Latest news with #Pipe
Wales Online
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Wales Online
Drivers 'could face fines for having flip flops, fans or going topless' in heatwaves
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Motorists could face fines for wearing flip flops, using dashboard fans and driving topless in heatwaves, a legal expert has warned. James Pipe reveals the surprising fines drivers could face for trying to stay cool, and the summer habits that could land you in court. With rising temperatures pushing drivers to strip off, drive barefoot or install portable fans, motorists are urged to be cautious. Mr Pipe, of Felons Assistance, said: 'Most people don't realise that trying to beat the heat behind the wheel can lead to fines of up to £5,000 if you're not careful. 'Whether it's your footwear, your outfit, or even the items on your dashboard, the law is clear - you must always be in full control of your vehicle.' Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community Heatwave habits that could land you a fine 1. Driving Barefoot or in Flip Flops - Fine: Up to £5,000 Although not technically illegal, driving barefoot or in flimsy footwear like flip-flops could be classed as careless driving if it affects your ability to operate the pedals. 'If an officer believes your choice of footwear contributed to a lack of control, you could face a fine of up to £5,000, nine penalty points, or even a driving ban,' says Pipe. 2. Going Topless or Driving in Swimwear – Fine: £100 Taking your shirt off to stay cool may seem harmless, but it could be seen as careless or inappropriate depending on the circumstances. 'Not wearing enough clothing can reduce your ability to drive safely - especially if you slip on the seat or get distracted. In some cases, police can issue an on-the-spot £100 fine.' 3. Dashboard-Mounted Fans and TikTok Accessories – Fine: £100 to £1,000 Dashboard fans and other trending TikTok gadgets like large air fresheners or dangling accessories can obstruct your view. 'Obstructed windscreens are a legal issue. If police stop you, you could be hit with a £100 fine, or up to £1,000 if prosecuted,' Pipe explains. Summer Driving Tips You Probably Didn't Know Keep a cloth in the car – Use it to handle hot seatbelts and steering wheels or wipe off sweat that might affect grip. Apply suncream before you set off - Greasy hands from mid-drive applications could affect your ability to steer or shift gears safely. Hydration matters - Even mild dehydration can affect reaction time. Keep water in the car but store it out of direct sunlight to avoid chemical leaching from plastic bottles. Open all windows before using air con - This clears trapped hot air quickly and takes pressure off your AC system. Pets or babies in hot cars? The public can legally intervene 'If someone sees a child or dog left alone in a hot car, they are legally allowed to smash a window to rescue them, under Section 5 of the Criminal Damage Act,' says Mr Pipe. 'You could face a charge of neglect or animal cruelty - and a criminal record.' James Pipe is a UK and US legal expert specialising in motoring law. He advises on driving offences, road safety, and legal responsibilities for vehicle owners.
North Wales Live
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- North Wales Live
Drivers 'could face fines for having flip flops, fans or going topless' in heatwaves
Motorists could face fines for wearing flip flops, using dashboard fans and driving topless in heatwaves, a legal expert has warned. James Pipe reveals the surprising fines drivers could face for trying to stay cool, and the summer habits that could land you in court. With rising temperatures pushing drivers to strip off, drive barefoot or install portable fans, motorists are urged to be cautious. Mr Pipe, of Felons Assistance, said: 'Most people don't realise that trying to beat the heat behind the wheel can lead to fines of up to £5,000 if you're not careful. 'Whether it's your footwear, your outfit, or even the items on your dashboard, the law is clear - you must always be in full control of your vehicle.' Heatwave habits that could land you a fine 1. Driving Barefoot or in Flip Flops - Fine: Up to £5,000 Although not technically illegal, driving barefoot or in flimsy footwear like flip-flops could be classed as careless driving if it affects your ability to operate the pedals. 'If an officer believes your choice of footwear contributed to a lack of control, you could face a fine of up to £5,000, nine penalty points, or even a driving ban,' says Pipe. 2. Going Topless or Driving in Swimwear – Fine: £100 Taking your shirt off to stay cool may seem harmless, but it could be seen as careless or inappropriate depending on the circumstances. 'Not wearing enough clothing can reduce your ability to drive safely - especially if you slip on the seat or get distracted. In some cases, police can issue an on-the-spot £100 fine.' 3. Dashboard-Mounted Fans and TikTok Accessories – Fine: £100 to £1,000 Dashboard fans and other trending TikTok gadgets like large air fresheners or dangling accessories can obstruct your view. 'Obstructed windscreens are a legal issue. If police stop you, you could be hit with a £100 fine, or up to £1,000 if prosecuted,' Pipe explains. Summer Driving Tips You Probably Didn't Know Keep a cloth in the car – Use it to handle hot seatbelts and steering wheels or wipe off sweat that might affect grip. Apply suncream before you set off - Greasy hands from mid-drive applications could affect your ability to steer or shift gears safely. Hydration matters - Even mild dehydration can affect reaction time. Keep water in the car but store it out of direct sunlight to avoid chemical leaching from plastic bottles. Open all windows before using air con - This clears trapped hot air quickly and takes pressure off your AC system. Pets or babies in hot cars? The public can legally intervene 'If someone sees a child or dog left alone in a hot car, they are legally allowed to smash a window to rescue them, under Section 5 of the Criminal Damage Act,' says Mr Pipe. 'You could face a charge of neglect or animal cruelty - and a criminal record.' James Pipe is a UK and US legal expert specialising in motoring law. He advises on driving offences, road safety, and legal responsibilities for vehicle owners.
Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Pipeline back as world surf tour finale in 2026
FILE PHOTO: Felipe Toledo of Brazil competes at the Rip Curl World Surf League Finals, at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California, U.S., September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo SYDNEY - Hawaii's Pipeline Masters will return as a high-stakes finale for surfing's world tour in 2026, part of a shake-up unveiled on Saturday that includes the resumption of a Formula One-style cumulative rankings format to determine world champions. Considered the world's most dangerous and challenging wave, Pipeline has for decades taken centre-stage at surfing's spiritual homeland of Hawaii, with season-ending contests there crowning champions including Kelly Slater, Gabriel Medina and John John Florence. In recent years, Pipeline has been the first stop on the championship tour, with a one-day, winner-takes-all contest of the top five surfers held instead in softer waves in Southern California. (The 2025 Finals are being held in Fiji.) "Pipeline has always held a special place in surfing history, and our fans have made it clear they want to see our sport's most critical moments unfold there," said Ryan Crosby, the chief executive of professional governing body, the World Surf League. The tour's controversial mid-season cut of one-third of competitors is also being tweaked. All 36 men and 24 women will contest the first nine "regular season" events and return for the 12th and final event at Pipeline. Stops include Bells Beach in Australia, Jeffreys Bay in South Africa and the 2024 Olympics venue of Teahupo'o in Tahiti. Abu Dhabi's wave pool and Peniche in Portugal will host the two smaller "post season" events before Pipeline. Results at Pipeline will be worth 1.5 times standard championship tour events to reflect its elevated status, with world titles determined by a surfer's best nine results from the April-December tour. "I've never felt anything like the moment I won at Pipeline," said 2019 world champion Italo Ferreira. "Winning the Olympic gold medal and competing in the WSL Finals were amazing, but nothing in surfing compares to winning the world title at Pipe. I'm so excited for the chance to compete for that feeling again." Crosby, giving his first interviews since joining the WSL as CEO a year ago, said the primary focus had been around making Pipeline the finale, which prompted other changes including a return to cumulative points through the season. "One is the final five format. We didn't feel good about only having 10 surfers be able to surf Pipe. That felt like a really bad outcome for the sport and a bad outcome for the surfers. And then secondarily, from a permitting standpoint ... we couldn't run a final five format in a Hawaiian event." Heading into its 50th year in 2026, professional surfing has experimented with a number of different formats and venues but struggled to broaden its appeal to a wider, non-surfing audience, something Crosby said the WSL was shifting focus on. "Our goal, and it's been a bit of a mindset shift, is to really focus on doing what's right for surfing and doing what's right for surfers," Crosby, a keen surfer for more than 20 years, told Reuters. "The belief is focusing on that really engaged audience is the organic growth mechanism to a broader audience." 2026 WSL Championship Tour locations - Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia - Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia - Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia - Punta Roca, El Salvador - Saquarema, Brazil - Jeffreys Bay, South Africa - Teahupo'o, Tahiti - Cloudbreak, Fiji - Lower Trestles, California, USA* - Surf Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Peniche, Portugal - Pipe Masters, Hawaii, USA** * End of regular season, start of post-season ** Full championship tour fields rejoin post-season surfers to compete at Pipe Masters REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Surfing-Pipeline back as world surf tour finale in 2026
FILE PHOTO: Felipe Toledo of Brazil competes at the Rip Curl World Surf League Finals, at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California, U.S., September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo SYDNEY (Reuters) -Hawaii's Pipeline Masters will return as a high-stakes finale for surfing's world tour in 2026, part of a shake-up unveiled on Saturday that includes the resumption of a Formula One-style cumulative rankings format to determine world champions. Considered the world's most dangerous and challenging wave, Pipeline has for decades taken centre-stage at surfing's spiritual homeland of Hawaii, with season-ending contests there crowning champions including Kelly Slater, Gabriel Medina and John John Florence. In recent years, Pipeline has been the first stop on the championship tour, with a one-day, winner-takes-all contest of the top five surfers held instead in softer waves in Southern California. (The 2025 Finals are being held in Fiji.) "Pipeline has always held a special place in surfing history, and our fans have made it clear they want to see our sport's most critical moments unfold there," said Ryan Crosby, the chief executive of professional governing body, the World Surf League. The tour's controversial mid-season cut of one-third of competitors is also being tweaked. All 36 men and 24 women will contest the first nine "regular season" events and return for the 12th and final event at Pipeline. Stops include Bells Beach in Australia, Jeffreys Bay in South Africa and the 2024 Olympics venue of Teahupo'o in Tahiti. Abu Dhabi's wave pool and Peniche in Portugal will host the two smaller "post season" events before Pipeline. Results at Pipeline will be worth 1.5 times standard championship tour events to