Drivers risk thousands in fines for breaking ‘hidden’ laws in bad weather

DRIVERS have been warned that they could face thousands in unexpected fines by breaking ‘hidden laws’ in bad weather.

Motoring experts are urging vehicle owners to swot up on the rules as the weather is set to turn sour in the coming days.

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Experts at GoCarCredit said that as the cost of living soars, avoiding unnecessary fines has never been more important.

They put together a list of “hidden” fines which could see unlucky motorists set back by as much as £5,000 a pop or an eye-watering total of £21,000.

Top things to avoid include forgetting to put headlights on or driving with condensation on your windscreen.

The latter of those is one of the offences which carries the huge £5,000 single fine.

Another with that sizeable punishment attached might be even less known.

While you might not break the speed limit, driving too fast for the road conditions is a serious offence.

If a driver loses control of their car in the process, cops could slap them with a dangerous driving charge, carrying a £5,000 fine and up to nine points on their license.

Meanwhile, driving with weather damaged tyres or windscreen wipers could see a driver handed a £2,500 fine.

Damaged tyres could also lead to three penalty points per tyre.

Finally, as autumn rolls into winter, the trees shed their last leaves and drivers should be aware of the possible consequences, experts warn.

Driving with leaves on your windscreen can affect visibility and break the law by obstructing your view.

If police decide wet leaves on your windscreen to be a hazard, you could be in for a £1,000 fine.

Hayley O’Connor of GoCarCredit said: “With the changing weather, priority one is to stay safe in challenging autumn driving conditions. However, we also understand that people want to avoid paying unnecessary fines.

“If you fall foul of all these laws, it could cost you upwards of £21,000. As such, we’ve created some guidance on how to maintain your car this autumn, to help our customers stay safe and avoid potential fines.”