You asked
I am looking to confirm and obtain the below information please:
Please can you confirm the below information is correct in terms of whether it is illegal or legal for the below driving offences.
Please can you also provide the number of points and fines that can be handed out for the below offences.
Illegal- Splashing pedestrians with puddles
Illegal- Eating food
Illegal- Sleeping in your car while drunk
Legal- Wearing headphones
Legal- Playing loud music
Illegal- Parking the wrong side of the road at night
Illegal-Having a dirty number plate
Illegal-Not cleaning your windscreen before driving
Illegal-Using your horn when you are stationary
Illegal-Throwing an apple core out of the car window
Illegal-Using a loose sat nav
Illegal-Smoking a cigarette
Please can you also confirm any of these activities are illegal or legal whilst driving and the penalty points and fines people can receive:
Styling your hair
Daydreaming
Holding your partners hand at the wheel
A passenger leaning across the drivers wheel to take control
Going to the toilet whilst at the wheel
We said
Thank you for your request relating to the legality of certain driving offences.
Unfortunately, we do not hold the information you have requested. We are responsible for publishing statistics on police recorded crime for a specific list of offences that are (or can be) tried at Crown Court. This list does not cover driving offences, apart from the most serious crimes involving death or serious injury. Most driving offences are dealt with out of court (through penalty notices), or are tried at Magistrates Court. Statistics on such offences are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office.
However, as your request relates to the legality of the specified offences and the penalty that can be applied, you may be able to find the information you are looking for in the Highway Code. The section on ‘General rules, techniques and advice for all drivers and riders’ contains links to the relevant legislation, and there is a further section on penalties. If you have further questions you could contact the Department of Transport (at publicationgeneral.enq@dft.gsi.gov.uk) who may be able to assist you.
For future reference, you do not need to use a Freedom of Information request to ask for information. If you have any further questions, to simply email us at CrimeStatistics@ons.gov.uk and we will endeavour to help.