Common driving offences: Understanding the UK law and its consequences

Part of being a driver on UK roads means agreeing to abide by the laws of the road. These laws are in place to protect both road users and pedestrians. Whilst the Highway Code itself is not the law, it is a guide made up of various bits of legislation. If you haven’t read it since passing your test, it is regularly updated so it might be time to give it a read again.

Breaking the law can lead to certain consequences depending on the severity of the incident. Here are some things to consider when you are driving around the UK.

Frequent driving offences

In 2022/2023 there were 4,851 dangerous driving offences in England and Wales, which is more than the previous year’s figure of 4,112.

One of the most common driving offences is speeding. Speeding is something that the majority of drivers have done, whether they admit it or not. It can be inadvertent such as missing a speed limit sign, but often it is done consciously.

Using a mobile phone whilst driving is another common occurrence. This has been a motoring offence since 2003, but in 2022 the law was updated to reflect the advances in technology. Distractions such as mobile phones whilst driving are responsible for thousands of accidents annually, making them a potentially deadly device.

Potential consequences

The worst thing that can happen when breaking the motoring laws is that you cause a death by dangerous driving. The penalty for this is a minimum of a 5-year imprisonment. It is common for sentences to be a lot longer than this to reflect the loss of life.

Speeding can be a costly offence, with a £1,000 fine or £2,500 for motorway offences, a potential disqualification and up to 6 points on your license. The fines and points are the same if you were to be found to be distracted by a mobile device whilst in control of a vehicle.

Good driving practices to incorporate

Mobile phones can be a huge distraction, and with many cars having Bluetooth connections, there is no excuse for using them while driving. Get into the habit of stowing it away in the glovebox or your bag so that you can’t see it.

Legally, your car must be roadworthy and part of that is having a yearly MOT. Set a reminder in your phone to book an MOT online so that you aren’t caught out. Not having an MOT can result in your vehicle being seized which can be expensive to recover.

Finally, it should go without saying that driving under the influence of drink or drugs is incredibly dangerous and irresponsible. If you are heading out for a few, be mindful of your intoxication and have a local taxi firm’s number in your phone so you always have another way to get home if you are unsafe to drive.