Drivers could face £5,000 fine in bad weather as puddle blunder risks 'serious safety issue'

Drivers could face £5,000 fine in bad weather as puddle blunder risks 'serious safety issue'
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Aden-Jay Wood

By Aden-Jay Wood


Published: 19/05/2022

- 07:56

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 11:22

Morotists also risk nine penalty points on their driving license

Drivers could face fines of up to £5,000 for an act being described as a “serious safety issue”.

When it is raining or there are puddles on the road, it may be a temptation for drivers to drive through them.


But driving through a puddle could lead to you receiving a large fine under the Road Traffic Act 1998.

While splashing a pedestrian is not seen as an offence, if the driving is deemed as careless then you could be in trouble.

The penalty for such an offence is a £100 fine and three penalty points on your license.

But if this is then challenged in court, motorists could be found to have committed an act of “incompetence, selfishness, impatience, or aggressiveness".

This comes with a more serious maximum fine of £5,000, while drivers could also be handed nine penalty points.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said such an offence is a “serious safety issue for drivers”.

Ms Stretton told the Express: “Firstly, drivers have no way of knowing what the road surface is under the puddle, causing unpredictable driving conditions.

"Secondly, the water itself can cause the car to aquaplane – where the vehicle’s tyres fail to grip the road and cause the driver to lose control."

Cars make their way through heavy rain on the A14 in Suffolk, after Storm Eunice brought damage, disruption and record-breaking gusts of wind to the UK and Ireland, leading to the deaths of at least four people. Picture date: Saturday February 19, 2022.
Motorists driving in wet conditions
Joe Giddens

The offence has been described as a \%22serious safety issue for drivers\%22
The offence has been described as a "serious safety issue for drivers"
Jacob King

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