A celebrity lawyer has unveiled his top 10 ‘Golden Rules’ for Christmas to help drivers avoid landing themselves in trouble with the law, warning that even eating too much roast dinner could cause trouble on the roads.
Nick Freeman, who is dubbed ‘Mr Loophole’, said Christmas week is the easiest time of year for drivers to accidentally break serious motoring rules, with almost 18 million people taking to the roads during the festive period, according to the AA.
Freeman explained how there are some little-known offences that people should be aware of, including overloading the car with a Christmas tree and overly-zealous singalongs behind the wheel.
He recommends against driving on a full stomach after eating a Christmas dinner, saying the carbohydrate and sugar overload of a full festive lunch can make the body especially sleepy and drowsy.
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Freeman said: "This kind of food coma can have a huge impact on our reaction times.
"It's safer to wait a good few hours before driving after dinner or have a nap before you get back behind the wheel.
"If you have an accident, the fact you were driving after a heavy Christmas dinner won't provide a defence should you commit a motoring offence."
The celeb lawyer also advises against overloading the car with piles of gifts or a tree, saying you could get charged with ‘causing or likely to cause danger by reason of load or passengers’.
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If Santa brings someone an e-scooter, Freeman says to remember that they are illegal to ride on public roads, pavements, parks and cycle paths – excluding city-wide trial schemes – and that anyone caught using them in prohibited places could receive a £300 fine, six penalty points on their driving license and get their e-scooter seized.
He also believes heavy colds and driving don’t mix, with research from Cardiff University showing concentration when driving with a bad cold or flu drops by more than 50 percent.
"If you have an accident and you were feeling poorly, your health will not provide a defence,” Freeman said, adding that you shouldn’t drive with Covid-19 either.
"If you have an accident and need medical attention, a PCR is likely to be a routine part of triage. If you test positive, it will not afford you a defence,” he explained.
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According to Freeman, even limiting yourself to one glass of mulled wine could affect your driving, and may see you charged with driving/being in charge of a motor vehicle while unfit - which carries a mandatory ban of at least 12 months.
"You don't need to be breathalysed for alcohol to create problems,” he said.
"It will be down to the opinion of the arresting officer to decide whether you're unfit to be behind the wheel. You could face a fine and a ban."
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Another point he makes is not to sleep off a hangover in the front seat, warning people to get into the back seat and remove the keys from the ignition.
He said: “The burden is on you to show there is no likelihood of driving whilst over the prescribed limit or unfit."
As for singing and dancing along to Christmas songs behind the wheel, Freeman continued: "If dashcam footage or police testimony show you meandering or swerving on the road, you could be prosecuted for a range of offences.
"Your brain is focusing on the music and how it makes you feel. You need to keep your eyes and your mind on the road.
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"Noddy Holder can wait until you arrive at your destination."
Freeman also said you should be sure to follow the rules while using a sat-nav or Google Maps while travelling over Christmas, saying: "It's not against the law to use an in-built sat nav or if your phone is resting in a cradle.
"But if you start fiddling with it and police think you are distracted you will be stopped and issued with a penalty or prosecuted."
You can also get six penalty points and a £200 fine if you use a hand-held phone for an interactive purpose while driving.
He added: "If you do need to check your phone by removing it from the cradle, you must pull in, switch off the ignition off and remove the keys."
Finally, avoid driving in party heels or other unsuitable footwear like Ugg boots.
Freeman added: "Fashion shoes and boots might not also have a good grip so your foot could slip from the pedal."
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Christmas