An expert says a common new year home-cleaning mistake could land you with a £300 fine and points on your driving. January is a popular time for households across the UK to clear out clutter and start the new year with a fresh perspective.
But ditching too much could spell disaster if you are caught by the police, according to Select Car Leasing’s Graham Conway. He said: “The start of a new year brings lots of change. Many of us like to give our homes a good clean-out and get rid of things that no longer serve a purpose.
“But all that junk has to go somewhere and often we turn to our local tip for help.
“However, overloading your car with unwanted clutter destined for the refuse centre can be considered a driving hazard, especially if it obscures your view, creates blind spots or isn’t properly secured.
“If you are having to store lots of items in your car at once you should take care that it is secure and won’t block your vision.
“You also need to exercise caution so that it doesn’t fall onto the floor and roll under the driver’s seat, where it can cause an accident if it obstructs the pedals.”
The Highway Code tells drivers not to overload their car and that items should be secured and not sticking out dangerously. Individual models have different weight limits and exceeding these can make vehicles unstable as well as far less manoeuvrable.
Not only can it land drivers with a small fine and penalty points, it can also cause damage to the motor’s brakes and suspension too.
Instead of dangerously weighing down a vehicle with excess items, it is advisable to do more journeys to the tip with smaller loads, or hire a skip if the job is a big one.
Drivers should always make sure their view of the road in front and behind is unobstructed.
In February last year, police stopped a BMW on the M4 motorway near Bristol that was so overloaded it had hot rear tyres.
Officers from the Avon and Somerset force revealed how as well as a packed boot, it had bikes and spare tyres attached to the rear and bulky wooden items on the roof - leaving “barely enough room for a driver”.
The motorist was issued with a traffic offence report and told to remove some of the cargo before continuing their journey.
