{"id":6315,"date":"2022-10-31T16:53:47","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T16:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scrapcarnetwork.org\/news\/?p=6315"},"modified":"2025-02-26T18:21:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T18:21:09","slug":"heres-how-its-illegal-to-say-thank-you-to-other-drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scrapcarnetwork.org\/news\/heres-how-its-illegal-to-say-thank-you-to-other-drivers\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how it\u2019s illegal to say thank you to other drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know what\u2019s nice? That\u2019s right \u2013 a rapid, hassle-free service when you scrap your car<\/a><\/strong>. And you know what else is nice? Just a bit of common courtesy, isn\u2019t it? If you do something considerate for someone \u2013 even if it\u2019s just stepping out of their way, or letting them step into yours \u2013 then it\u2019s always lovely to have that acknowledged.<\/p>\n

And for the most part, people do. Of course, it becomes quite a bit harder when everyone is manoeuvring two-tonne hunks of metal and controlled explosions about, but for the most part many drivers manage to say thank you to each other every day without incident.<\/p>\n

The trouble is, if you\u2019re one of them, you might well be doing something illegal. Here\u2019s why!<\/p>\n

Waving or a thumbs up<\/h2>\n

This is a breach of Rule 160 of the Highway Code, relating to having control of the vehicle. Put simply, a quick wave or a thumbs up could still be deemed as a breach of having control of the vehicle. If it\u2019s witnessed by a particularly eagle-eyed law enforcement officer, it could result in a fine of up to \u00a31000, discretionary disqualification or three penalty points.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be honest, that\u2019s going to come as a surprise to millions of people, since it\u2019s one of the go-to ways of expressing gratitude for millions of drivers up and down the country. The Code is pretty unflinching on that point though \u2013 it says that operators of a vehicle should \u201cdrive or ride with both hands on the wheel or handlebars where possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flashing your headlights<\/h2>\n

Take even a short trip out on the roads (especially in the gathering dark at this time of year) and you\u2019re likely to see at least one person flash their headlights as a way of communicating some type of message to other road users. Often it\u2019s to let other road users pass, or to communicate thanks in the event that the driver is permitted to instead. However, it\u2019s another one that could end up in a fine of \u00a31000 if caught.<\/p>\n

Basically, it\u2019s a breach of Rule 110 of the Highway Code, which is very careful to stipulate that drivers must \u201conly flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.\u201d<\/p>\n

And although it\u2019s a rule that might seem a bit overzealous when you\u2019re only trying to show a bit of courtesy to another driver, we can probably all get on board with the \u201cintimidate\u201d bit \u2013 especially if you\u2019ve ever had someone shriek up to your bumper on a motorway, flashing frantically to get past like they\u2019re driving an ambulance rather than an Audi A6.<\/p>\n

Turning on your hazards<\/h2>\n

With their relatively low-key but visible flashing, hazard lights seem like a relatively safe bet to show other road users gratitude, right? Well, technically \u2013 yes, you knew it was coming \u2013 you could still potentially find yourself faced with \u00a31000 for keeping those on too long, too.<\/p>\n

The Highway Code is pretty strict on this point \u2013 Rule 116 says that you \u201cMUST NOT use hazard warning lights while driving or being towed unless you are on a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway and you need to warn drivers behind you of a hazard or obstruction ahead. Only use them for long enough to ensure that your warning has been observed.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, with the Highway Code having kiboshed all that, the question remains \u2013 how do I say a cheery \u201cthanks mate\u201d to the other bloke then? Well, to be honest, it\u2019s safer for us legally if we just leave that for you to answer. (Us, officer? Nope, we didn\u2019t see anything.)<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll just stick to what we do best \u2013 helping you scrap your car quickly, easily, and with the bare minimum of fuss and hassle. All you need to do is enter your car reg and postcode<\/a><\/strong> into the fields on our homepage, and you\u2019re good to go! Curious to see how much your car is worth?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You know what\u2019s nice? That\u2019s right \u2013 a rapid, hassle-free service when you scrap your car. And you know what else is nice? Just a bit of common courtesy, isn\u2019t it? If you do something considerate for someone \u2013 even if it\u2019s just stepping out of their way, or letting them step into yours \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":6321,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n