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What are the 'Fatal Four' driving offences?
And could they soon become the 'Fatal Five'?
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 01/04/2026
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 01/04/2026
According to road charity company Brake, someone is killed or seriously injured every 17 minutes on UK roads.
While there will inevitably be some that are unavoidable, there are a few driving behaviours that significantly add to the number of road traffic accidents.
Known as the Fatal Four, these factors have been identified by police and fire services as increasing collision risks by as much as 20% during peak months:
In recent months, some police forces have decided to add careless or inconsiderate driving to the above list, increasing the Fatal Four to the Fatal Five.
While this isn’t officially part of the government’s 2026 Road Safety Strategy, some of the above will be caught by the innovative cameras that make up part of the £115m National AI Centre Initiative.
As reported in the Northern Echo, recent Tempcover research* revealed 72% of drivers are unaware that AI cameras that can detect offences inside vehicles, including seatbelt violations and mobile phone use, are now active across the UK.
Aiming to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 65% by the time we get to 2035, part of this initiative will be a national deployment of AI cameras. These cameras will be able to identify high-risk behaviours like not wearing a seatbelt or using a device, meaning many road users may be at risk of penalties and points.
The Safer Essex Roads Partnership states speeding was a major factor in collisions resulting in someone being killed or seriously injured. This should serve as a useful reminder that the speed limit is not a target and that you should adapt your driving to suit the conditions and type of road.
It is important to slow your speed when driving past a town centre or near a school. Broughton School of Motoring suggests:
Penalties for speeding include:
You also may be given the opportunity to attend a speed awareness course.
If you receive 6 points within the first two years of passing your test, your licence will be revoked. You’ll have to take and pass both your theory and practical tests again.
Although they may be set to change later this year, the current drink-driving limits are as follows:
Level of alcohol | England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Scotland |
Micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath | 35 | 22 |
Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood | 80 | 50 |
Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine | 107 | 67 |
Alcohol levels can vary depending on age, gender, weight etc, meaning the safest number of units to drive on is always zero.
You may get:
You may get:
You may get:
You may get:
Life imprisonment.
An unlimited fine.
A ban from driving for at least 5 years.
An extended driving test before your licence is returned.
You can be stopped and subjected to a roadside screening test and/or field impairment test if police believe you have taken drugs, or if you’ve committed a traffic offence or been involved in a road traffic collision.
You should always check if you can legally drive after any medication as some may cause side effects that could pose a danger to you and others e.g. anti-depressants can cause drowsiness.
The penalties for drug-driving could include:
This offence will also appear on your driving licence for the next 11 years and it is likely to affect your insurance costs and trouble travelling. It may also put any future driving jobs in jeopardy.
It’s illegal to use a hand-held phone when driving, whether that be to make a call, text a friend, doomscroll or take photos. You don’t want a CU80 conviction on your licence - or the potential 6 penalty points and £200 fine.
This law applies when you’re stopped at traffic lights or queueing in traffic. If you’re caught using your phone within 2 years of passing your driving test, you could lose your licence completely.
Hands-free kits are legal but you should still keep your eyes on the road and avoid any distractions when using one of these.
This is a worrying statistic as Department for Transport (DfT) figures have shown:
Drivers are responsible for ensuring everyone under 14 in the vehicle is wearing a seat belt or secured in a car seat. You can be fined up to £500 if they (or you) do not wear a seat belt when they (or you) are supposed to.
Children should use a car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first. Once over this age or height, they must wear a seat belt.
As mentioned above, some local authorities are adding careless driving to their lists to make the Fatal Five.
In addition to tailgating, Hampshire Police lists the following examples of driving without due care and attention:
Thames Valley Police, alongside Hampshire Police, explained that although careless driving "may not come under the legal term of dangerous driving", it would attempt to educate motorists: "Where education does not work, we will look to conduct enforcement around this, with penalty points and a fine," the forces added.
The Highway Code confirms you could get 3 to 9 penalty points, an unlimited fine and discretionary disqualification if found guilty of careless and inconsiderate driving.
This change has come about as although car technology is designed to improve the safety of road users, human error still remains an issue that cannot be automated.
We all know how important it is to stay safe on the roads, and if you were to have an accident, you need to make sure you have insurance.
If you need someone else to drive or your car is out of action, you could consider taking out temporary car insurance. This comprehensive cover is flexible to your needs and keeps everyone’s minds at ease.
*Mortar Research: Survey of over 2,000 UK motorists commissioned by Tempcover in March 2026.
*FOI Data: Freedom of Information data request for the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend 2024 and 2025 (29th March - 1st April 2024 and 18th - 21st April 2025) from West Mercia Police, Norfolk Police and Durham Constabulary.
https://saferessexroads.org/fatal-four/
https://www.broughtonschoolofmotoring.com/the-fatal-four
https://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/safety/road-safety-vehicle-fires/the-fatal-four/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2gr9zpnrvo
https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/uk-road-safety
https://www.gov.uk/drink-driving-penalties
If you see someone driving dangerously, you should stop your car safely and call 999 if they are causing immediate danger. If it’s not an emergency, you can use the local authority’s online reporting tool.
The fatal four driving offences are speeding, drink and drug driving, using a mobile phone and not wearing a seatbelt. Some local authorities are looking to add careless driving to this list to make it the fatal five.
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