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PAE
One reason this makes the list is that many only allowed to avoid a serious and imminent
bad drivers can’t be bothered to indicate even accident, such as a child running into the road.
when other road users are present.
Brake checking could result in a higher
Often they don’t flick the indicator lever if penalty, even a custodial sentence, in certain
they’re turning into a side road. As you can circumstances.
imagine, this is annoying if you’re waiting for
an opportunity to turn into the main road. For instance, if a driver deliberately intended
to cause a crash so they could claim on the
On the flip side, indicating doesn’t give other drivers’ insurance.
motorists the right to act, it just shows an
intention. In this case, the offence would be ‘crash-for-
cash’ fraud, which is serious and likely to lead
You can’t force your way into traffic just to a prison sentence.
because your indicators are on. And don’t
forget you still need to give way to pedestrians Blocking traffic
who might be crossing. With so many cars on the road it seems
common sense to try to make driving as
Jumping traffic lights stress-free as possible.
Running a red light can be dangerous to other
road users, including cyclists and pedestrians. Blocking roads so drivers can’t make a right
It’s also illegal, and red light cameras could turn, and needlessly hold up all the traffic
catch you in the act. behind, is not on.
Even if you just cross the white line at traffic The same goes for stopping in box junctions,
lights, you risk a minimum of three points and which are there to help the flow of traffic.
a £100 fine. It’s a selfish action that really can enrage even
the most normally-passive driver. And it’s
Moving away slowly from traffic lights illegal, with guilty parties facing a fine of up to
Slowly moving off when the traffic lights £130.
change isn’t illegal. But it could annoy other
drivers, especially only one or two cars Parking on the pavement
manage to cross before the lights change red Drivers who park their cars on pavements, to
again.
the extent that pedestrians, wheelchair users
Also, it could be dangerous. A frustrated driver and parents with prams can’t pass, can be a
following the snail-like car might look for an menace.
opportunity to overtake when it’s not safe to Not only is it downright inconsiderate, it could
do so.
be dangerous to the pedestrian. This could
be particularly bad for people with visual
Last-minute braking impairments, who may be forced to pass the
Slamming the brakes, or brake checking, is car on the road.
18 May 2022
