Did you know about these two little-known road rules?

Anyone who has been soaked by a driver while passing by a puddle will be glad to know that it’s actually a punishable offence under the law.

Under section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, it is an offence to drive without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other people using the road or space.

The Crown Prosecution Service states that you can be prosecuted if your manner of driving is selfish, incompetent, impatient or aggressive. Whether intentional or not, splashing pedestrians is certainly listed as an example of this behaviour under the sentencing guidelines.1

Most likely, the driver will receive a fixed penalty notice of £100 and 3 penalty points on their licence. However, in more serious cases, the matter could be taken to Court.

So the take away from this is to take extra care when driving during wet conditions.

While not an offence on its own, Rule 57 of the Highway Code states that dogs or any other animals should be suitably restrained so they don’t distract you while driving or cause injury to you or themselves in case you break suddenly.

The Highway Code recommends using a ‘seat belt harness, pet carrier or dog guard’ to secure your pet whilst on the road.

Whilst it is not a motoring offence to break the Highway Code, a breach of the Code can be tantamount to he offence of careless and inconsiderate driving under the Road Traffic Act 1988.

A £100 fixed penalty and 3 penalty points could be given on the spot by traffic officers but careless driving could land you with 3-9 penalty points and a hefty unlimited fine that is linked to your net weekly income.

The Highway Code recommends using a ‘seat belt harness, pet carrier or dog guard’ to secure your pet whilst on the road.

¹https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/road-traffic-charging