Christmas is a time for cheer, and Tempcover is helping drivers keep it that way – especially on the roads. While decking out your car with antlers or blasting seasonal tunes may feel essential to the holiday spirit, a few festive driving slip-ups could quickly turn the season sour with unexpected fines and penalties.
To help drivers enjoy a smoother and fine-free December, Claire Wills-McKissick, temporary car insurance expert at Tempcover, is sharing a guide on the unexpected actions that could put a dampener on your Christmas spirit:
- Decorating Your Car: Reindeer antlers might seem fun, but they could unintentionally obstruct your view. Decorations like lights, ribbons, and tinsel aren’t technically illegal, but anything that blocks your view is an offence that could result in three penalty points and a £1,000 fine. If your decorations come loose while you’re driving, they could put other road users at risk.
- Transporting Your Christmas Tree: Picking up a real Christmas tree? Failing to properly secure any load, including a Christmas tree, can be deemed careless driving or dangerous driving and a breach of the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988. This can lead to significant penalties, such as 3 penalty points and fines of up to £5,000.
- Snow on Your Roof or Windscreen: A dusting of snow might look charming, but leaving it on your car roof is less magical once you’re on the move. If the snow falls off and blocks your view, or lands on the windscreen of a following vehicle, you could face a fine and up to nine penalty points. And if snow or ice blocks your registration plate, preventing a speed camera from identifying your vehicle, you could be looking at a hefty £1,000 fine.
- Singing and Dancing to Seasonal Classics: Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without seasonal sing-alongs, but before you practise your best Cliff swing in the car, consider the risks. Distracted driving, including dancing and loud music, can prevent you from hearing important sounds like sirens or horns. The Highway Code highlights that safe driving requires full concentration; losing focus could lead to a fine, a driving ban, and up to nine penalty points.
Keep the Christmas spirit high and the fines low this December! For more tips on staying safe and savvy on the road this festive season, visit: www.tempcover.com/front-cover/driving-advice/christmas-driving-offences-to-avoid
