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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ring number on van re dangerous driving

25 replies

WooWooo · 12/04/2014 20:29

Earlier this evening I was following a vehicle, a flatbed truck with open back, there was a ladder on the back and nothing else.

After a few minutes I noticed something was up, it was driving very slowly, less than 20mph and veering onto other side of road on bends on a windy stretch of road. The. On a longer straight it speeded up, we came to a section of road that has temporary roadworks, with temporary traffic lights, however this has all been put to the side of the road for the weekend and the road is operating normally but this driver stopped when a car came towards us, came to halt as though the traffic lights were still there?!

At that point I thought the the driver must have been drunk, ill or didn't have required glasses on so I photographed the vehicle with my phone, (I was sat behind it because he had stopped for the imaginary traffic lights).

I was now thinking I should call the police but I am using a courtesy car so no car kit, no pen in car to make notes etc so I decide I will call police when home, the car turns off into a private road. This road only has very exclusive houses, I imagine the cheapest must be about £5M but it's private rather than a public highway so I don't follow. I wonder if the driver spotted me taking the photo?

Anyhow I was delayed getting home, it was now 1.5 hours ago, what should I do? I can't imagine the police being interested now that so much time has passed? I am tempted to call the number advertised on van (withholding my number) and telling them that I have witnessed their erratic driving, have evidence and have given the police their reg number so they are being monitored. Should I? The police wouldn't be arsed doing this would they?

OP posts:

lilrascal · 12/04/2014 20:36

ring the number on the van if you wish ... I personally wouldn't be bothered with the police.

what relevance does the "exclusive houses" part have?

Nomama · 12/04/2014 20:38

Call the number, that's what it is there for!

TittyMcFartyFlaps · 12/04/2014 20:39

Why didn't you pull over and ring?
Too late now to do anything I think

lilrascal · 12/04/2014 20:40

the number might be to advertise the business not in the "how's my driving?" sense .. the op didn't say. so we cant say for sure that is what it is there for.

Original poster

WooWooo · 12/04/2014 20:49

I didn't pull over as I only had a phone, no way of writing down reg number that was on the photo on phone. I imagined that I would be home much quicker and could have rung the police whilst it was still relevant.

I mentioned the private road with mega buck houses as it stood out as weird, if you could afford to live up there you wouldn't be driving a work van like this one, nor is a normal time to work outside. Its a private road so I wonder if the driver thought that I was following him and wanted me off his back, knew the road and decided to use it.

OP posts:

Original poster

WooWooo · 12/04/2014 20:52

The number was a business number not a "how's my driving" number.

If its the business owner driving like that he should be worried that someone clocked him shouldn't he? If it was one of his workers he would be angry that a member of staff was using/abusing a work vehicle like this.

OP posts:

daisychain01 · 12/04/2014 20:53

Woowooo, In theory the phone number is advertised. to enable a bad driver of a commercial vehicle to be reported to their employing company which presumably owns the vehicle. They are then meant to investigate and if necessary mark the driver with a black mark on their staff record and disciplined.

I say in theory, because In practice things are not so simple. It looks good for the company to enable the public to report their drivers, but do they give a shit? Nope.

My OH tried to report a wreckless driver and they couldn't have cared less, in fact they said "naah our Harry Farnsbarns is an excellent driver, he never would have driven like that!" Oh jeez OK fine, forget it then!

Also I was cut up on a roundabout (yes, that's right, a roundabout! Thats how shitty the driver was) in a BT Open Reach van. Well whoever would be able to write down the phone number plus the vehicle reg when you are driving round a roundabout, is a "better man than me" ,!! The phone number was almost illegible as well.

You may find yourself wasting a lot of time for nothing, and you don't have evidence Im afraid, unless you can get an eyewitness to back up what you say. It would be your word against theirs. A photo proves nothing and the police don't care if no personal injury has occurred.

mousmous · 12/04/2014 20:55

yabu
report to police instead.

MinimMum · 12/04/2014 20:58

I know its annoying, but have you really got nothing better to do
Maybe the van driver was trying to escape the silly person driving behind them.

Original poster

WooWooo · 12/04/2014 21:03

MinumMum have you not read the OP? This was a dangerous driver veering not the other side of the road, I had to sit behind it whilst it stopped for no reason. I was in no way causing any issue to this driver but he could have easily caused more than one accident.

OP posts:

CaptChaos · 12/04/2014 21:10

Report it, if not to the police, then to the number on the van.

Contrary to what has been written before, companies DO give a shit about how their vehicles are driven. I have investigated and fired a driver before because a member of the public has reported their driving to us. It would seem unlikely that, if there is a number to call, that the vehicle isn't being monitored, so they CAN see how it is being driven even this long after the incident.

