Warning over 5 driving mistakes during tonight’s solar eclipse that could land you with a £200 fine

EXPERTS have issued a warning over five driving mistakes which could land you with hefty fines during today’s solar eclipse. While the celestial event will be the biggest the UK has seen in nearly 30 years, motorists will have no excuse if they fail to follow any of these rules. A motors expert has shared advice to anyone who will be driving during the solar eclipse (stock image) Credit: Duncan_Andison The Met Office has shared when the sun will be obscured the most across the UK Credit: Met Office With millions of Brits set to observe the solar eclipse this evening, the UK will come close to a standstill. However, anyone driving during the “once in a lifetime” event, which is expected to peak roughly between 7pm and 7.20pm, will have to keep their focus on the road. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Matt Crole-Rees, motoring expert at Confused.com, broke down the five mistakes to avoid if you are operating a vehicle during the solar eclipse.“Tonight’s eclipse will be a memorable moment for millions, as it’s the UK’s biggest partial solar eclipse in over 25 years,” he explained. “But the one place you shouldn’t be watching it from is behind the wheel. “Avoiding these warnings can carry real penalties too,” the expert added. He advised motorists not to look up at the eclipse while they are driving as “it only takes a second of distraction for a routine journey to turn into a serious accident”. A careless driving charge can land you with a £100 fine and three penalty points, with penalties rising to as much as nine points, an unlimited fine or even a driving ban in serious cases. And it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing the specially-designed solar eclipse glasses, in fact, you should avoid these when behind the wheel. Most read in Motors “They’re designed for looking at the sun, not the road, and they black out almost everything in front of you,” the expert revealed. According to Matt, you should also resist the urge to reach for your phone or camera to grab a photo of the eclipse. “Using a handheld phone while driving is illegal,” he reminded motorists. “Reaching for your phone will leave you with a £200 fine and six points on top.” He also warned against braking suddenly or stopping in the road to take in the celestial event. “It’s a common cause of rear-end collisions and can bring traffic to a dangerous standstill,” Matt said. And finally, he advised motorists against pulling over “somewhere dangerous, such as a hard shoulder, grass verge, narrow country road, or anywhere you could block other traffic” just to take in the eclipse. “If you do want to watch it, park up somewhere safe and legal well before it starts, and keep your visor down and headlights on for the low evening sun,” the expert recommended. “Once you’re stopped, make sure you’re also looking through proper, certified eclipse glasses, as ordinary sunglasses won’t protect your eyes and staring at the sun directly can cause permanent damage. “The eclipse will only last a few minutes, so there’s no need to let a moment of distraction turn a routine drive into a dangerous one.” Comment now