Millions of motorists across the UK commit driving offences they didn’t know existed, according to a new study.

The research, conducted by Confused.com found that nearly one in four (23%) UK drivers say there are so many motoring offences they don't know what’s legal or illegal.

And it’s this lack of knowledge that could land motorists with thousands of pounds worth of fines.

More than six million drivers have dodged a fine of as much as £5,000 for driving through a puddle and splashing a pedestrian.

One in six drivers have committed the offence, either accidentally or deliberately, but didn’t receive a fine.

The research also found not many motorists knew they could be fined for doing so, as 16 per cent admitted they were in the dark about it.

And it’s these sorts of offences that could cost motorists thousands of pounds in fines if they were caught on the spot or taken to court.

According to motorists, the sheer number of motoring rules they must obey is baffling.

And a further one in five think some motoring laws are unfair.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, says: “It’s worrying so many of us aren’t aware when we might be committing a motoring offence.

"Especially ones that carry such hefty fine like splashing pedestrians.

“With the recent storms and downpours, drivers are putting themselves at risk of being penalised by not cluing up on the law.

"This is why we’ve created our driving fines calculator to help prove just how much money some offences carry.

“To avoid any confusion when it comes to driving offences, we’ve busted some common driving law myths with our guide, and help drivers avoid potentially thousands of pounds worth of fines.”

Confused.com has launched a driving fines checklist.

Visit Confused.com.