No, a new law isn’t being introduced to stop people playing music while driving

Videos being shared on Facebook contain text that falsely claims a new law is coming into force that will see people who play music while driving receive a fine and points on their licence.

Somewhat confusingly, the audio accompanying these videos doesn’t relate to that claim, however. Instead, it separately (and also falsely) claims that all households in Britain will see a £290 “monthly electricity charge regardless of whether you use a single unit of power” and that everyone must pay a fee “to keep the national grid stable”.

We could find no evidence on the Gov.uk website or on Hansard, the record of what is said in parliament, that either policy has been announced or is being introduced. Nor have there been any credible media reports matching either of these claims.

Most energy customers already pay an obligatory standing charge, set by suppliers, which covers costs associated with maintaining the energy supply network and goes towards some government schemes. These can vary depending on a customer’s location. According to Ofgem, the average annual charge is around £200. But this is not a new electricity charge, and it is not true that “every household in Britain will face a 290 pounds monthly electricity charge” as one of the videos claims.

The videos appear to be the latest examples of the fake stories about personal freedoms we’ve seen all over social media lately. We wrote more about this trend, and why it might be happening, earlier this week.

What are the rules around playing music while driving?

Text overlaid on both videos says: “Playing Music While Your Vehicle Is Moving £120 Fine and Three Penalty Points On Your License. New Law Set to Restrict Playing Music in Vehicles Across the UK”.

It is already illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav or other similar device while driving, and rule 148 of the Highway Code says drivers should “avoid distractions while driving or riding” such as “loud music” as this may “mask other sounds”. Breaking this rule could come under the offence of careless driving, which can result in on-the-spot £100 fines and three penalty points on your licence. This can rise to a £5,000 fine and prosecution if a driver causes an accident that results in an injury or fatality.

But it is not an offence in itself to listen to music while driving, and there’s no new law to restrict the playing of music in vehicles.

The audio used in the videos seems to intentionally resemble the voice of Sir Keir Starmer, and is almost certainly AI-generated. A label on the top-right of each video says “Generated by AI”, and the phrasing of “a 290 pounds monthly electricity charge” also differs from what we’d expect from a real speaker.