RevoltingPeasant · 12/04/2014 21:34

OP are you sure the stopping was not pulling over in what he thought was a convenient place because he was lost? As he then pulled into a street?

Presumably he had business on the street, such as doing work in one of the houses or delivering something to them?

Ring if you want though.... 101 I guess.

wizzler · 12/04/2014 21:39

I would phone 101. The driving was strange enough for you to still be concerned about it 1.5 hours later... Whats to lose by dialing 101... ?

Original poster

WooWooo · 12/04/2014 21:42

He stopped where the traffics lights have been all week, they are on the side of the pavements, turned off (I guess for weekend). He stopped on a straight road, no indicication but slowed to a stop. When the car passed he drove on. Really odd.

Yes he could have been going to do work at one of the mega bucks mansions but a landscape gardener at 1845 on Saturday? one that appears to be pissed/lost their glasses?

OP posts:

AmandinePoulain · 12/04/2014 21:46

I reported a taxi driver to his company a few weeks ago, I was stopped at a red light at a busy crossroads, at the front of the queue. I had been there for a while, the lights hadn't just changed or anything when he came up behind me, overtook and went straight through the light. It was green for the pedestrians, he could have hit someone so I took down his badge number at the next set of lights (he really hadn't gained anything by being such a prat) and phoned his office. They couldn't have cared less, the operator asked why I didn't know what model of car it was because she 'didn't know the badge numbers'

Original poster

WooWooo · 12/04/2014 22:12

Called 101, they were very helpful and have circulated the vehicle details based on my description of driving.

OP posts:

daisychain01 · 12/04/2014 22:29

Captchaos, I think you'd find you are the exception to the rule.

Like Armandine and I have experienced, its just a tick in the box to most companies that employ drivers, it looks good on their vehicles but in reality they couldn't give a flying 4X. BT Open Reach drivers think they are Formula 1 drivers, they must get trained on skid pans, trouble is they are then let loose on the roads!

Id be fascinated to know how you "investigated" your driver, on what evidence and circumstances you were prepared to sack him. I'd be amazed you would have sufficient witness statemented corroborated evidence just by asking around.

When push comes to shove it's more hassle than its worth to most companies.

Prettykitty111 · 12/04/2014 22:34

Yep i drive a lot for work and I've dont it a few times. Just remember to block your number if you call the number of the side of the van! Last one I did was a. B&q lorry in the wrong lane driving into London. He cut me up to get in the middle lane but pushed me out into the turn left lane and then refused to let me back in. When I cut back in he swore and made some lovely hand gestures. The lady at customer service was lovely and very concerned. I have however also been called an interfering bitch so make sure if you get an abusive one they don't have your number to call back your voicemail...

Taz1212 · 12/04/2014 22:57

I would have phoned 101. I had my son do so just a few weeks ago when we were on the motorway and the car in front kept drifting into the breakdown lane. They did this around 10 times over 2-3 miles before exiting. They then had some sort of accident and I had the police at my door asking what I had seen- not sure if the driver had been unwell or under the influence- but the police took my son's call seriously.

CaptChaos · 13/04/2014 11:14

daisychain I doubt it, it's simply the industry standard for the industry I'm in.

Our vehicles have tracking devices on them, which are connected in real time. They also store information for up to 3 years about driver style, speed, acceleration, braking, fuel economy etc. Using that, along with an eyewitness account is enough to sack a driver where I work. We also work closely with the Police when it comes to driver style.

We had to let a driver go just last week due to nothing more than the tracking evidence and an eyewitness account. The driver had no viable excuse for the evidence and, as they signed a contract where they agreed to drive well and safely at all times, they were let go.

It's only more hassle for companies which don't want people's custom, mine does, so they take it seriously.

I shall pass on to my several friends who work for Openreach how awful you feel their driving is. I'd also follow prettykitty's advice and block your number when you call. Not all companies are as reputable as mine is.

Spartak · 13/04/2014 12:55

Did you leave you details with the police?

Because if you've admitted to using your phone when driving then you should be receiving notification of your 3 points soon.

www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law

Taz1212 · 13/04/2014 13:15

I don't think anyone on this thread phoned the police while they were driving.

specialsubject · 13/04/2014 13:20

call either 101 or the number on the van.

it doesn't matter that a bit of time has passed, you can't safely drive and use a phone EVEN WITH HANDSFREE.

he was probably using his phone, which shows how dangerous it makes people.

you may not get anywhere - most people are so entitled to phone while driving that it is not seen as the crime and danger that it is - but it is worth a try.

Spartak · 13/04/2014 15:03

The OP said she was following the vehicle, and took a photograph on her phone when the van stopped for the imaginary traffic lights.

wowfudge · 13/04/2014 16:05

I don't think the OP would be in trouble for taking a photo while stationary. Remember Jimmy Carr getting off on a technicality because he wasn't using his mobile for two way communication?

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