Driving Offences You Might Not Know About

Ask a road user to name some driving offences and the most common responses will probably be speeding and drink-driving.

Those are highlighted most often by high-profile stories in the press. But what about the lesser known offences which are a regular occurrence across the UK?

Below is a selection of some you may not have heard of: 

Warning others of speed traps

How often have you warned drivers on the opposite side of the road after driving through a temporary speed trap? Trying to help your fellow driver in this way is technically illegal, breaking section 89 of the Police Act 1996.

Classed as “wilfully obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty”, the act of flashing your lights to warn oncoming drivers in this instance should be avoided or else you can land a fine of up to £1,000 if caught in the act.

Parking at night

When parking your vehicle on the road at night, rule 248 of the Highway Code stipulates that “a car must not be parked at the side of the road facing against the direction of traffic unless in a recognised parking bay.”

The punishment for breaking this part of the code is a fine of up to £1,000, providing drivers with something to consider when picking an overnight parking spot.

Dirty number plates

Did you know a dirty number plate can leave you with up to nine points on your licence and/or a fine of up to £1,000?

If enough dirt builds up on your plates, resulting in the registration plates not being visible, then the police would be unable to confirm when and where a vehicle was registered.

Idling in your vehicle

The process of letting your vehicle’s engine run while not moving – idling – breaks Highway Code section 123, which states “you must not leave a vehicle’s engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road.”

It’s an issue which has been highlighted particularly around schools, where air pollution levels have risen as parents leave cars idling during pick up and drop off times

This is only applicable to public roads and doesn’t include when a vehicle is stuck in traffic. Potential fines of up to £80 could be imposed.

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