Late-night airport delays and a surge in taxi journeys mean some common passenger mistakes on New Year’s Eve could legally leave UK taxi drivers facing fines — not just the people in the back seat.
New Year’s Eve travel has a way of falling apart fast. Trains thin out early. Flights slip behind schedule. Taxis quietly become the only realistic way home for a lot of people. Airport arrivals, city centre parties, last orders creeping past midnight — it all stacks up. Demand rises. So do the problems.
This year, insurers are warning that some passenger habits don’t just put travellers at risk. They can legally land taxi drivers with fines under UK law. Stick a head out of a moving window. Step out before the car has fully stopped. Feels harmless at the time. Still a breach of Highway Code rules tied to seatbelt use, even if the driver hasn’t done much wrong.
Airports are expected to stay busy well into the night, especially around London. Delays ripple outward. Public transport winds down. More tired people end up in private hire cars. Late landings. Missed trains. A drink or two. Judgement gets fuzzy, fast.
A recent Go.Compare study shows how messy festive taxi journeys can be. Falling asleep mid-chat. Food sliding across seats. Backseat singing nobody asked for. More than two million people admit they’ve been sick in a taxi at some point. Millions more say they’ve argued with a driver. Funny later on, maybe. Less funny when fines or complaints start following.
Nathan Blackler, expert at Go.Compare, stated:
"Christmas taxi rides are a highlight of many nights out, but they can also be chaotic."
What many passengers don’t realise is this. Leaving a taxi before it stops. Riding without a seatbelt when one’s fitted. It can still leave the driver exposed. Responsibility doesn’t always end in the back seat. Sometimes enforcement lands up front.
With airports, councils and insurers all urging caution as the year turns, the advice stays simple. Plan ahead. Sit properly. Stay buckled. Pay the fare. Take two seconds to check the seat before you leave.
Blackler added:
"December is expensive enough without replacing a lost phone or bag, and while taxis can feel pricey, they remain a safer option than drink-driving."
As the countdown begins, taxis keep things moving when other transport fades out. A little awareness in the back seat. That’s all it takes to avoid a costly end to the night.
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