Paying traffic violation fines these days is pretty much as easy as just choosing when to do it, because they can literally be paid anywhere, including online. It is at the physical pay-points where things get a little bit interesting though, because you get to hear or participate in the conversations between people who are also there to pay their fines, amongst other things and there’s a very common trend that I’ve personally picked up.
One gentleman found it rather funny that he was cited for travelling with his dog in the car, something which all proud dog owners probably do, but knowing the rules around that I could immediately tell that he wasn’t forthcoming with the whole story. No traffic officer is going to give you a fine for merely having your furry friend in the car and yes, it’s probably not a usual occurrence for anyone to get a fine which is related to driving with their dog, but the likelihood was that he was probably fined for not following the correct protocol around the transportation of pets such as dogs in the vehicle.
Perhaps it’s time that the law be applied to the letter, because this is indeed one of the many laws which actually make sense with regards to their intended purpose of maintaining safety amongst drivers and amongst other road users by extension. The law states that the dog has to be secured and my best guess was that this unjustifiably bewildered gentleman was making a bit too much out of his situation. The fine wasn’t really that hefty in any case, but rather just making for a minor inconvenience. However, I think it’s enough of an inconvenience to have him heeding the law, going forward and putting in place the necessary processes to ensure he doesn’t have to suffer the same irritation of coming to pay a fine for something so “seemingly stupid.”
UK Tyre retailer, Tyre Pros, explores this particular rule of the road in more detail, with a publication of a post that expands on the statistic of 1 in 5 drivers admitting to driving with unsecured dogs. Check it out at: https://www.tyrepros.co.uk/blog/driving-with-your-dog
The specific rule in this instance is Rule 57 of the Highway Code, but there are many other rules of the road which motorists constantly break, some perhaps unknowingly or unintentionally. Still, it’s your responsibility to make sure you understand all rules of the road and that you adhere to them, even though in some cases you probably get away with many offenses which could otherwise land you in trouble had there been a traffic officer around to see.
Experienced motorists are perhaps just as guilty as novice ones, but more so on account of perhaps trusting their abilities a bit too much, and as I’ve come to realise personally by going to a physical pay-point to settle my fine, it’s almost as if the floodgates open. Once you get a singular fine it seems like an endless torrent of fines follow for all those times you got away with breaking the rules of the road!
