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UK driving myths.
There are lots of myths surrounding driving. What is legal and what isn't.
Let's bust some common myths below.
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Common myths.
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True or false? It's illegal to eat, drink or even change CD's whilst driving.
False. Although it's not a criminal offence in itself, it's definitely not recommended.
The police could still pull you over for careless driving if they think that you present a
significant danger or you're not in proper control of your vehicle.
Driving whilst being distracted can cause major accidents. |
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True or false? It's legal to use your phone when you've stopped at the side of the road with your engine running.
It's false. If you're sat in the drivers seat with the engine running then technically you are still in charge of your car and could be prosecuted.
Driving handsfree could also land you in trouble if a police officer feels that your driving is careless or dangerous.
Before using your phone, pull over in a safe place and make sure that your engine is switched off. |
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True or false? It's illegal to drive barefoot.
False. There are risks associated with driving without shoes and it's highly recommended that you drive with appropriate footwear. Providing that you're able to operate the controls safely, then if you want to drive barefoot, with flip flops or even wellies then you can.
You could still be stopped by the police if they feel that your driving is erratic or a danger to other road users.
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True or false? Speed cameras have a 10% tolerance.
False. Get caught driving at 66mph and the speed limit is 60 then you could get prosecuted.
There are guidelines, but a police officer/force has discretion to act outside of them.
The myth might have come about due to car manufacturers deliberately setting the speedo to read higher than your true speed.
Don't go over the speed limit and you won't have anything to worry about. |
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True or false? Your car could fail an MOT for having furry dice hanging in the windscreen.
True. Vehicles with a visual obstruction larger than 4cm's in the windscreen will fail the MOT.
This includes suction cups for Satnavs and air fresheners.
But hopefully your nice MOT examiner will warn you before starting the MOT. |
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True or false? You could get prosecuted for driving with snow on the roof.
True. Again, you could be prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving if you're involved in an accident and that snow on the roof was a factor.
This could be if the snow slides forward onto your windscreen and obscures your view. It could also fall backwards causing a problem for the driver behind. |
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True or false? You won't get points on your licence if you're driving illegally in a hire car.
False. The car hire company will pass on your details to the authorities and you'll receive the penalty.
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True or false? The colour of your car affects your car insurance quote.
False. The colour of your car, even if it's red doesn't have any affect on how much you pay on your car insurance. However, research shows that black cars are 47% more likely to be involved in a crash.
A study over 20 years also revealed that white, gold and yellow cars to be the safest. |
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