Drivers warned about listening to music in their car after new Highway code rule

Whilst London is famed for its traditional red buses and underground train network, there are still a large number of people in the capital who use driving as their main form for getting around.

However, the introduction of a new highway code means that they all drivers in the UK have been warned about listening to music in their car.

People with music streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music are most likely to be affected, but the rules apply to anyone with a mobile phone, reports Manchester Evening News.

READ MORE: How drivers could be breaking the law without even knowing it

People have been warned that, if caught changing a song, they risk an immediate £200 fine.

The warning comes ahead of the imminent changes to the Highway Code, which is set to shake up the hierarchy of people on the road, making it safer for more vulnerable users.

Finance firm CarMoney’s Andrew Marshall says: “More and more drivers are being caught out on the roads by unexpected fines. The new changes to the Highway Code will place more responsibility on road users and it will be a criminal offence to disobey them.

“More publicised offences, such as making phone calls whilst driving, are already deemed unacceptable in our society but simple things such as throwing a cigarette out of a window are what we see on journeys every day, and often without consequence.

“We are reminding road users to be considerate of other road users and obey driving laws for their own safety and the safety of others whilst travelling.”

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With a whole new set of codes about to come into action, read on for easy to miss rules already in place, according to CarMoney.

Here’s a list of some of the least known rules coming into place:

Stopping beyond the white line at traffic lights

Crossing this line can cost you up to £100 and can even add three points to your licence.

Advanced Stop Lines, or ASLs, mark areas reserved for cyclists.

Motorists who crawl over the line and into the box risk getting slapped with both the fine and the points.

Using phone to change playlist while driving

New laws aimed at cutting out dangerous driving now state that people changing the song on their phone while they drive can be hit with a fine.

This also includes doing things like taking pictures or videos. Doing anything of the like can get you slapped with a £200 fine.

While driving on the phone was outlawed in 2003, this new change catches up with other phone usage laws, making motorists who use their phone in different ways responsible for dangerous driving.

Throwing cigarette out of a car window

“Incorrect disposal of a cigarette” can land motorists a fixed penalty notice fine of anywhere between £50 and £100 because throwing your butts out of the window is no different from littering.

Although smoking in a car is not a crime as long as the passengers are over 18, this fine was introduced to limit littering and prevent the casual discarding of plastic-based butts to align with current littering laws

Having a dirty number plate

In winter, it can be very easy for muck and grime to build up on you licence plate from driving on wet roads. But failure to keep your plate clear and visible can result in a huge £1,000 fine.

If your plate is unreadable then you are going against the Highway Code, which says: “Lights, indicators and number plates must be kept clean and clear.”

So make sure to give your vehicle a good wipe down after driving on dirty roads.

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