13 UK Driving Myths: Phones, Speed Limits and Insurance

1. Is eating while driving illegal?

Eating is not a separate blanket offence, but that does not make it safe in every situation. If handling food distracts you or affects your control, the police can consider careless or dangerous driving offences.

Unwrapping food, reaching for it or looking away to avoid a spill takes attention away from the road. If eating would interfere with steering, observation or control, wait until you can stop safely.

2. Can you drink a soft drink at the wheel?

Drinking a non-alcoholic drink is not automatically an offence either. Spills, lids and reaching for a bottle can nevertheless interfere with steering or attention, bringing the same risk of careless driving.

Opening a bottle or handling a hot drink can also distract you. Keep anything that might spill away from the driving controls, and stop safely for a drink if handling it would affect your concentration.

3. Is smoking while driving illegal?

In a private car, smoking can still lead to an offence if it affects proper control. Separate smoke-free laws apply to certain vehicles, including licensed taxis and private-hire vehicles, regardless of whether a fare is being carried.

England’s ban on smoking in an enclosed vehicle with someone under 18 took effect on 1 October 2015.

The restriction applies to enclosed or partly enclosed private vehicles carrying someone under 18 in England and Wales. Check the rules that apply in the part of the UK where you will be driving.

4. Can the interior light be on while driving?

An interior light is not automatically prohibited. The issue is whether glare or distraction prevents you seeing clearly and controlling the vehicle. Switch it off if it interferes with safe driving, especially at night.

5. Is an open alcoholic drink illegal in a car?

England does not have a general open-container rule equivalent to those found in some US states. That does not remove restrictions imposed by a transport operator or any other law applicable to the circumstances.

For the driver, both the alcohol limit and fitness to drive matter. Being below a numerical limit is not a guarantee that alcohol has not impaired driving. The legal limits also differ between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Someone supervising a learner driver must also remain fit to supervise and comply with the relevant drink-driving restrictions. Being in the passenger seat does not remove that responsibility.

6. Is driving with headphones illegal?

There is no general headphone-specific ban, but using them can contribute to careless or dangerous driving if they distract you. You must remain aware of the road and able to respond to what is happening around you.

Loud audio can mask horns, approaching vehicles and emergency sirens. Consider whether you can still hear important warnings rather than assuming that the absence of a specific ban makes every use safe.

7. Are hands-free phone calls allowed?

Holding and using a mobile phone while driving can bring six penalty points and a £200 fine. Hands-free use is permitted if you do not hold the phone and retain proper control of the vehicle.

Voice control and Bluetooth are allowed, but a driver can still be prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving if the conversation or device distracts them.

A hands-free call can occupy your attention even when your hands stay on the wheel. End or postpone the call if it competes with the concentration the road requires.

READ MORE: UK mobile-phone driving rules and penalties

8. What are the rules for sat navs?

Position the sat nav securely and keep the windscreen and your view of traffic clear. A dashboard or windscreen mount must not create an obstruction. Enter the destination before setting off and park safely if you need to make a distracting change.

Using a smartphone for navigation

The same principles apply when a phone provides directions. You must not hold and operate it at the wheel. Our mobile-phone guide explains hands-free arrangements and the limited exceptions in more detail.

9. Can surveys tell us whether women or men drive better?

Comparisons between male and female drivers depend on what is measured. Mileage, road conditions, experience and the severity of incidents can change the result, so a group average tells you little about the person behind the wheel.

Parking skill comes from observation, control and practice. Give yourself time to check the space and your surroundings, use mirrors and parking aids appropriately, and stop to reassess if you cannot see clearly.

Assess driving by observation, skills and behaviour. Broad claims about which sex is ‘better’, or unsupported genetic explanations, do not help a driver judge hazards, improve parking or make safer decisions.

10. Does no camera flash mean no speeding offence was recorded?

No.

A camera need not produce a visible flash to record an offence. Nor is there a general entitlement to exceed the speed limit by 10%.

Speed-enforcement systems use different technologies, including equipment that does not need an obvious flash. You cannot reliably identify whether your speed was recorded from what you saw as you passed.

The absence of a flash tells you little. Observe the posted limit throughout the journey rather than trying to judge where a camera is active.

11. Is driving 10% over the speed limit allowed?

No. A possible speedometer discrepancy does not give permission to exceed the limit. UK speed limits are expressed in miles per hour: 55 mph in a 50 mph limit is speeding.

Police decisions about a warning, fixed penalty, awareness course or prosecution depend on the circumstances. The standard minimum speeding penalty is £100 and three points. Informal formulas about a percentage plus a few extra miles per hour are not a legal allowance.

Enforcement guidance and discretion do not change the posted limit. Plan to drive within it, allowing for road, weather and visibility conditions that may require a lower speed.

12. How many alcoholic drinks can you have before driving?

There is no reliable ‘safe number’ of drinks.

Advice that a man can have a pint or two, or a woman a large glass of wine, is not a dependable rule for safe or lawful driving.

The effect depends on the drink’s strength and quantity as well as factors such as body size, metabolism and recent food intake. Two people consuming the same drinks need not reach the same alcohol level.

The legal limits are also lower in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK. Check official guidance for the jurisdiction; do not convert a blood- or breath-alcohol limit into an assumed number of drinks.

The safest plan is to avoid alcohol when you will be driving.

13. Does comprehensive insurance cover driving other cars?

No automatic cover follows from having a comprehensive policy or the owner’s permission. Before driving another vehicle, check that an insurance policy specifically covers you to drive that car in those circumstances.

A policy may restrict cover by age, driving history, vehicle type or purpose. Drivers under 25, for example, should not assume that a ‘driving other cars’ extension is available to them.

Read the insurance certificate and policy terms before taking the wheel of someone else’s car.

Check the level of cover, exclusions and any conditions. If the wording is unclear, obtain confirmation from the insurer before driving.