Millions of drivers are reportedly being caught out by a little-known driving law which can land unsuspecting motorists points on their license and hefty fines.
Learning to drive is a stressful time where you're constantly trying to keep yourself alive on the road, while also working hard to understand all the different signs and rules of the road.
It's probably fair to suggest that the vast majority of drivers rarely look at the Highway Code once they've passed their theory test, and that can lead to some drivers making mistakes, such as the one lad who made a major error when taking a driving test, 10 years after passing his first one.
Apart from the basic rules of stopping when there's a red light or not speeding round the roundabout like a lunatic, fairly new changes to the Highway Code are now continuing to catch out drivers on the road, with some even landing a huge £5,000 fine.
Advert
In early 2022, the Highway Code was tweaked, with the new rules stating that motorists must give priority to pedestrians waiting to cross at junctions, not just those already crossing.
This, of course, means that any junction which has a pavement either side of it, has effectively become a pedestrian crossing, and anyone disobeying this rule could be slapped with a £100 fine on the spot, as well as a fixed penalty notice and likely three points on their license.
Gerry Bucke, general manager of specialist motor insurance brokers Adrian Flux, told The Sun: “We all know that there is a huge percentage of drivers on the road who have passed their theory test and never looked at the Highway Code since.
“We know that there are a lot of people that are not going to be aware of subtle changes to the wording of driving laws so to them this still feels like a secret pedestrian rule.
“The fact it was introduced in January 2022 will be of little comfort to them should they be charged for breaking it.
“Careless driving not only carries the punishment of points and a fine, it’s very likely a driver’s insurance premium will go up as a result.
“We all need to make sure we’re doing our bit to better educate drivers and, of course, help provide a safer environment for both pedestrians and drivers.”
In the unfortunate event where you ignore waiting pedestrians at a crossing and cause an accident, then you could well be charged with careless driving, the maximum penalty for which is nine points on the license and the huge £5,000 fee.
So, it's more important than ever to be careful and patient with pedestrians when you're driving, as the last thing anyone needs right now is a fine of that magnitude.
James Moorhouse