Have you broken any of these 10 driving laws without realising?

Insurance Broker, Swinton Insurance, considers 10 ways you could be breaking the law without realising it.

1. Eating at the wheel – Although eating whilst driving isn’t illegal in itself, it can be classed as careless driving and cost you three penalty points on your licence as well as a £100 fine.

2. Flashing your headlights – You may think that warning other drivers of an oncoming speed trap is just being considerate, yet the law says otherwise. It’s considered a dangerous practice, and you could face a fine of up to £1,000 if caught obstructing an officer in the course of their duties.

3. Forgetting to put headlights on when it’s dark – Driving without headlights at night or when your visibility is seriously reduced can result in a non-endorsable ticket, which typically carries a £50 fine.

4. Splashing pedestrians – Sometimes, it’s hard to avoid puddles in the road…especially in the wet British weather. Yet if you are caught splashing a pedestrian with a puddle, it could result in a £100 fine and 3 points on your licence if caught by police.

5. Using your mobile phone as a sat nav – Penalties for using your phone while driving has been extended to the use of mobiles as sat navs. Although it’s not Ilegal to use navigation apps, you could face a £200 fine and up to 6 penalty points if you touch the handset while driving.

6. Using your phone to pay at a drive-through – Many fast food drive-thrus offer contactless payment but paying for your food with your mobile phone, with apps such as Google or Apple, is against the law and could result in a £200 fine and up to 6 penalty points.

7. Beeping the car horn – if you’re tempted to beep your horn in a traffic jam or use it to get a pedestrian’s attention when stationary, you might need to have a rethink. Beeping your car horn for any other reason than alerting traffic of your presence on the road could lead to a £30 fine.

8. Making a profit from giving someone a lift  – There is nothing wrong with helping out a friend if they’re stranded or need a lift – they can even chip in for petrol. However, if you make a profit from this unofficial taxi service without the right documents to hand, you could face a hefty penalty: Up to £2,500 fine and up to 6 points on your licence.

9. Road Rage – It’s easy to lose your cool when frustrated or annoyed behind the wheel. But taking your frustration out on other drivers is classed as disorderly behaviour and can lead to a £1000 fine if caught by police.

10. Driving too slow – Despite there being no minimum speed limit on the majority of UK roads, you can still be fined for driving too slow, as it can be a hazard to other road users. If pulled over by the police, a simple verbal warning could be given, or you could face a fine of £5,000 and 9 penalty points on your licence, depending on the severity of the offence.