Brits face £5k fine for holding up traffic this Bank Holiday weekend

Brits could be hit with a £5,000 fine for holding up traffic this Bank Holiday weekend, experts have warned.

Motorists are being reminded to check the rules surrounding campervan travel this bank-holiday weekend. Leading experts at Swansway Motor Group have stressed the importance of knowing the do’s and don’ts of a weekend away in your campervan.

Check your licence

Motorists would be wrong to assume that they can just hop into a campervan and hit the road. Regulations regarding when you passed your driving test, and the weight of the vehicle can have an impact on what you’re able to drive.

However, those who passed their test before that date can drive vehicles up to 7,500kg as driving licences issued before this date were automatically issued with C1 entitlement, a category that now requires an additional test. Check your driving license to be sure, because driving a vehicle without the correct licence can lead to a fine of £1,000 and between 3 to 6 points on your driving licence.

Over this weekend, police will crack down on drivers breaking the Highway Code, especially Rule 169. This rule targets those causing long traffic queues, typical of holiday weekends.

Those driving campervans, especially classic campervans, beware: breaking this rule could mean 3-9 points on your licence and fines up to £5,000.

Overnight Sleeping

Rules around where you can and can’t sleep in your campervan can be a little hazy, the easiest way to be sure you’re on the right side of the law is to stay on an official camp site that accommodates campervans. However, if you are thinking of exploring the wild side, it’s best you know where you stand.

The majority of land in England and Wales is privately owned and therefore you are not allowed to camp there unless you have permission from the owner. Most car parks are privately owned and will state whether overnight camping is allowed, but often when it is, it’s only for one night.

The is now specific law that prohibits you from sleeping in a campervan at the side of a road, however, it's an ill-advised practice. If you are going to do this, you need to ensure that you are not causing an obstruction, such as parking in a passing place as these are designed to allow traffic to pass each other.

If you park up at the side of the road, don’t be surprised if law enforcement pay you a visit and ask you to move on. Some pubs allow ‘stopovers’ where you can park up in their car park overnight, but again this is strictly for one day only and comes with the caveat that only one motorhome/caravan is able to stopover at a time.

Alcohol Usage

Laws around drink driving in the UK are crystal clear and carry severe penalties, but campervan owners should be aware that these laws can still impact them even when parked up for the night, even if you have no intention to move your vehicle. If you drink over the legal driving limit of alcohol whilst parked up in your campervan, then you need to prove that you have no intentions of moving the vehicle until the alcohol has left your system and you are sober.

The easiest way to do this, is to camp on an official campsite. If you are found to be in charge of a vehicle whilst over the legal limit, you could face three months imprisonment, up to £2,500 fine and a potential driving ban.

If you are caught attempting to or moving the vehicle whilst over the legal limit, this could lead to 6 months imprisonment, an unlimited fine and a driving ban of at least 1 year. Considering where you are camped, if you are parked on the side of a road or at a pub stopover, it’s much more difficult to prove that you don’t have any intentions of moving the vehicle and in this situation it’s important to stay below the legal limit or steer clear of alcohol all together.

Remember, if you do choose to have a few drinks once you’ve parked up in the evening, don’t leave your keys in the ignition, do not start the engine under any circumstances and never sit behind the steering wheel.