’t realise even exist?
Some of these are obscure, some not so obscure, but all of them are offences that a majority of motorists have absolutely no idea that they’re committing.
Before you put yourself at risk of fines or worse, read through our list courtesy of Saga Magazine and see how many you didn’t even know you were breaking.
1. Using your fog lights wrong
Technically, you should only switch your car’s rear fog lights on when visibility is “seriously reduced”, which is usually taken to mean when your visibility ahead is reduced to less than 100 metres.
Believe it or not, drivers who switch their fog lights on for any old sprinkling of light mist or if it starts to rain heavily are actually committing an offence and running the risk of getting fined.
2. Not stopping at stop signs
It’s common when you’re preparing for your driving test that your instructor will insist that you always come to a complete halt at stop signs, otherwise you’ll fail your test.
However, it’s not just your driving examiner you’ll risk getting in hot water with if you fail to stop completely. Given that stop junctions are an instruction to stop completely, if you don’t fully stop at the sign, even if the road is clear, you run the risk of being given three points on your licence.
3. Driving with snow on the roof
Even though spring has officially begun and the worst of the winter weather should be behind us, frosty morning particularly in more rural areas leave drivers at risk of snow build-up on their cars.
Although driving with snow on the roof isn’t a specific offence, if you brake and the snow either slips over your windscreen or slides off your car and into the path of another motorists, that’s where problems arise.
In the eyes of the law, that counts as either driving without due consideration or using a motor vehicle in a dangerous condition, and could see you ending up in serious trouble if there’s an accident.
4. Splashing pedestrians with puddles
As any poor soul who’s had to walk home on a particularly miserable day, getting splashed by an inconsiderate or just plain cruel driver who canes it through a puddle just adds insult to injury.
Luckily, the law’s on your side if you get splashed by a motorist. The act is in actual fact illegal and if you’re a driver who likes to splash hapless pedestrians, you could see yourself slapped with a Fixed Penalty Notice for a public order offence, or even a summons to appear in court.
5. Sitting in box junctions
You can only enter a box junction if your exit is clear and you can drive through to the other side, or if you are turning right and oncoming traffic means you (and any vehicles in front of you also turning right) have to wait before you can cross. If that’s not the case, then sorry to say it but you’re committing an offence.
It’s also illegal even if your vehicle is stationary or if a part of it encroaches into the box junction’s area. It’s also not a valid defence to enter a box junction in order to let an emergency services vehicle past you.
6. Texting while your car’s stationary
By now, pretty much everybody on the road is aware that using a mobile phone while driving is one of the biggest no-nos you can commit. However, a recent survey by the RAC found that 61 per cent of drivers don’t know that it’s illegal to text while their car is stationary.
Even if you’re stuck in a long tailback or sitting at the traffic lights, if you’re technically on the road and your engine is running, it’s illegal. You can only use your phone when safely parked in a designated parking space, layby or street side and when your engine is fully switched off.
7. Selling or buying an untaxed vehicle
Since the old paper tax disc was abolished back in 2014, many motorists have been left confused about what’s legal when it comes to either buying or selling a used car.
Unfortunately, tax doesn’t automatically transfer to the new owner like it did prior to the binning of the paper disc, and the buyer must now buy new tax before they can drive the car. Likewise, the seller must ‘cash in’ the tax they’ve already paid, which can be done in a few minutes online.
8. Holding an out-of-date licence
It can sometimes be easy to forget, but the photocard licence you’re given when you pass your test is only valid for 10 years, and failing to update it is illegal and could see you face a fine of up to £1,000.
Luckily, it’s easy to check the expiry date by looking at section 4b on the front of your card, and you should also receive a reminder in the post when it comes near the time to renew it. It costs £14 to renew your photocard licence, and can be done online via the DVLA’s website.
9. Hogging the middle or outside lane
Although it seems as though plenty of drivers don’t seem to realise, a change in the law back in 2013 officially made it an offence to hog the middle lane of the motorway.
Coming under the driving in an inconsiderate manner umbrella, staying in the middle lane when you’re not overtaking anything on the inside lane could see you face an on-the-spot fine of £100.
It’s also an offence to drive in the outside lane of the motorway when you’re towing a trailer or caravan, with the only exception being if you’re overtaking a wide vehicle or if you’re only doing so in an emergency situation.
10. Leaving your engine running
On cold mornings it can be tempting to leave your car running to defrost while you nip back inside for a coffee, but in doing so you are in fact breaking the law.
The law states that a driver must be in charge of their vehicle at all times when the engine is switched on, and if you’re found to not be then you risk a fine. On top of the risk of theft you’re already running by leaving the keys in your car that is…
