Experts at Leasing Options have analysed Pinterest, TikTok and Google searches to determine the most popular ways to decorate your car for Halloween this year.
Halloween decorations for cars have seen a 104% spike in popularity in the past month, and the hashtag #HalloweenCar has over 5.1 million views on TikTok. The trend started in the US with Halloween tailgating, also known as ‘Trunk or Treat’, and has now spread across other countries as another way to get into the spooky spirit.
If you plan on decorating your car this Halloween, Leasing Options have included tips on how you can do so safely and avoid risking any fines if you are in the UK.
1. Blood handprints and stickers
Stickers are a great way to temporarily decorate your car, with people opting to add a touch of blood, handprints and creepy crawlies to their vehicle at Halloween. If you do this, make sure to purchase stickers that won’t damage your paintwork or leave residue on your windows.
If the stickers do leave a mark on your windows, an easy way to get the residue off is by soaking a cloth in rubbing alcohol, or white vinegar mixed with warm water, and holding it on the affected area for 5 minutes before rubbing it away.
When placing stickers on your windows, check that they won’t obstruct your view of the road or your surroundings, otherwise you could be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and get three penalty points for driving a vehicle in dangerous conditions. Additionally, if you are in an accident caused by an obstruction to your view caused by stickers and decorations, you may invalidate your insurance.
2. Arm sticking out of the boot
It might be Halloween, but staging a fake arm sticking out of your boot is a controversial decoration that could land you in a lot of trouble.
Despite being one of the most popular choices of Halloween decorations for your car, doing this is inconsiderate towards other drivers and pedestrians. The Road Traffic Act 1988 states that driving ‘without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place’ is an offence, and could lead to you being stopped by the police and given up to a £5,000 fine.
You could also be fined an additional £1,000 If the fake arm covers your number plate.
To avoid having your Halloween fun being cut short by the police, you may wish to avoid this type of decoration.
3. Covering your car in spider webs
A popular way to decorate your house for Halloween, people are now adding spiderwebs to their car as well.
There are a variety of places you can place the spiderwebs inside and outside of your car, including on door handles, headrests and across the boot shelf.
If you plan on using spiderwebs to decorate your car this year, make sure you can still see the road and your surroundings otherwise you could become a risk to others and be fined up to £2,500 and receive three points on your licence.
4. Covering your seats with spooky seat covers
Halloween-themed car seat covers are a great way to add a little spookiness to your car’s interior.
You can find some that have faces on the headrest, the perfect way to spook passersby when you’re not in your car.
These are a great option for decorating your car for Halloween, as long the car seat cover isn’t offensive and doesn’t interfere with your driving.
5. Turning the boot into a Halloween scene
Many people park their car on their drive with the boot open to show off amazing Halloween scenes inside for trick or treaters, with popular scenes including cemeteries, pumpkin displays and spooky faces.
It may sound obvious, but it is important to ensure you only do this when your vehicle is stationary.
If you plan on travelling anywhere in your car while the boot is decorated, it is important to make sure everything is secure, your number plate is visible, and you can still see out of your rearview mirror.
If not, you risk being fined up to £2,500 and could receive three points on your licence for dangerous driving.
6. Changing the headlight colours
Some people may wish to change the colour of the lights on their car, or add additional coloured lights, to look more Halloween-themed. However, different lights can be illegal so it is important to consider this before doing so.
It is an offence to have red lights at the front of your car, white lights to the rear (unless reversing), or neon lights under or on the side of your car. If you have these, you can receive a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice.
There are certain colours that are only allowed to be used by certain job roles, for example green lights can only be fitted on Medical Practitioner vehicles, whilst blue lights can only be used by emergency vehicles. If you are caught using these, you risk a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice and could be reported to court.
