A day in the the life of a van driver
How’s my
driving?

No. It is illegal to hold your mobile phone in your hand while you are in the driving seat and the engine is running. The punishment is six points on your licence and a £200 fine. If you’re deemed to be guilty of a serious offence, for example if you’re distracted because of your phone, you could be liable for prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500.

No. If you’re using it as a sat-nav, it must be fully set up for hands-free access before you set off and you must be able to follow the directions without touching it. The key legal phrase here is “exercising proper control of your vehicle at all times”. If you’re holding, touching or paying too much attention to your phone, you don’t have proper control. In addition, from 4 December 2017, new motorists taking the driving test will have to be proficient in using a sat-nav device.

Yes. Although you are allowed to smoke in your own vehicle, a legal change introduced in England and Wales in October 2015 (December 2016 in Scotland) prohibits you from smoking when you have anyone under the age of 18 in the vehicle with you. In Northern Ireland, legislators are consulting on introducing a similar measure. E-cigarettes (vaping) are allowed.

Yes. However, there are regulations about suitable footwear which you should be aware of. Although there’s no specific law against going barefoot, the Highway Code says footwear must not prevent you from “using the controls in the correct manner”. The Driving Standards Agency advises against driving without shoes “because you don't have the same braking force with bare feet as you do with shoes on." If it’s proven you don’t have proper control over the vehicle, you could be prosecuted.

Yes. New legislation came into effect in April this year which ties the fines you pay for speeding directly to your income. Now, if you exceed the speed limit by the top category, Band C (for example, if you’re driving 41mph or above in a 20mph zone), you could face a maximum fine of 175% of your weekly wages. As well as the fine, you’d also receive a driving disqualification for up to 56 days, or six points on your licence.

No. Fines are calculated primarily based on weekly income, whether you receive a salary or are self-employed. However, other financial circumstances, such as savings, can also be taken into account. If you have a low income or depend on state benefits, such as jobseeker’s allowance, they’ll calculate your fine based on an income of £120 per week. If you don’t provide any income information, the court will calculate your fine based on an assumed income of £440 per week.

No. If you attend a speed awareness course, you can avoid the fine and the points won’t be put on your licence. You can’t request this option, however, and it’s only available in England and Wales only available if the police offer it to you. There are fixed criteria for this, and it is only offered to first-time offenders. In any case, it’s always worth telling your insurer if you attend a speed awareness course, as it may affect your premium.

No. Government advice states that on long journeys you should take a 15-minute break every TWO hours to avoid fatigue. If you’re driving for work there are also several laws that cover mandatory rest stops; which regulation applies depends on the category of vehicle. Under EU law and in Northern Ireland, you can’t drive more than nine hours a day, and must allow 45 minutes of rest for every 4.5 hours of driving. In Scotland, Wales and England, some categories of vehicle are instead covered by domestic UK law, which limits you to 10 hours a day, and requires 30 minutes of rest per 5.5 hours of driving.

Yes, if your registration plate is obscured. It’s illegal to drive with a dirty or illegible number plate, so at the very least you need to wash your vehicle often enough to ensure that it’s visible. If you can’t see out of the windscreen or mirrors, head to the nearest car wash immediately!

No. The Highway Code states that the whole vehicle must be clear of snow or frost, including windows, mirrors, lights and number plates. You must also “remove all snow that might fall off into the path of other road users” – so give your vehicle a good clean all over, including the roof. And before setting off, always consider whether a journey during heavy snow is essential.