Drivers risk fine of £2,500 if their car is in a 'dangerous condition'
DVLA urges drivers to perform three essential checks before getting on the road to reduce this risk
Drivers should conduct three essential checks on their vehicles before embarking on any trip. Failing to maintain a car in a safe condition may result in fines reaching £2,500, a possible permanent driving ban and three penalty points on the driver's licence.
Although it seems straightforward, the latest advice from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reminds drivers to verify that their windscreens, windows, and mirrors are clean before driving. Additionally, it's crucial to check that the lights and brakes are functioning properly to prevent any hazardous situations.
"You're responsible for making sure your vehicle is always safe to drive ('roadworthy')," the DVLA has warned. "It can be unsafe even if you have a current MOT certificate."
In addition to these three checks, the DVLA stated that a vehicle's handbook should contain information on the frequency of checking the following attributes:
Water level in the radiator or expansion tank
Engine oil
Windscreen and rear window washer bottles
Tyres
Car battery
Brake fluid level
Light vans, cars, and trailers must always maintain a tyre tread depth of at least 1.6mm. In contrast, larger vehicles, motorcycles, and passenger-carrying vehicles should have a minimum tread depth of at least 1mm.
However, it is important to acknowledge various other potential driving hazards too. Recent research by the RAC indicates that common behaviours, such as talking with passengers and daydreaming, are the leading causes of driving errors, surpassing more obvious distractions.
The study found that over 60% (63%) of participants admitted to making a driving mistake due to distractions, whether internal or external.
Over 40% of drivers (43%) confessed that conversing with passengers led to driving mistakes. Additionally, distractions from daydreaming were identified as the second most common cause of errors, with more than a third (37%) of drivers admitting that this type of distraction resulted in mistakes.
Amidst this, RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: "Talking to passengers or daydreaming are so common that they aren't perceived by drivers to be big distractions, but our research has revealed they are in fact responsible for most of the errors drivers admit to, whether that's missing a turning, exceeding the speed limit or ending up in the wrong lane.
"While dropping an item or applying make-up are clearly extremely distracting and dangerous, they're fortunately far less common than everyday things like talking to another passenger, an interfering thought or spotting something interesting outside the vehicle. Although your eyes are on the road, it's easy for your mind to wander behind the wheel, especially on long journeys.
"Distractions can have catastrophic consequences for both drivers themselves and other road users, especially in extreme instances like failing to stop at a junction or at a red light or crossing.
"The practice of driving is second nature for many of us, but our research suggests things we do without thinking in the car have far more potential to cause us to make errors than we might realise.
"Driving is still a very mentally demanding task, especially as we need to be able to react to what's in front in a split-second, so it's important we do everything we can to stay alert and minimise distractions."
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