{"id":106905,"date":"2025-03-29T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=106905"},"modified":"2025-03-29T01:18:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T01:18:58","slug":"motorists-urged-change-before-sunday-fine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/motorists-urged-change-before-sunday-fine\/","title":{"rendered":"Motorists Urged to Make Quick Change Before Sunday or Risk a \u00a31,000 Fine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As British Summer Time<\/strong> starts this weekend, UK motorists are being urged to check and update their car clocks<\/strong> to reflect the time change, or risk facing fines and penalty points. According to LancsLive<\/em><\/a>, while most personal devices adjust automatically, vehicle clocks often need to be reset manually\u2014a detail that could have serious consequences if ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the Clock Change Matters for Drivers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the clocks move forward <\/a>one hour on Sunday, March 30<\/strong>, many people focus on adjusting alarms and home devices. However, neglecting to update the time in a vehicle can lead to more than just inconvenience. Experts from Pentagon Motor Group<\/strong> have highlighted that a failure to display the correct time in your car could contribute to unsafe driving behaviours or distractions\u2014potentially attracting a \u00a3200 fine<\/strong> and six penalty points<\/strong> if a driver is caught checking their phone or smartwatch behind the wheel to verify the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driving with an inaccurate car clock might seem like a minor oversight, but it can disrupt schedules, cause confusion, and even encourage illegal behaviours, such as using mobile devices while in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Legal Risk of Checking Your Phone or Smartwatch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The use of mobile phones or smartwatches while driving remains strictly prohibited<\/strong> under UK law. The penalties\u2014\u00a3200 fine<\/strong> and six penalty points<\/strong>\u2014are especially severe for new drivers, who could face an immediate licence revocation within their first two years on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smartwatches, although worn rather than held, are considered just as dangerous due to their capability to display notifications, emails, and other distractions. With an estimated 31% of drivers<\/strong> using smartwatches, the risk of misuse is substantial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to government guidance on gov.uk<\/strong>, the only legal exceptions for mobile use include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Calling 999 or 112 in an emergency<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Making a contactless payment in a stationary vehicle<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Using the phone while safely parked<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    How to Safely Adjust Your Car Clock<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    For drivers unsure how to change their car’s clock, numerous online resources<\/strong> are available. Social media platforms like TikTok<\/strong> host tutorials tailored to specific makes and models\u2014such as the example from @carsofglasgow1 for Jaguar owners. Alternatively, checking the owner\u2019s manual or the manufacturer\u2019s website can provide step-by-step instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The key is to make the adjustment before driving<\/strong> to avoid any distraction or legal risk while on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Small Detail, Big Consequence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    While it may seem like a trivial task, setting your car clock accurately plays a practical role in maintaining focus, keeping appointments, and avoiding distractions. With the clock change marking the start of longer, brighter days, it\u2019s also a timely reminder for drivers to stay alert and compliant with the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Failing to do so could result in penalties that far outweigh the few seconds it takes to reset your dashboard display.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Motorists across the UK are being warned to make a small but crucial adjustment before Sunday\u2014or risk unexpected fines and penalty points for overlooking it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2221,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106905"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106907,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106905\/revisions\/106907"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}