HAVE you ever wondered, while driving along the A590, what would happen if a police officer pulled you over because your mischievous toddler had unfastened their seatbelt?

Or maybe as you overtake a towering truck you've asked yourself whether HGVs are allowed in the outside lane of the motorway?

And are those bizarre 'carlashes' even legal?

One of Cumbria's top traffic cops, Sergeant Lee Hill, gives the official answers to some of the quirky questions many motorists have considered during those never-ending journeys.

Aside from wondering why anyone would choose to adorn their car with the automotive accessory known as 'carlashes' what does the law say about them?

Are carlashes legal? And when might a police officer be within his rights to demand you remove them?

"They aren’t illegal, providing they wouldn’t cause injury if someone were to fall onto them - and the same applies to mascots or bonnet ornaments," Sgt Hill explained.

"They seem to be made of thin plastic or rubber so they would probably be ok."

When you're on the final stretch home heading towards Junction 36 there are few things more frustrating than having a slow-moving HGV pull into your lane.

Are lorries, caravans, coaches or cars pulling a trailer allowed to use the outside lane of the motorway?

Sgt Hill explained the ins and outs of when large vehicles can, and can't, use the outside lane.

"Restrictions in the offside lane only count if there are three or more lanes, so they don’t apply to a normal two-lane dual carriageway," he answered.

"Restrictions apply to goods vehicles or passenger vehicles (with more than eight seats) with a laden weight of more than7.5 tonnes, or a motor vehicle such as a car or van drawing a trailer.

"There are variations regarding speed limiters fitted on vehicles. Exceptions to the restriction would be to overtake a wide load or if roadworks reduce the number of lanes to two or less."

Every parent has been there. You've got a two-hour drive ahead of you and your darling toddler is sat in the back throwing shoes at you, drawing all over the seats and doing everything possible to test your patience.

But what if your child unfastened their seatbelt, or car seat, while you're driving along on the motorway?

If an eagle-eyed police officer spotted the violation could you be reprimanded for it?

The law states that as a driver you can be fined up to £500 if a child under 14 isn’t in the correct car seat or wearing a seat belt while you’re driving.

So what should you do? And would a traffic cop ignore your protestations and issue you a ticket?

Sgt Hill said: "If the seatbelt comes off while you're driving on the motorway, it's best to wait until the next exit or services.

"Strictly speaking it could still land you a ticket if it's seen by police but I’d explain you were driving to the next safe place to stop.

"The hard shoulder is for emergencies but if you pulled over to fasten a child's seatbelt you’d get away with that as would be classed as an emergency.

"There are plastic devices you can buy on websites like on Amazon that’ll stop kids undoing the belts but if they're absolutely determined they’ll just slide out of them anyway!"