Christmas lights. You either love them or you hate them. Those who love them spend 11 months of the year waiting to put them up, whilst those who hate them spend 1 month waiting for them to be taken down.
However, more and more of the Christmas light fan contingent in the UK seem to be taking tips from America when it comes to festive decorations.
A couple of decades ago, most people wouldn't go too much further than a few strings of lights, some tinsel round the mantelpiece, some paper chains and, of course, a Christmas tree. Now, it isn't unusual to see homes decorated from chimney to garden gate in lights, Father Christmases, reindeer, angels, snowmen and the occasional penguin.
Some of those who are truly dedicated to spreading the festive cheer with Christmas decorations aren't content with turning just their houses into light shows. They have now discovered that they have a possession that they have neglected to decorate in previous years: their car. It's the perfect way of taking their Christmas displays wherever they go and it means that even more people can enjoy and appreciate the sparkly decorations.
Sadly for the Christmas light lovers but much to the relief of the haters, the police might not agree. This is because there are strict regulations that govern the colour of lights that can be displayed in cars and contravening them can earn you a fine and penalty points on your driving licence.
Red lights, for example, are a very touchy subject. Displaying red lights in a car that shine any direction except behind is an infringement of the law and a Scrooge-like policeman won't waste any time in booking you. Don't expect your car insurance company to forget about your festive exuberance either, as those penalty points will stick around for years to come.
For those who are wondering what the harm in a few festive red lights is, the reason is safety. Police who recently reprimanded a lady for her in-car Christmas lights explained that: ".brake lights are red so someone in front could think they are looking at the back end of a vehicle when they are looking at the front." Enlightening, you might say.
Red lights aren't the only festive decorations that will get the police in a tizz. If you go over the top with any colour bulbs, you might face a charge of having "lights preventing the driver from having a clear view of the road ahead' or perhaps 'displaying any lamp so as to cause undue dazzle or discomfort to users of the road.'
Although having flashing fairy lights framing your car windows may look pretty, you may also find it difficult to see properly, especially when driving at night, and motorists coming towards you are likely to be bamboozled. If you are involved in an accident as a result of Christmas lights, the chances are that they (and your motor insurance quotes) won't look quite so appealing to you anymore.
Whatever the charge and however petty it may seem, the basic message is that having excessive decorations in your car could put you and other road users at risk of having an accident. Passing an overly-decorated house causes motorists to slow down and stare rather than concentrating on the road. They will do exactly the same thing if your car is filled with lights and tinsel, increasing their risk of crashing while distracted - perhaps into you.
So do you think it is really worth putting some Christmas lights in your car just for a few weeks when they could put up your car insurance premium for the next five years and increase your risk of causing an accident? Nope, didn't think so.