Hanging Things From Your Rear-View Mirror Could Lead To A Fine Of Up To £1,000

It's quite nice when you get in someone's car and you are met with a waft of pine or lavender, rather than say, stale farts and ciggies. But the car scent conscientious among you might want to think twice before mounting an air freshener in your windscreen.

That's because driving with anything in your view that could be considered to obscure your vision could land you with a fine of up to £1,000.

Drivers deemed to have any objects obscuring their field of vision, such as ornamental dice and flags, can be penalised with a £100 on the spot fine plus three penalty points. However, if you decide to challenge the penalty in court, the fine could rise to a maximum of £1,000.

It is not technically illegal to adorn your windscreen with stickers, air fresheners and the like, however, if they are considered by officers to be impeding your view, then the driver can be penalised. Indeed, officers can even enforce such penalties when a driver is involved in a collision that isn't their fault.

Rebecca Ashton, IAM RoadSmart head of driver behaviour, said driving with an obstructed view can be 'extremely dangerous'.

According to The Sun, Ashton said: "Anything hanging from the rear-view mirror or anything placed on the windscreen could restrict the drivers view, things people use tend to vary from air fresheners and dice hanging from the mirror to fans, large sat-navs and even using the navigation on an iPad.

"Missing something because you had something obscuring your view could potentially be extremely dangerous, good driving involves exceptional observation skills, seeing things early allows you to anticipate and plan how you deal with hazards.

"We would suggest it is placed low on the windscreen, on the right hand side and if possible within the area where the windscreen wipers don't clear. The main thing to remember is you should always try to avoid the drivers field of vision."

Pixabay

Highways England website offers guidance on how to ensure windscreen based hazards don't prevent your car from passing its MOT.

It says: "6.6 per cent of MOT fails are due to issues with the driver's view of the road. You can avoid this by carrying out simple checks like: the windscreen wipers and washers work, your view of the road is clear of any stickers, toys or air fresheners.

"Windscreen wiper blades should be replaced if they show signs of damage or if they are more than a year old.

"You should get your windscreen replaced if you have any large chips that affect your view, as these will result in an MOT fail.

"Your rear-view mirrors must be adjustable and in good condition.

"You should also make sure that you regularly top up your washer fluids and check that your washers are working properly before setting off."

Topics: UK News, News, Cars

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey