Motorists are being advised to cover their cars with a windscreen cover or a damp bath towel by Thursday, November 5, to protect against firework residue that could lead to fines of up to £1,000 and penalty points.
Motoring experts at Dick Lovett have issued a warning about 'falling firework residue' in the run-up to Bonfire Night. They caution that it could seriously hamper windscreen visibility during peak firework display season and may result in fines and penalty points on a driver's licence.
Visibility Risks and Official Guidance
Previous studies have shown that visibility can be dramatically reduced when travelling near a fireworks display, with certain parts of the UK seeing visibility slashed by as much as 64%. Official government guidance states that parking at professional displays should be "well away from the display area and dropping zone", with the recommended distance for dropping zones from spent fireworks standing at a minimum of 100m x 50m.
Vehicles should be parked "upwind of the display", but unpredictable weather conditions pose a real risk. Should the wind shift to downwind mid-display, drivers could find debris raining down on their vehicles, even if parked within the supposedly safe upwind distance.
Protecting Vehicles at Home
Around 20 million people take part in private firework displays each year, and drivers keeping their cars at home will not benefit from any distance from such displays. For those unable to keep their vehicles fully protected in a secure garage, Dick Lovett recommends covering their cars on Bonfire Night to shield the windows and paintwork from stray embers.
For drivers without a full car cover, the advice is to at least cover the windscreen with a windscreen cover or a damp bath towel to protect it from ash. When ash combines with water or rainfall, it forms a paste-like substance, which can further hamper visibility and make it considerably harder to remove from glass.
Legal Consequences and Cleaning Advice
For those whose car windscreen has already been affected by fireworks or bonfire ash, Dick Lovett strongly advises giving it a thorough clean before setting off. Drivers should also carefully clean other parts of the windscreen, such as the wipers, as any trapped debris could be smeared across the screen once switched on.
Should drivers be pulled over at the roadside with a dirty windscreen, they could face a £1,000 fine, penalty points on their licence, or even a driving ban. If the matter were to go to court, drivers could be hit with a fine of up to £5,000 and receive as many as nine penalty points.
Under Regulation 30 of The Road Vehicles Regulations 1986, motorists must ensure all glass remains free from obstruction. The Highway Code also stipulates that 'windscreens and windows MUST be kept clean and free from obstructions to vision'.
Alex Hynes, Service Manager at Dick Lovett, said: "It's vital that drivers take extra precaution to protect their windscreens from debris during firework season - especially after such a year of unpredictable weather."
"While drivers might not feel responsible for reduced visibility from debris, especially if they're not actually attending a display, drivers have a legal responsibility to ensure their vehicle is always in a roadworthy condition. It might feel inconvenient, but not checking your windscreen for debris in the days leading up to and after Halloween and Bonfire Night will only put yourself and other motorists at risk."
