Reduce your speed when driving in snow or ice
When driving in snow or ice, reduce your speed. The chances of skidding are much greater and your stopping distance will increase massively – up to TEN TIMES the normal distance for braking.
When driving in snow or ice, reduce your speed. The chances of skidding are much greater and your stopping distance will increase massively – up to TEN TIMES the normal distance for braking.
Car number plates should: be made of a reflective material, display black letters on a white background (front plate) and display black characters on a yellow background (rear plate). Failure to display licence plates correctly can result in up to a £1000 fine, and your vehicle will fail its MOT test.
If you don’t make a SORN or tax your vehicle you could be stopped by the police. Your vehicle could be clamped by one of DVLA’s wheelclamping partners. You’ll need to pay to have your vehicle released as well as producing a valid tax disc or a surety fee if no disc is available. If you fail to pay, your vehicle will be impounded, incurring storage charges. If you don’t pay the release or storage fees, your vehicle could be crushed or sold.
Every vehicle registered in Great Britain must be taxed if used or kept on a public road. Your vehicle must have a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) in force and be kept off-road if it’s not taxed. You will face enforcement action if you have not made a SORN.
If you are found to have failed to purchase or renew a road tax disc, you will be fined £80. Failure to pay this can result in a County Court Judgement, or having your vehicle clamped. It is difficult to escape paying road tax, as the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Agency (DVLA) runs monthly computer checks.
If your vehicle is at least three years old, it needs to pass an MOT test before it can be considered roadworthy. Driving a vehicle that has not successfully passed an MOT test is an offence and can land you with a £1000 fine. Driving without a valid MOT invalidates the insurance and if you were involved in an accident you would not be covered.
Driving without car insurance is illegal. If you own a vehicle that is not insured, you can be prosecuted even if you have never driven it. You can potentially be fined up to £5000 if you are caught. You will also be given a number of penalty points on your driver’s licence. You may, in some cases, have your license revoked. As well as driving an uninsured car, it is also illegal to let someone else borrow your car if they are not insured on it.
If you own a car, you must legally have an MOT (if the car is older than three years), a valid Road Tax Disc, and insurance. Failure to have all of these results in fines and prosecutions.
You can get penalty points on your provisional licence before you pass your test. These points last for three years and will count under the New Drivers Act. If you reach six points before you’ve taken your test, your provisional licence won’t be taken away – but if you get any more points within two years of passing your test, you will lose your licence.
If you build up 12 or more penalty points on your driving licence within a period of three years, you’ll be liable to be disqualified under the ‘totting-up’ system. Generally, you can be disqualified from driving for: six months if you get 12 penalty points or more within three years, 12 months if you get a second disqualification within three years, or two years if you get a third disqualification.