Drivers around the country are battling through winter and trying to keep their cars warm in the frosty mornings, but officials say keeping your coat on being the wheel could be incredibly costly
Drivers around the country could be faced with a huge fine as officials say coats, gloves, scarves and other winter accessories can affect their driving.
Wearing winter clothes can impact the safety of a vehicle, with the chunky layers slowing reaction times and limiting the movement of the driver. While keeping the puffer jacket on might help warm your car up on a winter morning, it can land you with a whopping £1,000 fine. According to rule 97 of the Highway Code, drivers must always wear “footwear and clothing which does not prevent you using the controls in the correct manner” while behind the wheel.
In the summer this could mean flip flops, but the winter extends to snow boots and other warm clothing. Gloves can also allow the wheel to slip beneath your hands, which could cause drivers to lose grip.
Visibility could also be down with a scarf that covers your face or your field of vision. Same could be said for hats and puffer coats. Clare Freemantle, sales and marketing director at Harwoods Group warned of the potential dangers for drivers.
She said: “As the temperatures get cooler, drivers are unintentionally opening themselves up to breaking the law. [Rule 97] means as drivers wrap up in gloves, coats, hats and scarves for the winter months, they could be putting themselves at risk of receiving a fine.
“Gloves, while keeping your hands toasty, can loosen your grip on the steering wheel. With temperatures set to plummet even further, driving with gloves in the snow can put you in unnecessary danger. Scarves can also impact your vision, as can large puffer jackets and thick woolly hats. Ear warmers can also stop you from being able to hear other cars and sirens from emergency vehicles.
“Wearing this kind of clothing can lead to a £5,000 fine and potentially three points on your licence, so make sure to heat your car before driving and wear lighter clothing.”
Anything that could potentially obstruct vision is banned for drivers. If they are caught, they could be hit with a £100 fine, which could move up to at least £1,000 and three points on the licence if taken to court.
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