Posted on October 14, 2009 by Fiona Hilliard

The next time you’re driving in the rain and you spot a big glassy puddle, you might just want to ignore that mischievous little devil on your shoulder that urges you to splash the nearest passers-by…it could cost you in penalty points.

A female driver in the UK learned this the hard way and is currently facing court action for purposely driving through a puddle and splashing a group of school children.

Perhaps the biggest mistake she made was posting the whole prank on You Tube.

Police received a number of complaints from members of the public who viewed the grainy film.

In the footage, a male passenger gives a commentary as she drives downhill in Plymouth, Devon.

“Puddle at the bottom of the hill coming up, kids at the bottom of the hill – come on!” he is heard exclaiming.

The clip, which was filmed from inside the car, shows the vehicle splashing a group of youngsters who were waiting at a bus stop.

Police officers say the 29- year old woman had come forward herself and was interviewed on Sunday.

She has been reported for careless driving and a file is being sent to the crown prosecution service.

A spokesperson for the police said: “Deliberately splashing people by driving through a big puddle could mean that the motorist was driving without reasonable consideration for the other road users.

There is also the great danger that by driving through standing water, this could cause the driver of the vehicle to lose control and could result in a road traffic collision.  People involved in this practice could find themselves prosecuted and points put on their licence.”

Rather surprisingly, driving through a puddle to splash bystanders is an offence of careless and inconsiderate driving, “under the Road Traffic Act section 3” and carries a fine of up to £2,500 (€2,676).

This isn’t the first time that a case of this type has been brought to court.  Four years ago, a driver who admitted soaking a workman by driving through a puddle was fined £150 (€161) and slapped with three penalty points by magistrates in Yeovil, Somerset.