Motoring experts have shed light on some of the most asked driving questions on the internet.
Uswitch have investigated the most-Googled ‘is it illegal to ... while driving’ questions drivers have asked this year.
They hope it will shed some light on what not to do on the road.
Joel Kempson, car insurance expert said: “There are lots of rules on the road that may seem ambiguous at first, but it is critical that drivers know what is and isn’t legal when driving.
"Even some legal actions, like driving in flip-flops, can cause danger on the road too.
"It is important that drivers make the right decisions even before starting their journey. If you are unsure about whether something is legal, be sure to check before driving.
"These kinds of decisions can lead to fines, points on your licence, or even worse consequences such as injury.
"If you are in doubt, always take the safest option.”
Here are some of the most Googled questions - and what you should be doing.
Is it illegal to drive with an expired driving licence?
Knowing when your licence is set to expire is important for drivers as it is illegal to drive without a valid one.
There can be some hefty punishments for driving with an expired licence, and it can land you a fine of up to £1,000 and between three and six penalty points on your licence.
Your car could be seized, while vehicles of persistent offenders can even be crushed or disposed of by the police – so make sure you don’t get behind the wheel if your license is expired.
You can quickly check the expiry date of your licence. The date is displayed on the card under section 4b.
Is it illegal to drive with bare feet?
It is not illegal to drive a vehicle barefoot if you can still safely operate the vehicle.
However, suitable shoes are always recommended for driving so you can competently operate the pedals.
Driving barefoot carries the risk of you not having proper grip on the pedals.
So although you will not face a fine or punishment for this, your car insurance could be voided if an accident was linked to your bare feet.
Is it illegal to drive with one headlight?
Driving without proper working headlights is illegal. Although you may feel that one headlight is enough to see on the road, you are at risk of driving with no visibility if the other goes out whilst you are in motion.
If you drive with one headlight you will be pulled over by the police and they will hand you a fixed penalty notice fine of £100. This will not add points to your licence, but is intended as a warning to fix your headlights. If this offence is challenged in court the fine could rise to £1000.
Is it illegal to drive without MOT?
In most cases, yes this is illegal. If you are caught by police, you can be handed a fine of up to £1,000.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems are now commonplace and can identify vehicles driving without an MOT, so it is difficult to go unnoticed.
The only cases in which this is not illegal, is if you are driving your vehicle to a booked MOT test or driving to or from a garage for vehicle repairs.
Is it illegal to drive with loud music playing?
Most drivers have music playing through their car’s sound system to remain aware of surrounding noises. This is likely to be safer than using headphones.
Playing loud music is usually not illegal, but it can still land you a penalty.
According to the Highway Code, loud music that is deemed a distraction can result in a £100 fine and three points on your licence.
In more extreme circumstances, if you have music so loud that it hinders your awareness, you can be hit with a £5,000 fine and possibly a driving ban.
Is it illegal to drive with headphones?
This is not illegal, but it could still land you in trouble. Drivers might wear headphones to operate their phone hands-free or to listen to music, but doing this can lead to reduced awareness on the road.
The distraction of headphones can lead to many different dangerous situations, and you can still face a fine of £100 if deemed to be driving carelessly with headphones in.
If your case goes to court then that fine can be increased to a maximum £5,000 and include up to nine penalty points, plus a possible driving ban.
To read more of the research click here.
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