Top 5 Driving Myths - How Many Do You Know?

03/03/2022  Useful Information All News



Today we wanted to explore many myths around driving on our roads. We've taken a few examples found online to share what is a myth and what's the truth…

It's illegal to use my phone at a petrol station. MYTH.

Over the years this has been a widely disproven myth that using your mobile phone at a petrol station will cause a fire or worst. Whilst it's not illegal to use your phone on forecourts, many petrol stations do have rules in place against mobile phone usage which should be adhered to.

It's illegal to drive in socks or flip flops. MYTH.

Driving without shoes is in fact not illegal. Nor is driving in flip flops.

However, rule 97 of the Highway Code states that drivers must have "footwear and clothing which does not prevent (them) using the controls in the correct manner".

I can't use my phone as a sat-nav. MYTH.

In short, you can. However, the phone has to be in a fixed position – either to the dashboard or windscreen – and can't block your view of the road. The usual phone-related punishments will be administered if you don't meet these criteria.

It's illegal to eat and drink at the wheel. MYTH.

In short, it's not – however it isn't advised.

Rule 148 of the Highway Code states: "Safe driving and riding needs concentration. Avoid distractions such as eating and drinking".

All speed cameras have a 10% tolerance. MYTH.

There is no clear instruction that this is the case across all police forces. So, what does this mean for drivers? Many police forces have claimed there is tolerance, but that doesn't necessarily account for mobile speed cameras or patrol vehicles, many of which rely on the judgment of the operator/driver.


There you have it. Five myths of the roads that I'm sure we have all heard before!

Make an enquiry today and let our team help you into your perfect next car:


Apply for vehicle finance online at Jigsaw Finance: jigsawfinance.com/apply-online

Browse for a leasing offer on our sister website, Carzu: carzu.com/search


Jigsaw Finance Limited is a credit broker and not a lender. We can introduce you to a limited number of lenders and their finance products. We are not an independent financial advisor; we will provide details of products available, but no advice or recommendation will be made. You must decide whether the finance product is right for you.

We will receive a commission payment from the lender/finance provider if you decide to enter into an agreement with them. The commission payment received is for the introduction and work in facilitating and arranging the finance for you and is a one-off payment from the lender to Jigsaw. The calculation of this commission is based either on a fixed fee or a percentage of the amount you borrow, this is determined and may vary by the commercial agreement Jigsaw has with the lender. We may work with just one lender or a limited selection of lenders when arranging finance. As a Credit Broker, we may also have other commercial arrangements with a lender which do not influence the terms of your finance agreement. We may share some of this commission with the motor retailer.

The amount of commission will be made available to you before signing your finance documents.

All the lenders that we work with pay commissions at different rates, however, the commission received does not affect the amount you will pay under your finance agreement. Our aim is to secure finance for you at the lowest interest rate available from our panel of lenders. Finance may be available from other providers outside of our panel, and you should consider your options before entering into an agreement, we are not able to provide impartial recommendation.

  Back to News