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Are you curious about the key questions that UK drivers are asking online? You’re part of a big group. Every month, more than 32,000 people visit this page to get advice on driving questions and worries.
Here’s what we’ll talk about in this article:
When and why you can or can’t park on yellow lines.
How to question a fine you think is unfair.
The rules about driving barefoot or in flip flops.
What happens if you drive without an MOT.
The limits for drinking and driving.
Our team knows a lot about these topics as we’ve guided many people who had the same questions as you. We get how confusing it can be, and we’re here to make things clear for you.
Let’s learn about these commonly asked driving questions together.
Do You Have to Pay?
In some circumstances, you might have a legitimate reason not to pay your fine.
It’s a bit sneaky, but the last time I needed legal advice, I paid £5 for a trial to chat with an online solicitor called JustAnswer.
Not only did I save £50 on solicitor feeds, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.
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1) Can you park on single or double yellow lines?
The most commonly searched driving question is can you park on single or double yellow lines – I’ve even found myself googling this before! Unfortunately, when it comes to double yellow lines you must not stop and wait or “park” at any point, even if there is no signage confirming this. The Highway Code states that the presence of double yellow lines “indicate a prohibition of waiting at any time even if there are no upright signs”.
Being caught parking on double yellow lines could land you with a Penalty Charge Notice. If this happens, you can expect it to cost you anywhere between £50 and £80 (depending on location).
But what about single yellow lines?
The rules are slightly different for single yellow lines. The single yellow line indicates that there are parking and waiting restrictions, so there is no parking or stopping allowed during certain times of the day. There are no “set hours” for the single yellow line, so there will usually be signage nearby indicating when you cannot stop or park.
2) Is it illegal to drive barefoot or in flip flops?
It can be extremely tempting to run to the car in your flip flops during the summer, especially when you only need to nip out for one or two items. However, not wearing the correct footwear which could impede your ability to properly control the car could land you with a hefty fine of at least £1000 (£2,500 for Passenger Carrying Vehicle, or goods vehicles) and 3 points on your licence!
This doesn’t just apply to flip flops either, you can be penalised if you’re caught driving barefoot, just your socks, in sliders, or any other footwear that is deemed inappropriate for proper control of your vehicle.
There’s more though, if you’re caught driving a vehicle that has been deemed as dangerous by an MOT test, you could be fined up to £2500, receive a driving ban and 3 points on your licence!
4) What is the drink driving limit?
This is a question that you’ll probably receive different answers to! It’s common in the UK to say you have a “2 drink limit”. Many pubs around the UK also talk about how many “units of alcohol” you have consumed.
Typically, it’s said that women can have 3 units and men can have 4 units and still be fit to drive. However, this totally depends on so many different things such as:
The type of alcohol you’re drinking – and how much! Drinking a few shots of a 40% spirit will affect you much faster than a pint of lager would.
Your weight, age, sex and metabolism.
How recently you have eaten food.
How stressed you are!
Successful Appeal Case Study
Situation
Initial Fine
£100
Additional Fees
£171
Total Fine
£271
The Appeal Process
Scott used JustAnswer, online legal service to enhance his appeal. The trial of this cost him just £5.
Total Fine
£271
Cost of legal advice
£5
JustAnswer helped Scott craft the best appeal possible and he was able to win his case.
Scott’s fine was cancelled and he only paid £5 for the legal help.
Because of these factors, it’s impossible to say exactly how many drinks this equals to. It’s also worth noting that legally your limits are measured not by units, but by levels of alcohol in your breath, blood and urine. Below I’ve found some information from the GOV.UK website that details exactly what levels of alcohol are allowed on your breath, in your blood and in your urine for each region of the UK:
We can see that in Scotland, there’s a much lower level “limit” than there is in England. The fines and penalties associated with drinking and driving are very serious. You could face lifelong imprisonment, an unlimited fine, a driving ban of at least 5 years, 3 to 11 points on your licence and the need to take an extended driving test before you can return to driving after your ban.
5) Is it illegal to park on the pavement?
