15 ways motorists break the law without realising

You've probably already committed some of these offences

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Few of us can honestly call ourselves perfect drivers - most people have committed bad driving practices in their time behind the wheel.

But it turns out you could actually be breaking the law without realising, and it could lead to serious consequences.

We all know the main rules of the road, but now Reg Transfers has revealed the obscure laws many people aren’t familiar with.

Millions of people break the law when driving every day without realising it, but to make sure you're not one of them, these are the laws you need to know.

1. Don’t drive too slowly

We all know driving too quickly can be dangerous, but the same goes for driving too slowly.

If you’re a long way below the limit you could be punished with anything from a verbal warning to nine points on your licence.

2. Don’t swear at other drivers

If you curse or make rude gestures at fellow motorists, you’re committing “disorderly behaviour” which could land you with a fine equal to 75 per cent of your weekly income.

3. Don’t eat or drink whilst behind the wheel

Neither are technically illegal but eating or drinking whilst driving could result in a £100 fine and three points.

4. Don’t park on the pavement in London

Or face a £70 fine.

5. Don’t drive over 30mph on streetlamp-lit roads

Unless signposted otherwise, if a road has streetlamps it’s a designated “urban area” which means the speed limit is 30mph. If you break it, you could be given a minimum £100 fine or three points.

6. Don’t honk inappropriately

Although often used angrily at other drivers or to harass female pedestrians, you should only ever honk your horn to alert others to your presence. If you do so in stationary traffic you could be fined £30 to £1,000.

7. Don’t use a loose sat nav

Many people use their phones as sat navs and simply prop them up somewhere in the car, but this is actually illegal. You need to fix it to your dashboard to avoid a £200 fine and up to six points.

8. Don’t have a dirty number plate

If your registration number isn’t clearly legible, you could face a fine from £100 to £1,000.

9. Don’t drive with snow on your roof

Because it could easily slide onto your windscreen, driving with snow on the car roof is dangerous and you could be punished with a £60 fine and three points.

10. Don’t splash pedestrians with puddles

Not only is doing so an unnecessarily rude thing to do, driving through a puddle to splash pedestrians is actually a criminal offence that could leave you with a fine of between £100 and £5,000 and three points.

11. Don’t flash your headlights to warn other drivers about speed traps

You may think you’re being polite and helpful but you could be charged £30 up to £1,000 for obstructing an officer’s duty

12. Don’t pause on the hard shoulder

It should only be used in emergencies so if you’re caught resting there, you could be charged £100 and receive three points.

13. Don’t let passengers hold babies

Following the introduction of strict new child safety laws, it’s illegal for a baby not to be in a child car seat whilst in a moving vehicle - if you break the law, you could receive a £100 fine.

14. Don’t pay with your phone at a drive-through

Incredibly, this still counts as using your phone at the wheel and could see you facing a £200 fine and six points.

15. Don’t nap in your car when drunk

This is an offence and could leave you with a substantial fine and ten points on your licence.