Car confusion: the driving laws Brits don’t know about
- Nearly 6 in 10 don’t realise driving with a dirty number plate is illegal
- Almost 70% of people think they won’t be prosecuted for hogging the middle lane
- Over half still think using a mobile while the engine is running is legal
New research from the comparison experts at Go.Compare car insurance has revealed UK motorists might be speeding towards a driving conviction, as many are completely unaware of certain driving laws.
Of those surveyed, only 43% correctly recognised that using a mobile phone with the car engine running is illegal - meaning over half of people could be breaking this law without even realising it exists.
Driving with a dirty number plate is another law many were unaware of, with just 42% recognising it as a driving offence. The top ten driving offences that proved the most obscure are:
|
Driving Law |
% who DON’T know about it |
|
|
1 |
Swearing at other drivers |
87% |
|
2 |
Charging passengers money for giving them lifts |
87% |
|
3 |
Exiting the car while stopped on a single yellow line |
78% |
|
4 |
Driving without sufficient washer fluid |
78% |
|
5 |
Splashing pedestrians |
70% |
|
6 |
Middle lane hogging |
69% |
|
7 |
Sleeping in your car while drunk |
69% |
|
8 |
Using your mobile phone as a sat-nav in an unfixed position |
68% |
|
9 |
Honking your vehicle's horn at night |
68% |
|
10 |
Driving with a dirty number plate |
58% |
The research also revealed a gender knowledge gap - 66% of women correctly identified that it’s illegal to drive with faulty headlights, compared to only 44% of men. And while only 36% of men know it’s illegal to use a mobile phone while your vehicle’s engine is running, 52% of women identified this law.
Tom Banks, Go.Compare car insurance spokesperson, commented on the research: “The driving laws we have in place are there to keep everyone safe on the roads - so it’s a bit worrying that so many people don’t know what is and isn’t illegal.
“The rule against using a mobile phone while driving - including when the vehicle is stationary - has been in place for over 20 years, yet our research shows that 57% of drivers still think it’s okay to do.
“It’s important to be clued-in when it comes to road safety and the Highway Code, so if you’re unsure about any of the UK’s driving laws, we would urge you to brush up on your knowledge.
“Driving without having car insurance in place is also illegal - so make sure you check out the options available to you before your car policy is set to run out. Getting your new policy in place ahead of time can save you money, too - with our latest research showing that buying car insurance 26 days before your renewal is due can save you 30%.**”
To learn more about how to lower the cost of your car insurance, visit: https://www.gocompare.com/car-insurance/guide/top-tips-for-cheaper-car-insurance/.
- ENDS -
Contact Information
Rosie Johns
Notes to editors
Notes to editor:
*The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,000 UK nationally representative consumers, aged 18+, of which 1,394 were motorists. The data was collected between 30.05.2025-03.06.2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
**Based on annual comprehensive car insurance sales purchased through Go.Compare between January and December 2024.
For further information please contact:
Lynsey Walden on lynsey.walden@gocompare.com, or Kath Chadwick on Kathryn.chadwick@gocompare.com
Keep up-to-date with Go.Compare on Twitter; @GoCompare
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.