Motorists could be liable to SPLASH out £5,000 for driving through puddles and drenching pedestrians
Updated: May 7, 2022
Driving in rainy conditions isn’t exactly ideal and means we have to be more wary of who is around us, in terms of on the road and on the pavement too.
Big puddles can amount when rain is heavy and pedestrians can bear the brunt of that, with vehicles splashing them as they pass. However, this isn’t actually allowed, and is punishable as it can be seen as careless driving.
In the Road Traffic Act 1988, Section 3, it states: "If a person drives a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, he is guilty of an offence."
If you’re caught doing this, you could receive 3-9 points on your licence and up to a £5000 fine.
But whilst driving at night especially, it can sometimes be hard to actually see where these large puddles have formed. Myself, a taxi driver, once had an incident where this was the case.
I remember late one evening driving through Greenwich with a passenger on board, unable to see a large puddle which had formed, I managed to drive straight through it, causing a large splash.
Completely oblivious to the fact the water had soaked a pedestrian who was in his Friday night best outfit ready for a night out on the town.
All I remember is hearing the sound of dress shoes pounding the pavement and the voice of a man, who was clearly infuriated, shouting out “Oi, stop, you f***ing (bleep)". I remember thinking it‘s kicking off out there, just another typical night in London.
It wasn’t until we got a fair way down the road that the man's feet and voice disappeared into the distance. It was at that point my passenger made me aware of what had happened. Explaining that as we unintentionally drove through the puddle, the water sprayed up, drenching the pedestrian through to the bone.
Needless to say, I was extremely relieved that we hadn’t got caught at any red lights, because this chap was not a happy bunny and I could have found myself involved in a nasty altercation over something I had no idea I had even done.
