Ignoring snow driving rules could see you fined £1,000
With 10 Met Office weather warnings in place across the United Kingdom, conditions are set to get treacherous.
Up to 21cm of snow is expected to fall in the worst hit areas, with communities cut off and motorists faced with abandoning their vehicles.
There are two amber warnings for snow across North Wales and northern England today (8 February), which would also disrupt airports and phone coverage. Eight further yellow warnings for snow and ice are in place across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and most of northern and central England from today until Saturday (10 February).
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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also issued cold health alerts warning people to stay indoors and warm.
Warnings have now been issued when it comes to driving, with it a very real possibility that you could end up fined if you don't follow rather some basic rules even if they're not all very obvious.
Advice from The Electric Car Scheme also had handy information if your car is electric or hybrid.
One point they urge caution on is avoiding leaving cables untidy when recharging your car. It can leave you with a fine of £130.
With pavements and paths expected to get rather icy and slippery, combined with reduced visibility, the chances of people falling over is increased.
Leaving your vehicle in a dangerous position could land you with three penalty points and a fine of up to £130.
The cost of the fine will depend on the seriousness of the offence and the council area you committed it in.
Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) issued outside of London range from £50 to £807, while fines issued inside the capital cost £130 or £808. You could also be subjected to a £50 non-endorsable Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for the negligent use of a motor vehicle.
Highway Code rule 239 says that you should park close to your charge point and avoid creating a trip hazard for pedestrians from trailing cables.
After using the charge point, you should return the charging cables and connectors neatly to minimise the danger to pedestrians. It's not going to take much for a charge cable to get covered in snow and become hidden, with pedestrians unaware.
The fine is a lot more when it comes to windows for cars of any kind, with a £1,000 fine if you don't follow the rules.
Basically, you're at risk of the large fine if you don't fully de-mist your windows and clear them of snow.
According to the Highway Code, to have proper control of the vehicle or a full view of the road and traffic ahead is necessary at all times. You could also get slapped with three penalty points.
Also make sure you scrape off any snow or ice on your bonnet or roof that could fall off when moving and cause a hazard to other motorists.
Tom Earnshaw