Top 5 traffic offences by motorists
If you’re a driver, there’s a high chance that, at some point, you’ll have been caught by the police (or just a speed camera) doing something which you probably shouldn’t have been doing. And with fines for driving offences due a rise (predicted to hit up to £100 a time, well up from today’s £60!), you will want to make sure more than ever that you’re not found doing something naughty of the road.
With that in mind, you may be curious to know what the most common traffic offences actually are. Of course, not all of these are done intentionally – as you may have experienced, it’s easy to go over the speed limit when you’re unsure what the limit is on the road you’re currently driving down.
But an offence is an offence, so here’s our countdown of the most “popular” ones!
5. Burnouts
Only common among “boy racer” types, burnouts are silly and pointless. There’s no excuse, as every burnout is of course intentional, and you can be severely penalised if caught in the act, with a big old fine and some points on your licence.
Why is it so bad? Well, burning out produces silly amounts of unnecessary smoke and creates an unsafe environment for pedestrians and motorists as it can obscure their vision. Simple!
4. Street Racing
Still not so common among “normal” drivers – the majority – but street racing is a very serious crime, due to the risk and danger of harm involved. Burnouts are quite often a part of the racing, as is high speed; this puts everyone at risk.
Good luck getting out of it if you’re caught racing – you can expect to lose your car, lose your licence, and lose a whole lot of money.
3. Illegal Modifications
Also related to street racing, many people modify their cars in order to get a better performance when driving. These are often illegal, and tend to be frowned upon as they encourage unsafe driving.
Other modifications may make the exhaust exceed noise limits, thus breaking the law, or lower the suspension so far as to make travelling over speed bumps a challenge.
2. Unregistered Vehicle
There are quite a lot of reasons as to why your vehicle may be classed as unregistered, which is what puts it so high on the list. Perhaps you’ve deliberately avoided getting it MOT’d, taxed and insured as you know it’s not roadworthy, whether due to dodgy tyres or illegal mods.
Maybe you’ve just forgotten to renew the tax disc and so on – it happens! It can be a pretty major offence, so do try and avoid this.
1. Speeding
We’re sure you all saw this coming, and lo and behold, it’s right at the top of the list. Speeding happens a lot, and comes with a fine and three points on your licence. However, if you’re crafty, contesting speeding tickets can be fairly simple.
The reasons for speeding are legion – you are late to pick up your husband from work; your kids took ages getting ready for school; you didn’t know what the limit was; maybe you just enjoy the thrill! There are so many different reasons because it’s so damned “popular”. However, it is illegal for a reason, so don’t do it!
Post composed by British writer and blogger Zoe, who is currently working with Driving Offence.