A commonly asked question searched by over 2000 people per year! Parking on the pavement is only considered illegal in London, but for the rest of the UK it isn’t. If you park on the pavement in London and are caught, even if it’s just one or two wheels, you can be issued a fine.
Currently the fine is £70, but if you pay within 14 days it’s reduced to £35. However, if you don’t pay within 28 days, the fine can be increased to £105 and the matter could be taken to court if you still don’t pay this amount.
6) How much is a speeding ticket?
The price of a speeding ticket will vary depending on how fast over the speed limit you were going and what the legal speed limit was at the time. The minimum fine for speeding is set at £100 plus three penalty points on your licence. Depending on the seriousness of the offence, you could even be disqualified from driving or have your licence suspended if you’ve reached 12 points or more.
Below I’ve created a table that shows how fines are calculated for each speeding offence.
Legal speed limit (mph)
Recorded speed (mph)
Recorded speed (mph)
Recorded speed (mph)
Band A
Band B
Band C
20
21-30
31-40
41 and above
30
31-40
41-50
51 and above
40
41-55
56-65
66 and above
50
51-65
66-75
76 and above
60
61-80
81-90
91 and above
70
71-90
91-100
101 and above
Points or disqualifications
3 points
Disqualify 7-28 days or 4-6 points
Disqualify 7-56 days or 6 points
Fine
50% of relevant weekly income
100% of relevant weekly income
150% of relevant weekly income
It’s worth noting that a speeding fine is typically calculated as a percentage of a weekly income, but capped at £1000. However for speeding on the motorway it’s £2500.
7) How to avoid paying a bus lane fine?
I’ve recently published an article on how you can avoid paying a bus lane fine, and while you can read in full on the article, the short answer to this is through an appeals process. Perhaps you don’t believe you drove in a bus lane, or that you were making way to avoid a road accident with another vehicle? If you believe you shouldn’t pay the bus lane fine you can and should appeal.
However, if you did drive in the bus lane and have no grounds for appeal, you’re best off paying the fine as soon as possible to avoid any further charges. Currently the penalty for driving in a bus lane is a fine and 3-11 points on your licence. This will come through the post as a Fixed Penalty Notice and you’ll usually be given a deadline to pay.
8) Can I drive with broken ribs?
In short, no. It is your responsibility as a driver to make sure that you are fit to drive. Any health condition that affects your driving must be reported to the DVLA. If you fail to do this, you could face a fine of up to £1000 and 3-11 points on your licence. If you’re involved in an accident, you could also be imprisoned for up to two years, and risk being disqualified. Ask your doctor if you’re not sure how long you shouldn’t be driving for.
It might seem tempting to nip to the shops quickly, but the recommendation not to drive is there for a reason – your health and well-being! Not only could you cause an accident if you have to swerve suddenly in your car, but you will be putting yourself through more pain just for the sake of driving. Avoid the pain and the risk of hurting anyone else and get someone else to drive for the time being!
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No. While a blue badge does indeed open up more places to park, it is not permission to park anywhere you’d like to. Blue badge holders must obey the rules of the road as laid out in the Highway Code. If you park somewhere that endangers people, like outside of a school or near a busy junction you will be fined. You could also face up to two years in prison and disqualification from driving and 3-9 points on your licence.
You cannot park in these areas:
Loading bays
Doctor’s bays, Taxi bays
Bus stops/ cycle lanes
Pedestrian crossings (including zebra, pelican, toucan and puffin crossings) also areas marked with zigzag lines,
During the time a loading or unloading ban is in force
School ‘keep clear’ markings during the hours shown on yellow no-stopping plate
Suspended bay (clearly marked with cones and signage)
10) Is it illegal to eat and drive?
No, it’s not illegal to eat and drive. However, if the police think you’re too distracted and lose control of your vehicle, you could be landed with a fine for distracted and careless driving. If you’re caught you will be given an on the spot fine of £100 and 3 penalty points on your licence.
As a driver it’s your responsibility to drive safely, so you should always practise safe driving. This might mean waiting a short while to eat your lunch!
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My name’s Janine, and I’m a mum of two who’s always been passionate about trying to cut down spending costs. I am now sharing as much financial knowledge as I possibly can to help your money go that little bit further.
