Brits could be hit with £5k fine for holding up traffic this Easter weekend

BRITS could be hit with a £5,000 fine for holding up traffic with caravans as thousands head for on getaways this weekend.

Those heading off in their motorhomes for the Bank Holiday may be penalised for their large vehicles.

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According to leading farm vehicle insurance firm Quotezone.co.uk, police will pay special attention to the Highway Code over Easter.

Rule 169 states that road users must not create or hold up a long queue of traffic – which could prove tricky on such a busy weekend.

The rule pays special attention to those driving large or slow-moving vehicles such as caravans or tractors.

Creating congestion could see drivers slapped with 3-9 points on their licence and a hefty fine of up to £5,000.

Brits travelling with motor homes, trailers and horse boxes need to be on the ball and aware of how their extra load affects other cars.

If you find yourself creating substantial queues due to your extra cargo, pull over when safe and allow traffic to overtake you.

The Highway Code and cops use this protocol as slow movement can lead to other motorists making dangerous manoeuvers to try and get past larger vehicles.

But by routinely checking your mirrors and showing reasonable consideration for road users, you should avoid prosecution.

For drivers who want to overtake a large vehicle, it is best to take time to prepare your manoeuvre and read the road.

Make sure there is enough room to overtake as it inevitably takes longer to get past a bigger vehicle.

If you doubt the safety of the move, avoid doing it.

Drivers should not assume that you can follow a driver already overtaking a large vehicle as there may be further traffic ahead.

Founder of Quotezone.co.uk Greg Wilson said: “Traffic jams could be more numerous and longer as holidaymakers avoid foreign trips due to the chaos and cancellation at airports and ports – with the addition of mass rail engineering works ruling out alternative transport closer to home.

“Farmers are incredibly busy and it’s not always possible to pull over but it’s really important to be as safe as possible on the roads and also safeguard finances.

“Penalty points could see insurance premiums increase by as much as 25% for 6 points – given tractor insurance can be rather expensive, it isn’t worth the financial risk or potentially losing a driving licence if the new penalties push total points to more than 12.”