Driving law that means motorists face £150 fine for offence 'even if they don't do it themselves'
There was a little-known change in the law in 2018 that drivers need to be aware of
Drivers need to make sure their passengers are also on their best behaviour after a change in the law means they could be slapped with a fine for an offence they didn't even commit.
Motorists have been faced with a number of new rules and regulations recently, including a new law on speed limits which comes into force on Friday (5 July).
The latest rule means that all new cars made in Europe will have to have speed limiters - aka Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems - fitted to them.
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And yep, this applies to us Brits even though we're technically no longer in the EU.
ISA uses speed sign recognition cameras and/or GPS-linked speed limit data to advise drivers of the speed limit as well as warning them if they’re going over it.
The more effective systems will then automatically limit the car’s speed. In 2019, the EU agreed to make an overridable version of ISA which would be mandatory on new models of cars sold from July 2022 and on all new cars sold from this July.
But the new speed limit changes aren't the only thing Brits should be aware of.
Drivers could face a fine of up to £150 if they deviate from one law - even if it's your passenger who bends the rules.
A change that actually came into force back in 2018 means that car owners are liable for any litter thrown from their vehicle.
Which means that if you're driving along and your mate decides to throw some rubbish out of the car window, it'll be you who is responsible for the littering.
A spokesperson from waste experts Wheeldon Brothers explained that a few years ago, the fine was increased from £80 to £150.
The spokesperson said: "According to National Highways, yearly, they remove around 200,000 sacks of litter from the country's motorways.
"The cost is around £50 a sack-about the same as fixing a pothole-and money that could be better spent elsewhere on road repairs.
"The crackdown on littering drivers aims to address the widespread issue of discarded coffee cups, fast food wrappers, nappies, and cigarette ends littering roadsides and motorways, which will hopefully lower these numbers.
"Litter thrown from vehicles not only damages the environment and incurs substantial costs but also jeopardises the safety of road workers tasked with its removal. Let's keep our roads clean. We urge drivers to simply hold onto their litter until they spot the nearest bin."
Lucy Devine