Clocks Go Back 25 October: Winter Driving Rules You Can Be Fined For
The Highway Code rules for dark evenings, fog, ice and snow, and what breaking them can cost.
← Back to Blog · Driving · Published 14 October 2026 · Directed and published by Matt Thompson, founder of UK Work Rights
This is free rights guidance, not legal advice. Statutory figures here are checked against a primary source and dated — see our Editorial & Verification Policy. For advice specific to your situation, see our About page or contact Citizens Advice.
The clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026. From then on, many people will drive home from work in the dark.
Darker evenings, fog, frost and snow bring some Highway Code rules into play. The rules that say MUST or MUST NOT are the law, and breaking them can mean a fine or penalty points. Here are the main ones, with the penalties in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is covered at the end.
Key points
🕑 Clocks go back 1 hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026
❄️ Before you set off, you must clear snow and ice from all your windows and make sure your lights and number plates are clean
🌫️ Use fog lights only when visibility is seriously reduced, and switch them off when it improves
🛞 Car tyres must have at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters, all the way round
🔑 You must not leave your car with the engine running while you are not in it, for example to defrost it
When do the clocks go back?
Clocks go back 1 hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October. In 2026 that is Sunday 25 October. They go forward again on the last Sunday in March.
Lights at night
The Highway Code says you must:
💡 have your sidelights and rear number plate lights on between sunset and sunrise
💡 use headlights at night, except on roads with lit street lighting. Those roads usually have a 30 mph limit (20 mph in Wales) unless signs say otherwise
💡 use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced
"Night" means from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.
You must not use your lights in a way that dazzles or causes discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
Fog lights
You must use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, which generally means you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet).
You must not use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced, and you must switch them off when visibility improves.
Clear your windows, lights and number plates before you set off
Before you set off in snow or ice:
❄️ You must be able to see, so clear all snow and ice from all your windows. A small gap scraped in the windscreen is not enough.
🔦 You must make sure your lights are clean and your number plates are clearly visible and legible.
The Highway Code also says to make sure your mirrors are clear, your windows are fully demisted, and to remove any snow that might fall off into the path of other road users.
Don't leave the engine running to defrost the car
You must not leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running, or leave the engine running unnecessarily while it is stationary on a public road. It is allowed when you are stationary in traffic or diagnosing a fault.
Councils that use their anti-idling powers can ask a driver to switch off.
🏴 England and Scotland: if you refuse, you can get a £20 fixed penalty, which goes up to £40 if it is not paid within 28 days.
🏴 Wales: from 30 September 2026, each council sets its own penalty of between £75 and £150.
Tyres
Car tyres must have a tread depth of at least 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, around the entire circumference. They must also be inflated to the vehicle maker's figure for the load you are carrying.
Grip matters more in winter: in icy weather, stopping distances can be ten times greater than on dry roads.
Parking at night
🅿️ You must not park on a road at night facing against the traffic unless you are in a recognised parking space.
🅿️ On a road with a speed limit over 30 mph, you must have parking lights on when you park on the road or in a lay-by.
🅿️ On a road with a limit of 30 mph or less, a car can be parked without lights if it is at least 10 metres (32 feet) from a junction, close to the kerb and facing the direction of the traffic, or in a recognised parking place or lay-by.
🅿️ Avoid parking on the road in fog. If you have to, leave your parking lights or sidelights on.
What are the fines?
Police can give a fixed penalty. If the case goes to court, the court decides the fine, up to the maximum. These are the penalties in England, Scotland and Wales:
🚗 Careless driving: £100 fixed penalty and 3 penalty points. In court: a higher fine, 3 to 9 points, and a possible driving ban.
🛞 Illegal tyres: £100 fixed penalty and 3 points. In court: up to £2,500 for each tyre, and 3 points.
🔢 Number plate that can't be read: £100 fixed penalty. In court: up to £1,000.
💡 Lights and other vehicle rules (for example faulty lights): £50 fixed penalty. In court, for a car: up to £1,000.
🔑 Engine idling: see the council penalties above.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has its own Highway Code on nidirect. It has the same rules on lights at night, fog lights, clearing snow and ice, leaving the engine running and parking at night, with two differences:
💡 it says to use headlights at night, with no exception for roads with street lighting
🅿️ a car parked without lights on a 30 mph road must be at least 15 metres from a junction (10 metres in Great Britain)
The fines above are for England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, penalties are set under Northern Ireland law.
Not sure where you stand? Got a parking ticket, or a letter from the DVLA? Our free Parking Fine Rights Checker and DVLA & Licence Rights Checker explain the rules for your part of the UK. No login, no charge.
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