Drivers face £2,500 fines this week over little-known law that applies in snow

Drivers on the road this week face a £2,500 mistake over a little-known law that only applies in the snow. If snow leads to a restricted view and this leads to a motorist acting dangerously behind the wheel, they could end up facing fines of up to £2,500.

Bryn Brooker, Head of Road Safety at the dashcam manufacturer Nextbase, has warned: "On a bracingly cold morning with snow all around you, it might seem tempting to just get into your car and drive, relying on your wipers to clear any snow.

"But it is absolutely crucial that all of the snow on your vehicle be removed so you can drive safely and not have it fall into your field of view while driving." One of the biggest myths when it comes to driving in wintry conditions is that it is automatically illegal to drive with snow on your car.

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However, if snow falls from your car and creates a hazard, that is a problem. Section three of the Road Traffic Act says: “If a person drives a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, he is guilty of an offence.”

This means that if any snow should fall from your roof onto the windscreen and block your view, or fall off and endanger other drivers or pedestrians, you could get three points on your license and a £60 fine. Rule 229 of the Highway Code states that you must be able to see clearly when driving, so you should make sure that there is no snow or ice on your windscreen.

Also the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulation 30 states that: "All glass or other transparent material fitted to a motor vehicle shall be maintained in such condition that it does not obscure the vision of the driver while the vehicle is being driven on a road.”

Bryn added: "When the weather is wet, double your following distance from at least two seconds to at least four seconds. Watch as the driver ahead of you passes a landmark like a pole or a bridge, then count how many seconds it takes you to reach the same point.

"Four seconds should mean if the car ahead of you stops ahead of you in a hurry you have space to stop too."