Here are 10 motoring offences you didn't know existed:
1. Using a phone to pay at a drive-through
2. Swearing when you're behind the wheel
3. Sounding your horn while stationary
4. Playing your music too loud
5. Driving with a pet not restrained
6. Splashing pedestrians
7. Using your unfixed mobile as a sat nav
8. Sleeping in your car while drunk
9. Driving too slowly
10. Flashing cars to warn them of a speed trap.
I am definitely guilty of one of these! I'll leave it to you, reader, to guess which...
They are making up these revenue gathering laws all the time. Even plod don't know them all.
ReplyDeleteThey are just scum, tax leeching scum and deserve our contempt.
I am, of course, not guilty of any of them. ;)
Not all?
ReplyDelete"2. Swearing when you're behind the wheel"
ReplyDeleteWell they've ******* well got me bang to rights then...
It's been quite a while since I plodded the streets, but I would challenge several of these. Hopefully, Jaded can correct me where wrong.
ReplyDelete1. Using a phone to pay at a drive through - the offence would be not being in control of your vehicle. However, a drive through is on private land and not subject to that section of the Road Traffic Act. To make doubly sure, if the handbrake is applied and the engine switched off, there is no offence - alternatively, you could have it delivered.
2. Swearing when behind the wheel - what is swearing? A Police officer recently told a motorist to remove a sticker with the word 'Bollocks' on it, yet LibDumb MEPs recently wore T shirts in the EU Parliament with that word on. If your swearing is loud and directed at someone, then it may be an offence of public order, but if you're alone in the car, listening to a political talk show, and swear where no one can hear you, what is the offence? Again, I understand it relates to not being in control of the vehicle.
3. Sounding your horn while stationary - the use of the horn is to notify another motorist or pedestrian of your presence. If you are stationary and the driver of the car in front starts reversing, you would sound your horn to make that driver aware of your presence.
8. Sleeping in your car while drunk - this relates to being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle. However, if the vehicle keys are somewhere where the driver can not readily access them and there is no opportunity for that driver to do so, that is a statutory defence as the driver is not in charge of the vehicle. Also, if the vehicle is on private land, is there an offence?
9. Driving too slowly - although there are minimum speed limits as well as maximum speed limits, there may be several reasons while vehicles drive slowly, such as volume of traffic. Deliberately driving slowly on an open road, however, could lead to an offence of obstruction of the highway.
These are just a few examples and there are defences for each of these 'offences' which could be taken in account of the circumstances at the time. The heading should have stated that these "may be offences" rather than they definitely are.
Must have a rest. My head hurts.
Penseivat
Swearing? Are there now lip-reading plods monitoring drivers as they go by?
ReplyDeleteBut I might have done all ten over the 50 years I've been driving, plus quite a few more dubious things, like steering with my knees whilst changing a CD or eating a sandwich.
Note to plod: only joking!
Is it the one you put in bold? I got four...
ReplyDelete*3* is subject to certain qualifications. You weren't aware of the rest?
ReplyDeleteThe real mystery scenario is driving within the 30 mph speed limit and having 5 mph added by scumbag, laser-gun-waving plod.
Other drivers doing #9 sometimes cause me to do #2. On sounding the horn while stationary, the example given above where someone is about to reverse into your vehicle is one obvious exception. When learning to be a better motorcyclist with the IAM, I was taught to do something called the POWER check before setting off. Petrol, Oil, Water, Electrics, Rubber. The electrics bit involved testing all of your lights and also your horn.
ReplyDelete3 ought to be a hanging offense when lazy so-and-sos call to pick someone up and sound their horn to get them out of the house. Also when people leave parties and having already noisily said their good-byes on the drive sound their horn as a final leave taking.
ReplyDeleteDrivers doing a number 9 cause me to do a number two? - Oh, it's the numbered list. And there was me thinking 'what the hell is a number 9 that caused anal incontinence?'
ReplyDeleteMTG - the bastards will get you within 50 yards of a 40 sign as well. It's sometimes difficult to slow when you have a juggernaut or white van tailgating you.
At Anon
ReplyDeleteI have encountered many plod born out of wedlock but most were content that 'there' parents were at least siblings.
"Is it the one you put in bold?"
ReplyDelete;)