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AIBU?

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Original poster

Reporting drivers on their phones

148 replies

Snitchyorwitchy · 16/03/2023 11:13

Simple as this - we cycle to school. We live in an area with lots of cyclists, including children under 10 cycling with parents.

I have a helmet camera.

The local police have an online submission tool.

Everyday I'd say about 10% of drivers are on their phones in moving but slow traffic. There have been numerous near misses as a result of "distracted" driving.

I don't need to go into the details of how dangerous this is (if you don't believe me, just Google), even if in standstill traffic the distraction continues.

You are not being unreasonable = submit it to police - it's law, it is safety of you and your and other children.

You are being unreasonable = leave it to the police to catch people themselves.

OP posts:
Kaleidoscope93 · 16/03/2023 11:16

Yanbu

That's what the online submission from the public is for! It's illegal to be on your phone no matter the traffic so they deserve to be dealt with!

Emilia35 · 16/03/2023 11:16

Definitely report. What kind of selfish idiot drives whilst on their phone!

Can't believe you see so many. They should all get 6 points on their licence and a £200 fine - better they learn this way than via killing someone and spending many years in prison with unimaginable guilt forever.

billyt · 16/03/2023 11:17

Report it every single time, even better as you have evidence. Make sure you capture them and the car.

Can't stand stupid and ignorant drivers who can't leave their frigging phone alone when they should be concentrating.

Like the idiots who hold their phone down by their side and don't realise everybody knows what they are doing when they look down.

TooBored1 · 16/03/2023 11:19

Yes, please report. Even if the police can't take action in a specific case (video doesn't meet the required standard) it will flag an an issue for the police to mount their own operation.

Thank you for taking the time to do this.

megletthesecond · 16/03/2023 11:21

I agree it's 10% of driver on their phones. I walk and try and count how many I can see before I spot one on their phone. I very rarely get to 10. Would be great if that 10% could all get a lifetime ban.

I've yelled at a couple of neighbours who have tried to drive off on them.

Dotjones · 16/03/2023 11:46

It's OK to do it provided that you are not going out looking for drivers on their phones.

If you're going home, downloading the footage then reviewing it, marking the timestamp when you see a driver on their phone then sending that to the police, that's fine. If you get involved in a crash and notice the driver was on their phone (eg you're cycling along, they're driving in the opposite direction and turn across in front of you), that's fine too.

If you're actively looking for drivers on their phone when cycling, that's not a good thing because by definition your attention is not entirely on you cycling. You're distracting yourself and creating more risk of an incident.

Timeforabiscuit · 16/03/2023 11:49

The more drivers understand that they are there by license, it's a privilege which can get removed and not a right, the better!

Speaking as a car driver, please report if you observe, but don't go hunting.

SweetSakura · 16/03/2023 12:01

Yanbu. I can't believe people still do this. But I see if regularly. Even parents on the school run doing it which I find astonishing.

CouldIHaveThatInEnglishPlease · 16/03/2023 12:05

Depends what they are doing on their phone. I use mine as a satnav (my car is too old to have a touchscreen - it still has a cd player) so may be using my phone to look at the route ahead if I’m not moving. I can also look through my contacts to find someone to phone on loudspeaker.
or find a podcast or music to listen to on Spotify.
I would only do this whilst stationary or very slow moving of course. But none of those things are illegal, no worse than changing the cd or finding a radio station to listen to

Magentax · 16/03/2023 12:10

But none of those things are illegal, no worse than changing the cd or finding a radio station to listen to

Is that right though? I thought if you were using your phone then it's an offence - is there an exception for using it as a radio or satnav alternative?

MoMandaS · 16/03/2023 12:10

I saw a bus driver in temporarily stationary traffic on his phone this morning, clearly talking on a call. I suspect FaceTiming because he was lowering his head to the phone that was down by his side. It's a college shuttle bus so I was wondering if I should report it to the college, then started worrying about him losing his job etc.

Magentax · 16/03/2023 12:11

Using as in touching I mean, I know you can have it displaying a map or playing music.

Timeforabiscuit · 16/03/2023 12:11

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

As long as its hands free you're fine, the phone must be mounted if it's being used.

MoMandaS · 16/03/2023 12:13

Magentax · 16/03/2023 12:10

But none of those things are illegal, no worse than changing the cd or finding a radio station to listen to

Is that right though? I thought if you were using your phone then it's an offence - is there an exception for using it as a radio or satnav alternative?

It's illegal to be holding the phone in your hand to do those things. In my example of the bus driver, he wasn't actually holding the phone so technically using it hands-free - but no less distracted.

euff · 16/03/2023 12:14

You are bound to get people think you are snitching/ grassing but I have no sympathy for anyone reported for using their phones even if they lose their job. I see so many doing it, it's horrifying.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 16/03/2023 12:14

I can also look through my contacts to find someone to phone on loudspeaker.
or find a podcast or music to listen to on Spotify.

I too use my phone as satnav. None of these things are legal, unless hands-free.

Back2Back2t · 16/03/2023 12:19

Yes off course do report it. I also see it on a regular, I wish I could catch them on camera.

Lcb123 · 16/03/2023 12:20

Definitely report - it’s shocking. Even holding your phone is illegal. It’s so stupid. I’ve filmed drivers whilst I’ve been walking and submitted to police

LakeTiticaca · 16/03/2023 12:22

Do it. A few years back as a passenger in a car on the M5, we overtook a large Sainsburys delivery lorry and I was horrified to see that the driver was actually texting while driving.
I wish I had reported it now but I didn't .

Konfetka · 16/03/2023 12:24

Report. Phone-driving is statistically more dangerous than drink-driving.

WinterMusings · 16/03/2023 12:29

MoMandaS · 16/03/2023 12:10

I saw a bus driver in temporarily stationary traffic on his phone this morning, clearly talking on a call. I suspect FaceTiming because he was lowering his head to the phone that was down by his side. It's a college shuttle bus so I was wondering if I should report it to the college, then started worrying about him losing his job etc.

@MoMandaS

Better he loses his job (through his OWN doing) than a coach full of kids lose their lives!

WinterMusings · 16/03/2023 12:36

@Snitchyorwitchy snitch away, save lives!

As an aside, as a driver it pisses me off that I can't report dangerous driving when I'm driving!

When I lived overseas you could just press * on your phone to report to traffic police & they'd act immediately to try to prevent dangerous driving.

here & now it's such a nightmare to try to report it & not immediate so much more difficult to catch them in the Act. Then if you do, with dash cam footage even, nothing happens.

our roads are an absolute nightmare at the moment, seems since lock downs & lack of traffic police people just drive how the hell they like!!

MoMandaS · 16/03/2023 12:37

WinterMusings · 16/03/2023 12:29

@MoMandaS

Better he loses his job (through his OWN doing) than a coach full of kids lose their lives!

Show quote history

True! I mean, there was only one passenger on the bus but that's beside the point (and a scandal in itself about the waste of fuel etc., that bus is always virtually empty when I see it as the students all seem to drive or get the train and walk).

user1477391263 · 16/03/2023 12:38

DOOO EET!

bigbluebus · 16/03/2023 12:40

Please report. I'm sick of seeing this on a daily basis. I regularly see people drive down my street doing this even though they've only just got in the car and set off. Either finish the call before getting in the car or don't start one after you've got in FFS. Sadly I haven't got cameras to catch them as they drive past my house.

The more these idiots are reported and fined the sooner the message will get through. They do it because they think the police won't catch them so the more reports from dashcam/head cam footage by the public the better.