Highway Code: Drivers risk £1,000 fine for sun visor mistake

Leader Live

4 days ago

With the sun's glare at its peak, drivers are using their sun visors more than ever at the moment, but a little-known Highway Code rule means that you could be risking a £1,000 fine.
With bright summer sunlight making visors essential, many drivers also use them to hold sunglasses, toll receipts, face masks, festival passes, or parking stubs.
However, these items could be deemed an obstruction if they block the driver's view of the road ahead.
Cherie Carter, director at Indigo Car Hire, explained: 'Most people wouldn't think twice about clipping a receipt or sunglasses case to their visor, but anything that affects your field of vision could lead to enforcement action.
'We see countless hire cars returned with cluttered visors, which is not only a safety risk, but could invalidate insurance in the event of a crash.'
Under Highway Code Rule 94, drivers are legally required to ensure their vehicle is safe to drive, including having an unobstructed view.
If police believe an obstruction contributed to dangerous or careless driving, fines can reach £1,000, plus points or driving bans in severe cases.
Cherie added: 'Our advice is simple; keep your visor clear. Store passes or receipts in your glove box or wallet instead. It's a small change that can keep you, and everyone else, safer on the roads this summer.
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'It's a good habit to do a quick sweep of your car interior before every journey. Remove anything hanging from your mirror or visor, check your windows are clean inside and out, and adjust your seat for maximum visibility.
'These small checks only take a minute but can significantly reduce your risk of fines or accidents.'
For new drivers, and some experienced ones, mastering roundabouts can be tricky, and experts are warning that millions of us are still making a simple mistake that is putting us at risk of a fine.
One in six drivers believe roundabouts make their journeys more stressful, according to a study from Compare the Market.
(Image: Getty/yevtony)
And experts at the insurance firm warn that almost six million of us are not following roundabout rules correctly, putting them in danger of getting a £50 fine.
Compare the Market's study found some drivers failed to give way to the right at roundabout junctions.
Rule 185 of the Highway Code states: 'Always give priority to the traffic coming from the right, unless you have been directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights.'
Furthermore, over half of UK licence holders (55%) could be at risk of the same fine due to driving over mini-roundabouts. Nearly half (48%) admit to driving over a raised roundabout and almost two-thirds (62%) to driving over a flat one.
Rules 188 to 190 of the Highway Code reveal that when it comes to mini-roundabouts the regulations are no different from regular roundabouts - 'It is important to remember that all vehicles must pass round the central markings, unless they are too large to do so. You will find that when driving around mini-roundabouts there is less room to manoeuvre and less time to signal, so take extra care.'