You will most likely be aware of the majority of the UK driving laws, and hopefully obeying them! Most of them are very straightforward and easy to follow. You know to drive on the left side of the road, wear your seatbelt, don’t drink and drive etc. There are however some more obscure rules that may not be common knowledge to everyone. You could end up in trouble if you break the law, even if you were not aware of it, so it is useful to know. This is why we have compiled a list together of some of the strange UK driving laws you may not have been aware of.
Road Rage
This may be a common occurrence to some people, maybe you have been guilty of it in the past or maybe you have been victim to it. If you swear at another driver or use rude hand gestures you could be fined up to £1000 under the crime and disorder act 1998. Being guilty of road rage could also mean that you are judged to not be in full control of your vehicle, which is also a punishable offence.
Under the umbrella of road rage, it is also illegal to drive in a selfish way, such as tailgating (driving too close behind another vehicle), failing to give way or jumping a queue in traffic.
Splashing Pedestrians
Mistakes can easily happen, you drive carelessly through a puddle and you absolutely soak an innocent pedestrian on the pavement, we hope it was a mistake anyway! But splashing pedestrians is actually illegal. Doing this can be seen as careless and inconsiderate driving, which could land you with a £100 fine and 3-9 points on your licence.
Letting your dog stick its head out of the window
This is a tough one as we all love to see a happy dog, and this looks like the greatest thing in the world to them. Unfortunately it is illegal for your dog to do this, and it would not be your dog that would be punished. You could potentially receive a £5000 fine and 9 points on your licence. There is no direct law that states a dog cannot stick its head out of the window, the problem is they can become a distraction. If your dog does take your attention away from the road, even for a moment then you could be charged with driving without due care and attention.
The highway code states to prevent distraction, and for the safety of you and your dog, your pet should be harnessed or kept in a pet carrier when you are driving.