Drivers face £200 fines over forgetting 'small but important' dashboard task

Forgetting a 'small but important task' could land drivers with a £200 fine. The "small" but "important" job of updating the car's clock could land motorists with a hefty £200 fine and points on their licence, if people grab their phones while at the wheel to try and learn the correct time.

A spokesperson from Group 1 Automotive explains: "Ensuring the time in your car is correct is a small but important task that can have a huge impact on the way we drive. Having the correct time shown on your car clock can contribute to better timekeeping and a stress-free environment.

"And as the nights get darker and more people drive during these hours, it's so important to ensure full safety." It added: "In most cases, the time can be changed via the car 'settings' button on the dashboard, where you can find options to access the date and time settings.

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"If you don't know how to do this, or can't find this option, consult the manufacturers' guide, and this should provide easy to follow steps on how to do this." On how to change your car clock, experts have issued a caution. There is no easy catch all answer for this one because all cars are different - and the exact method might depend on the model and manufacturer as well as how old your vehicle is.

The easiest thing to do is refer to the manufacturer’s manual, which is perhaps hiding in the glove box just waiting for this moment. But as a general rule, you will likely have to use the buttons on your dashboard to adjust the time.

Some modern cars might come with an inbuilt GPS (global positioning system) and this can be synchronised with your vehicle’s clock so that it will change automatically when the clocks change.