Drivers are being warned they could be hit with hefty fines if they fail to keep their cars in a clean and tidy condition.
Many of us are guilty of leaving rubbish like fast food packaging, coffee cups, or empty drinks bottles in our cars from time to time – but if it all starts to pile up, this is when you could find yourself in a bit of trouble.
While it’s true that there’s no specific rule against having your car like a tip, and in some cases, it’s actually celebrated – especially with a woman from Manchester having been voted as having the “messiest car in the UK” last year – Brits are now being told to be aware that if your vehicle becomes too cluttered internally, it poses a potential risk to your ability to drive.
If a piece of rubbish lodges itself under the pedals, for example, then experts are warning it could be the cause of a catastrophic accident.
Well, what kind of fines are we talking then?
Drivers are being warned they could receive a fine of up £5,000 for having a messy car / Credit: Clean Me
Well, rule 237 of the Highway Code states that all motorists must drive with care and attention, and a failure to do this could turn into a hazard – which would result in the person behind the wheel not meeting the standard required of a competent driver, and therefore not showing due consideration for other road users.
ADVERTISEMENT
If stopped by the roadside, a £100 fine and three points can be put on your licence.
Then for more serious offences, this could result in anywhere from three to nine penalty points, and a discretionary fine of up to £5,000 – all depending on the severity.
In the worst case scenario, if there is a fatal accident due to the lack of care from the driver, then they could not only be handed an unlimited fine and a driving ban, but they could even be facing up to five years in prison.
ADVERTISEMENT
Experts say a build up of rubbish could cause of a catastrophic accident / Credit: EuroCarParts
“Few of us can honestly say we’ve never left a little rubbish in our vehicles,” admitted Andrew Jervis, co-founder of online car repair marketplace, ClickMechanic.
“However, it’s important to be aware of all of the potential hazards that could arise.
“Empty drinks containers are certainly one of the most common, as they can move around as we drive, and if one manages to roll its way into the pedal area, it could spell disaster if it becomes lodged underneath the brake or distracts the driver.
“So it’s much better to keep your vehicle free from mess, as not only does it create a better driving environment, it could help prevent a terrible crash or severe consequences.”
Featured Image – RAC
Trending
Watch adorable Lottie, 7, wowing crowds at Manchester Carnival on stage with Serani
Daisy Jackson
A tiny singer has ended up as one of the stars of the show at Manchester Caribbean Carnival after she was pulled up on stage by dancehall singer Serani.
Little Lottie, at just seven years old, belted out a verse of the star’s hit song No Games while the huge crowd cheered and danced.
And Serani was so impressed with her, that he’s now got back in touch and asked her to feature on his new song, and treated her family to a day out in London with him.
Videos of the heartwarming exchange at Carnival have been widely shared on social media, with one video earning more than 6.2m views on TikTok at the time of writing.
In the below video shared with The Manc, Serani is seen crouching down to her eye level, before asking the young girl for her name and telling her she is ‘so sweet’.
Lottie then grabs his arm and whispers in his ear that she doesn’t know all the words, to which he responds: “You don’t need to know all of it baby, just sing for the beautiful people of Manchester.”
After a brief hesitation, Lottie, wearing a pink tie-die dress, starts belting out No Games – and the crowd absolutely erupts.
Serani then starts singing the lyric ‘It’s, it’s, it’s Serani’ – but is interrupted by Lottie shouting ‘LOTTIE’, much to the delight of the onlookers.
Once she hits her stride, there’s no stopping the tiny star, who had all of Alexandra Park in the palm of her hand.
Thousands of people have shared their love for the adorable moment on social media.
Comments have included ‘GET IT LOTTIEEEEEE’ and ‘LOTTIE MASH UP DI PLACE’.
Another person wrote: “The way her confidence shot up when everyone hyper her.”
Someone else said: “Wow the way I felt that energy thru the phone like POW.”
One user commented: “Love the crowd hyping up the boss girl! She’s got fantastic taste in music too!”
Serani has since said: “She is the star, she just took over the stage, she’s so sweet.
“I never thought the video would get so big but the views just kept growing and growing.”
Featured image: Supplied
Trending
Apple users urged to update devices after security flaw is ‘actively exploited’ by hackers
Emily Sergeant
Apple has admitted it is aware of reports of serious security vulnerabilities for iPhones, iPads and Macs, and is urging users to update their devices.
In its latest security reports, the global tech company acknowledged that the issue could make it possible for hackers to take complete control of devices, and admitted that it was “aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited”.
Devices thought to be potentially affected include iPhones6S and later models, several models of the iPad – including the 5th generation and later – all iPad Pro models and the iPad Air 2, and Mac computers running MacOS Monterey.
The issue also affects some iPod models, according to security experts.
In the security update on its support page, Apple said one of the flaws means a malicious application “may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges”.
Apple users are being urged to update devices after reports a security flaw may have been “actively exploited” by hackers / Credit: Unsplash | Jason Goodman (via Unsplash)
Apple’s explanation of the vulnerability means a hacker could get “full admin access to the device” so that they can “execute any code as if they are you, the user,” according to Rachel Tobac – CEO of SocialProof Security.
Security experts are now urgently encouraging those with one of the potentially at-risk devices to make sure all updates are carried out.
While Apple has not disclosed any additional details about the attacks or who may have carried them out, it’s been reported that the bugs were flagged by anonymous researchers, and the tech company has now also echoed in its newest update that “important security updates are recommended for all users”.
The tech company has admitted it is aware of reports of serious security vulnerabilities / Credit: Andreas Strandman (via Unsplash)
Ms Tobac also added that those who should be particularly attentive to updating their Apple devices and software are “people who are in the public eye” like activists or journalists who might be the targets of sophisticated nation-state spying.
Apple has also not given any further information on how many users it believes were affected.
Emily Sergeant -
7th July 2022 
