Motorists heading to Glastonbury this week have been warned that simple driving errors could result in a hefty fine.
With around 200,000 festival-goers expected to descend on the five-day event, heavy congestion is anticipated on all nearby motorways and A-roads. While planning your journey in advance is crucial, it's also important to check your vehicle for certain key things to ensure it's up to standard.
Motoring experts at National Scrap Car have cautioned that easy-to-make mistakes could land drivers in serious legal trouble and hit their wallets hard. These include easily overlooked issues such as a dirty number plate and overloading your boot.
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Motoring expert Dorry Potter said: "Proper preparation and adherence to traffic laws are crucial to prevent accidents and ensure a smooth journey to the festival. Thorough vehicle checks including tyre pressure, fluid levels and battery health are essential to avoid any breakdowns en route to the festival or any nasty surprises when leaving the site on the Monday."
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"Additionally, 10-20% of all crashes are estimated to be caused due to driver fatigue, with motorways and dual carriageways experiencing the highest volume of crashes. With festivals happening in rural settings, and with partygoers travelling long distances the risks are clear. Make sure you're well rested and not under the influence before getting in your vehicle ahead or post the festival."
Here's a rundown of the things that could land you in hot water on your journey to Glastonbury this week....
Mucky number plates
With rain forecasted for the festival, drivers are being warned to keep their number plates spick and span to dodge a hefty fine. Under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994, if you're nabbed with a grubby number plate, you could be slapped with an immediate £100 fine.
If the case ends up in court, this could skyrocket to a level 3 fine of £1,000.
Misusing your horn
While traffic snarl-ups are a given at festivals, no matter how infuriating it may be, honking your horn for reasons other than alerting others to your presence, such as out of annoyance, could lead to a fine. The use of horns is generally restricted to warning purposes only.
A horn should only be used to alert someone of danger from another vehicle or any other type of hazard, not to vent your frustration. It's also against the law to use a horn on a moving vehicle on a restricted road, essentially a road with street lights and a 30 mph limit, between the hours of 11:30pm and 07:00am.
Coppers can hit motorists with a fine for the illegal use of car horns. This is typically a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £30.
If drivers challenge an FPN, they can fight the decision in court - but if they lose, the fine can be hiked up to as much as £1,000.
Overpacking your vehicle
Festival-goers are being warned that overloading their vehicles with tents, extra passengers and food supplies could result in a hefty £300 fine. According to the DVSA's roadside check guidelines, if your vehicle is found to be overloaded by 15% or more, you could be hit with this penalty.
If your vehicle is overloaded by 0-10%, you could face a £100 fine, while overloading by 10-15% can lead to a £200 penalty. The maximum payload weight depends on the size of your car.
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For smaller cars like the Renault Clio, Fiat 500, and Volkswagen Polo, the maximum payload weight ranges from 385kg to 482kg. With four adult passengers, each carrying suitcases, tents and supplies, it's easy to exceed a 400kg payload.
Flashing lights outside of festival site
Highway Code Rule 110 states that headlights should only flash to communicate 'I am here', alerting other drivers to your presence. Flashing your lights out of frustration, to give way to other drivers or to convey any other message could land you with a fine up to £1,000.
Wearing your wellies while driving
Your feet will undoubtedly be decked out in a variety of footwear during the festival, from wellies to crocs. But muddy wellies or shoes pose a significant risk when driving as they can easily slip on the pedals. Drivers could be slapped with a £100 fine and three penalty points for "driving without due care and attention" if they're caught wearing improper footwear after an incident, according to police.
If the matter goes to court, the punishment could skyrocket to a whopping £5,000, nine penalty points, and possibly a driving ban, so it's best to don appropriate shoes before hitting the road. To avoid any mishaps, experts recommend that festival-goers pack an extra set of clothes and shoes to keep in their car, ensuring they have something dry and comfy for the drive home.
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