Experts are warning motorists that they could be slapped with steep fines for splashing pedestrians with their vehicles as millions deal with poor weather conditions.
Research has revealed that more than 16 million pedestrians have been splashed by a vehicle on the road last year with calls for drivers to face harsher fines for careless driving.
The Road Traffic Act details how if a person drives without “reasonable consideration” they would be guilty of careless driving.
The fine for careless driving is £100 fine and three penalty points. However, if a driver is found to be “incompetent” they could be fined £5,000.
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More than 16 million pedestrians are splashed each year
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Data from Green Flag found that if a car is travelling through a puddle at 40 miles per hour it creates a splash 3.05 metres high, which is 20 centimetres higher than a typical bus shelter.
The average pavement in the UK is less than three metres wide meaning many pedestrians would be unable to avoid a car splashing them when driving through a puddle at anything over 20mph.
Nearly two million people have stated they would also ask the driver to pay for dry cleaning if they were splashed, although just nine per cent of those who were splashed said the driver stopped to help them.
On top of speeding drivers, a rise in blocked drains and gullies can also increase the number of puddles on roads, resulting in more pedestrians being splashed.
Katie Lomas, managing director of Green Flag, said: “It is incredibly inconsiderate to splash a pedestrian by speeding through puddles.
“Our research shows that speed has a considerable impact on the splash radius of a puddle, showing the importance of slowing down when driving through them, or if it is safe to do so avoiding them altogether, especially when there are pedestrians nearby.
“Drivers should always take extra care when there is water on the road as it can cause accidents and damage to their vehicle.”
Council data found a 35 per cent jump in reports of blocked drains and gullies to local authorities between 2021 and 2023 with an increase from 60,633 reports to 81,813.
When looking at the data regionally, London was flagged as the place where drivers were most likely to stop and help someone they splashed (51 per cent) while in Wales, just three per cent of those splashed were assisted.
London also ranked highly for the location where pedestrians were splashed most often last year (50 per cent), followed by the North West of England (36 per cent) and Yorkshire and the Humber (33 per cent).
However, just 13 per cent of drivers claimed they would stop completely to avoid splashing someone.
Notably, almost four million (11 per cent) drivers claim to have crashed or nearly crashed trying to avoid a puddle.
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A car can create a splash zone as high as three metres
PA
While millions of pedestrians continue to get splashed by speeding motorists, only one driver has ever been prosecuted.