If you get pulled over by the police there are some driving laws which most people aren’t aware of
As millions gear up for the bank holiday getaway, a motorsports ace is flagging up some obscure driving laws that could see Brits slapped with a £500 fine before their weekend even begins.
With the roads set to be chock-a-block this bank holiday, families are being alerted to the lesser-known driving dos and don’ts that could put a serious dent in their holiday funds to the tune of £500. Racing driver Tom Chilton, from EXCELR8, has teamed up with Bristol Street Motors to roll out the “ultimate driving guide” a lifesaver for those travelling with tots.
Car seats
While most mums and dads are clued up on the necessity of strapping their kids into proper car seats based on age and size, not all know that failing to have youngsters under 12 in “appropriate” and properly installed car seats can lead to an immediate £500 penalty.
Chilton divulged: “Previously I had a Multimatic seat fitted in the rear of the car which is one of the safest things you can get, but now my eldest is getting older, we’ve had to revise what we use. Now we have seats that use the isofix system, which is certainly much better than just using something attached with the seat belt; I’d only go down that route in an emergency.”
Driving fatigue
For some, the bank holiday means hitting the road for a full three-day adventure or venturing to far-flung retreats. But a word of caution: driving fatigue is a real danger, believed to be behind as many as 20% of all road accidents.
The professional driver offered crucial advice on how to deal with driving fatigue, saying: “If you start to feel tired or think you are losing concentration, then take a break both for your own safety and the safety of others. With my children and wife all asleep and no music on, if I can feel myself getting tired I pull over at the next available services for a short rest. Just taking the opportunity to get some fresh air leaves me feeling refreshed and ready to go.”
Keep the kids entertained
Bristol Street Motors revealed findings that kids can be 12 times more distracting than mobile phones while driving, highlighting the importance of keeping them occupied. Tom suggested: “The iPad or a Bluetooth headset so the kids can listen to their music is a godsend but there are other things we do like play ‘I Spy’ although that can be a massive challenge when they come out with the most bizarre things that you’d never guess, like DD being a ‘dirty dot’ on the windscreen! “.
“We’ll also play the game where you have to spot a certain colour of car or a certain vehicle like a bus or a digger, and we’ll also do educational things like times tables where the first person to get the answer right gets rewarded with a sweet.”