Driving rules Brits were likely told as kids have been myth busted by a team of motoring experts – from whether it’s actually illegal to lie across the backseats to the rules on playing music too loud in the car.
The LeaseCar.uk team have remembered four common sayings parents often preach to their kids while they’re driving, to reveal if they’re grounded in any truth or if Brits are just misinformed on simple road rules.
Many Brits will likely remember being told not to turn on a car’s interior lights while the vehicle was moving, or that it was illegal to put your feet up on the dashboard.
These are quips many people will have gone on to use with their own children now – but surprisingly much of it isn’t actually backed up by the law.
For example, there is no law against sitting with your feet on the dashboard, but it is incredibly dangerous.
Similarly, The Highway Code does not say anything about being unable to drive with the interior light on, and there is no direct law prohibiting it. However, there are a few caveats to the rule.
Tim Alcock from LeaseCar.uk said: “As kids we’d believe everything our parents told us – from tooth fairies and Easter Bunnies to Christmas Elves and boogie men.
“The same goes for all the rules that were driven into us from a young age. I’m sure we can all remember being told off for draping ourselves across the back seat of the car, or for turning the music up too loud on the car stereo.
“Gentle threats of police intervention were often enough to get you to behave on journeys, but it’s interesting to learn that most of the rules we looked at aren’t actually backed by specific laws and are more a matter of safety.”
- “Don’t put your feet on the dashboard!”
There is no law against sitting with your feet on the dashboard, but it is incredibly dangerous. An x-ray circulated the internet at the start of the year showing exactly why you shouldn’t put your feet on the dash. The horrifying X-ray shows the pelvis of a front seat passenger who was resting her feet on the dash in a moving car when it was involved in a crash. One hip is completely dislocated while the other is broken. Reports also suggest she suffered several other fractures to her legs. So, whilst you may not have to face legal repercussions for driving with your feet up, it could be a life altering mistake.
- “Don’t lie across the backseats!”
This one isn’t so straightforward. If you’re able to lay across the seats whilst still wearing a seatbelt, there’s nothing to suggest that this is an outright criminal offence. It is, however, rather dangerous. If you were involved in a collision whilst lying across the backseats, the seatbelt would probably not support and protect you as it was designed to do. If you lie across the backseat with no seatbelt on, you can be fined up to £500.
- “Don’t turn the interior lights on while we’re driving!”
This is a common myth that many adults probably fall for too, but it turns out that it is just that – a myth. The Highway Code does not say anything about being unable to drive with the interior light on, and there is no direct law prohibiting it. However, there are a few caveats to the rule. When turned on, the light must not distract the driver or shine out of the back windscreen to obstruct the view of anyone that is travelling in a vehicle behind. So, if you were pulled over by a police officer who deemed your interior light to be a driving distraction, they’d have the right to tell you to turn it off.
- “Don’t turn the music up too loud!”
This is one rule that is actually justified. Listening to loud music is illegal if it’s disturbing other people on a regular basis or if it’s causing you to drive erratically. UK laws dictate the punishment varies depending on whether you’re parked up or driving along as dealing with drivers pumping out tunes falls between the local authority and the police. In the worst-case scenario, traffic cops can stop and seize a vehicle that is causing alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. Police can also issue on-the-spot fines to drivers who have custom exhausts or noisy engines.