You could get a £5,000 fine for singing too loudly in your car

If you like to enjoy a little sing-along in the car you best be careful, as you could get a fine if you take it too far.

The due diligence we need to be showing behind the wheel goes beyond just paying attention to the traffic lights, speed limit and generally being a careful driver.

You could face a £5,000 fine for getting carried away while singing or listening to loud music, as it falls under ‘carelessness’, The Mirror reports.

Motoring experts are warning that drivers having a loud sing-along in your car could get you a ‘dangerous driving’ or ‘not being in proper control of a vehicle’ charge, and furthermore, if you end up in an accident you might get a £5,000 fine and nine points on your licence.

Hire firm Select Car Leasing delivered the warning, with director Mark Tongue saying: “Listening to music in your car is one thing, but if you’re singing loudly, dancing in your seat and generally getting into the groove, then you’re at risk of being distracted from the job at hand – which is keeping your eyes on the road.

“If there’s evidence – either dashcam footage or testimony from a police officer – that you were dancing and singing prior to an accident, you could ultimately be prosecuted for dangerous driving or driving without due care and attention.”

And it doesn’t stop there. He added: “The penalties can be severe – up to a £5,000 fine and nine points on your licence in the most serious of circumstances. You’ve also got to consider the implications of having your music too loud. If you’re drowned in sound, you may not be able to hear emergency vehicles approaching or other drivers’ warning horns.”

Mark also had a warning for football fans: “Meanwhile football supporters also need to be wary. If you’re going wild in your car celebrating a goal, you’re not paying attention to the traffic around you.”

Sophie Allinson, a specialist criminal and motoring solicitor at David Gray Solicitors LLP, added: “The police could choose to prosecute you if the way you listened to music caused a distraction as you drove. If it prevents you from driving with due care and attention, it could end in prosecution, and that includes singing or dancing at the wheel.”

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Emma Patterson, principal solicitor at motoring law specialist Patterson Law, said drivers could face three charges, ‘dangerous driving’, ‘careless driving’, and ‘not being in proper control of a vehicle’. She added: “It is entirely possible that listening to music too loudly could lead to a prosecution.”

So there you go, obviously you can still have a bit of a sing in the car, but don’t get carried away with it…