BAD SANTA: Father Christmas is set to break THESE driving and riding rules while delivering presents on 24th

Experts at Dayinsure reveal all the driving laws that Santa is set to break on Christmas Eve including having an overloaded vehicle, wearing clothing that could impact his ability to control his sleigh, not securing all his luggage and not keeping his naughty elves under control.

Some of Santa’s rule-breaking could also lead him to get fines and points on his licence, and invalidating his sleigh insurance.

Santa Claus may want to take another look at the Highway Code before he sets off this Christmas Eve, as it turns out he could be breaking a lot of driving rules when he delivers his gifts, experts at temporary car insurance provider, Dayinsure, have advised.

Dayinsure looked through vehicle insurance policy wording1, the Highway Code2 and government policies on motoring penalties3, to determine what could land Father Christmas in hot water, and what the potential consequences could be for his rule breaking.

Driving or riding with unrestrained luggage: According to rule 57 of the Highway Code, when driving or riding you must make sure all luggage is suitably restrained so that it cannot distract you or injure you if you have to stop quickly. If Santa’s many millions of gifts were to fall out of his sleigh and cause an accident then he could be charged with ‘careless driving – driving without due care and attention / failure to have proper control of the vehicle’, receive 3-11 penalty points and be given an unlimited fine. He could even be disqualified from sleigh-driving in the future! This in turn could invalidate his sleigh insurance, if it is proven that a crash came about because of ‘reckless or careless driver behaviour’.

Wearing clothes that could prevent him from using the controls: Rule 97 of the Highway Code states that you must ensure that your clothing and footwear do not prevent you using the controls in the correct manner. Unfortunately, as festive as it may be, a large red suit and big boots could prevent Santa from being able to use his sleigh pedals, and if he caused an accident, he could be charged with ‘careless driving’.

Overloading his vehicle: According to rule 98 of the Highway Code, you must not overload your vehicle, which means that the manufacturer’s recommended weight should not be exceeded. It would be tricky to do this in most cars – but it’s something for Santa to keep in mind if he has a lot of very heavy gifts this year. He should probably ask one of his elves to check the manufacturer weight limit which is usually noted in the handbook.

Reducing his vision: Rules 200-203 state that you should be able to clearly see the road and be able to check for pedestrians, cyclists or obstructions, and also be able to look behind you when reversing. If Santa fills his sleigh up with too many gifts, then he won’t be able to see out of it and he’ll have to be extra cautious, particularly if he needs to reverse (might be tricky for the reindeer anyway) as any accident caused could lead to a charge of ‘careless driving’ and his insurer may not pay out for damage caused to his sleigh. He could also be fined and receive penalty points.

Listening to loud Christmas songs: Rule 148 of the Highway Code advises that safe driving requires concentration, and you must avoid distractions such as loud music, as this may mask other sounds. It’s very likely that Santa is a big fan of all the Christmas classics, but he should make sure he doesn’t have his playlist on too loud as he could lose concentration (and maybe even miss a stop!)

Not keeping his elves under control: Rule 102 of the Highway Code is again all about the importance of concentration. Anyone who has passengers in their car, van and other goods vehicle (aka a sleigh) should ensure that they are kept under control. Santa may want to have a quiet word with his elves about naughty behaviour before they set off. Again, these actions fall under ‘careless driving’ and penalty points (at least 3) apply for rule-breakers.

Not wearing seatbelts: According to rules 99-102 of the Highway Code, a driver and all passengers (aged over 14) must wear a seat belt, and kids (this also includes elves) must be in a suitable child restraint such as a car seat. Failing to abide by these rules could mean that Santa is charged with a seat belt offence and receive a fine up to £500. If an accident occurs and sleigh damage is caused then his insurance provider may not pay out for this, as they may deem that he has ‘not taken reasonable steps to prevent the injury from occurring’.

Parking up somewhere unsuitable: Rules 240-244 of the Highway Code outline that you must not leave your vehicle in a dangerous position or where it causes any unnecessary obstruction of the road. Drivers are advised to use off-street parking areas, or bays marked out with white lines wherever possible. If Santa has to stop on the roadside, which is very likely, then he should not be park up facing against the traffic flow and should stop as close as he can to the side.

Breaking these rules falls under ‘miscellaneous offences – leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position’ and could lead to his receiving 3+ penalty points and a £200+ fine.

Drinking and driving (or riding): On Christmas Eve, many people leave out a little festive tipple for Santa, but they may want to go for a non-alcohol option as rule 95 of the Highway Code advises to never drink and drive as it will seriously affect judgement and ability. Penalties for drink driving are severe, with at least 3 penalty points given and a fine of £2,500+. There is also a risk of driver disqualification and 6 months’ imprisonment. Perhaps this year we should all leave out a glass of milk or cranberry juice instead?

Nicholas Shaw, Director of Operations at Dayinsure added: “It could be time for Father Christmas to revisit that highway code rulebook as it looks like there are a lot of things that he could be ignoring when he does his rounds on Christmas Eve. Of course, he’s been doing this for a long time but some extra caution, particularly if driving or riding through wintery conditions like ice and snow is important. If you add merry passengers and a very full boot into the mix too, there really is a greater risk.”

More tips and advice for Santa can be found at: https://www.dayinsure.com/help-and-support/claims-and-breakdown/.