Questionable 'news' about fines for incorrectly set car clock

AyJaydee

I have just been told by someone that I need to remember to change the clock in my car when the clocks go back on Sunday. This is because if the Police stop me and my clock is not correct, then I can be fined and receive 3 penalty points.
This sounds like sensational fake news created by a newspaper and I have said so, but the person who told me is quite emphatic that it's true and just won't stop talking about it!  But when asked to show me the report, they cannot find news reports on their phone after being viewed.
Does anyone know anything about this? I need to shut this nonsense down quick.

KeithP

Is this anything to do with parking?

I think you'd get 'enthusiastic' replies if this thread was on the Motoring board.  

oldernonethewiser

Does this someone think the earth is flat too?

No it isn't true.

oldernonethewiser

The story, which was being promoted by a motoring group, at least a year ago, was that if your clock was wrong then you might pick up your mobile to check the real time.  This would then put you in the position of potentially getting a fine for using a phone while driving.

Don't change your clock no chance of a fine.

Use your phone while driving, may well get a fine and points.

Gr1pr

Not all vehicles have a clock, plus its not a part of any MOT, neither is having a mobile phone 

tell this dreamer that April fools day is 6 months ago, April the first to be precise , not today. !

Mobile phone fines and points are to do with Motoring, not parking 

400ixl

Absolute rubbish and would never be an endorsable offence. 

Half_way

KeithP said:

Is this anything to do with parking?

I think you'd get 'enthusiastic' replies if this thread was on the Motoring board.  

Board title:

Parking tickets, fines & parking

Where was this published?

A google search pulls up a bit of clickbait which states this

11.5 million British drivers face fines from Monday - and it's all to do with your car

A study has found that 11,500,000 British drivers do not change their car clock when the clocks change, potentially leading to fines for motorists

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/motoring/115-million-british-drivers-face-9648847

They come to that conclusion by stating that people will check the clock/time on their phone, so could be fined (prosecuted)  for checking their phone.

 Reach publications have really gone downhill over the last couple of years,

Fruitcake

I am glad that my portable timepiece does not need adjusting twice a year, although I do sometimes need a torch to read it.

AyJaydee

I was already pretty certain that this was wrong, then the article that sparked this off appeared. Fairly standard format….. Open with something sensational that’s sure to promote interest, then invite the reader to subscribe to continue reading. Very clever trickery.

facade

Anything with a URL ending in -post is just sensationalist clickbait with very little truth or facts.

If you click on it out of incredulity, you find that these "massive fines for all drivers" would only ever apply to the odd numpty who breaks an obvious, well known existing law through some bizarre set of circumstances only tenuously linked to their headline.

If I knew what I had done to get birminghampost into my 'phone's clickbait feed I'd undo it!

Every day I get headlines about massive new fines, huge new costs etc.

One I actually clicked on (so they achieved their objective) was

"Drivers face £1000 fine for not carrying a change of footwear in their car"

Absolute tosh. It was actually talking about a specific instance of "not being in proper control" caused by wearing certain types of shoes. (presumably which only a birminghampost journalist would feel were appropriate for driving in)

Money_Grabber13579

oldernonethewiser said:

The story, which was being promoted by a motoring group, at least a year ago, was that if your clock was wrong then you might pick up your mobile to check the real time.  This would then put you in the position of potentially getting a fine for using a phone while driving.

Don't change your clock no chance of a fine.

Use your phone while driving, may well get a fine and points.

For one to look at their clock and then be prompted to pick up their phone to check the time, they need to have an awareness that their clock hasn’t been changed. If they are so aware, is it really that difficult to add or subtract 1 hour from the time shown?

It really does sound like an article on Birmingham live - none of their headlines ever seem to have anything to do with the “story”