reflect its elevated status, with world titles determined by a surfer's best nine results from the April-December tour. "I've never felt anything like the moment I won at Pipeline," said 2019 world champion Italo Ferreira. "Winning the Olympic gold medal and competing in the WSL Finals were amazing, but nothing in surfing compares to winning the world title at Pipe. I'm so excited for the chance to compete for that feeling again." Crosby, giving his first interviews since joining the WSL as CEO a year ago, said the primary focus had been around making Pipeline the finale, which prompted other changes including a return to cumulative points through the season. "One is the final five format. We didn't feel good about only having 10 surfers be able to surf Pipe. That felt like a really bad outcome for the sport and a bad outcome for the surfers. And then secondarily, from a permitting standpoint ... we couldn't run a final five format in a Hawaiian event." Heading into its 50th year in 2026, professional surfing has experimented with a number of different formats and venues but struggled to broaden its appeal to a wider, non-surfing audience, something Crosby said the WSL was shifting focus on. "Our goal, and it's been a bit of a mindset shift, is to really focus on doing what's right for surfing and doing what's right for surfers," Crosby, a keen surfer for more than 20 years, told Reuters. "The belief is focusing on that really engaged audience is the organic growth mechanism to a broader audience." 2026 WSL Championship Tour locations - Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia - Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia - Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia - Punta Roca, El Salvador - Saquarema, Brazil - Jeffreys Bay, South Africa - Teahupo'o, Tahiti - Cloudbreak, Fiji - Lower Trestles, California, USA* - Surf Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Peniche, Portugal - Pipe Masters, Hawaii, USA** * End of regular season, start of post-season ** Full championship tour fields rejoin post-season surfers to compete at Pipe Masters (Reporting by Lincoln Feast in Sydney; Editing by Sonali Paul)
CNA
02-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Surfing-Pipeline back as world surf tour finale in 2026
SYDNEY :Hawaii's Pipeline Masters will return as a high-stakes finale for surfing's world tour in 2026, part of a shake-up unveiled on Saturday that includes the resumption of a Formula One-style cumulative rankings format to determine world champions. Considered the world's most dangerous and challenging wave, Pipeline has for decades taken centre-stage at surfing's spiritual homeland of Hawaii, with season-ending contests there crowning champions including Kelly Slater, Gabriel Medina and John John Florence. In recent years, Pipeline has been the first stop on the championship tour, with a one-day, winner-takes-all contest of the top five surfers held instead in softer waves in Southern California. (The 2025 Finals are being held in Fiji.) "Pipeline has always held a special place in surfing history, and our fans have made it clear they want to see our sport's most critical moments unfold there," said Ryan Crosby, the chief executive of professional governing body, the World Surf League. The tour's controversial mid-season cut of one-third of competitors is also being tweaked. All 36 men and 24 women will contest the first nine "regular season" events and return for the 12th and final event at Pipeline. Stops include Bells Beach in Australia, Jeffreys Bay in South Africa and the 2024 Olympics venue of Teahupo'o in Tahiti. Abu Dhabi's wave pool and Peniche in Portugal will host the two smaller "post season" events before Pipeline. Results at Pipeline will be worth 1.5 times standard championship tour events to reflect its elevated status, with world titles determined by a surfer's best nine results from the April-December tour. "I've never felt anything like the moment I won at Pipeline," said 2019 world champion Italo Ferreira. "Winning the Olympic gold medal and competing in the WSL Finals were amazing, but nothing in surfing compares to winning the world title at Pipe. I'm so excited for the chance to compete for that feeling again." Crosby, giving his first interviews since joining the WSL as CEO a year ago, said the primary focus had been around making Pipeline the finale, which prompted other changes including a return to cumulative points through the season. "One is the final five format. We didn't feel good about only having 10 surfers be able to surf Pipe. That felt like a really bad outcome for the sport and a bad outcome for the surfers. And then secondarily, from a permitting standpoint ... we couldn't run a final five format in a Hawaiian event." Heading into its 50th year in 2026, professional surfing has experimented with a number of different formats and venues but struggled to broaden its appeal to a wider, non-surfing audience, something Crosby said the WSL was shifting focus on. "Our goal, and it's been a bit of a mindset shift, is to really focus on doing what's right for surfing and doing what's right for surfers," Crosby, a keen surfer for more than 20 years, told Reuters. "The belief is focusing on that really engaged audience is the organic growth mechanism to a broader audience." 2026 WSL Championship Tour locations - Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia - Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia - Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia - Punta Roca, El Salvador - Saquarema, Brazil - Jeffreys Bay, South Africa - Teahupo'o, Tahiti - Cloudbreak, Fiji - Lower Trestles, California, USA* - Surf Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Peniche, Portugal - Pipe Masters, Hawaii, USA** * End of regular season, start of post-season
