Reporting drivers on their phones

[Snitchyorwitchy]

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.

How on earth can the OP report something you saw happening? She wasn't there.

And why would you report something completely legal?

Caught using your phone when driving.
Fine of £10k
Lifetime ban from driving
Car you were caught in seized and crushed
No exceptions

I saw someone on the motorway actually scrolling on her phone - not even just with it up to her ear listening to a call. I got a photo of her doing that but as we overtook her I never managed to get the reg number sadly or else I would most definitely have reported it (I was a passenger)

Also a lot of people have their phones in the hand-free but are playing videos (I'm guessing music videos on YouTube) which is nuts.

YANBU. Mobile phone use while driving is a bit like drink-driving used to be in the 70s and 80s; most people know it's illegal, but a lot of people do it because they think it's no big deal. It is a big deal. Someone I know was badly hit by a driver who was on her phone. (She also had almost bald tyres, which was technically as much of a contributor as the phone use, but it was the phone that led to her not paying attention and having to brake at the last minute.)

Car you were caught in seized and crushed

What a complete waste of resources! Why on earth would you crush what might be a perfectly good car? At least sell the car if you're going to ban people for life, which does pointless when criminals are allowed a second chance.

Why indeed.

I came across this thread on a Google search while I was looking for advice.
I have reported a driver, someone I know, to the police for using his phone while driving. This is going, he uses it all the time in his car and lorry! He has sent me numerous photos and videos he's taken while driving and 1 even has him clearly saying I shouldn't be on my phone but watch this. He got fired from a lorry driving job as he was caught, but they didn't report him to the police a d he got another job in a hgv. I've sent the information on the 101 online form and am waiting for them to come back to me so I can sent the photos. What are the chances the police will even look at this, investigate and do anything? Or will they throw it out straight away?
He even watches football matches while driving, although I have no proof of that, only that I was in the car at the time, but its just my word on that. If they don't investigate and do anything he'll only carry on and end up killing someone. Anyone got any advice?

You'll have to just wait for the police to get back to you. Do they have an Operation Snap that you can upload the photos too?

I'm not actually sure.

I reported a driver who was texting whilst driving on a busy A road. He actually had his phone in his hands across the steering wheel. The police officer it was assigned to gave me some flannel about it being the other driver's word against mine when 1. they could have established his location from CCTV and phone records; and 2. that he was texting at the same time he was driving from cross referencing with his phone records. Damn me, they may have actually seen he was texting from the CCTV. Basically unless he'd caused or been in an accident they weren't interested. I did tell the officer this was a rubbish response.

When I sent dash cam footage to the police I heard nothing for maybe 9 months until I got a summons to appear as a witness in court. So prepare for a long wait.

also, be prepared that if it does go to court, you might have to appear.

Thank you all for your answers. I just really hope they investigate and do something. If he can get fired after being caught on the phone while driving a lorry and still carry on he obviously doesn't have any respect for the law or other's lives. The videos and photos he text me clearly shown that he's driving or in traffic. 2 videos stand out, 1 where he says he shouldn't be on his phone, so he's admitting he's doing it and another video he's not ever got a hand on the wheel at all at one point. If the police so nothing he will carry on and go on to potentially kill someone

I regularly see people doing random speeds and weaving about on motorways - invariably if I catch them up, they are busy doing something on their phone.

Agreed. People seem to be oblivious to how much it affects their driving

The Police put videos online, showing drivers they've caught using their phones. I think that if it's on video and there are two Police witnesses, the phone should be taken away permanently and the SIM destroyed.

The phones could be sold, or given to one of those charities which donate them to people in the Third World.

Driving is a privilege, not a right.

If you can't be trusted to stick to the rules, I'd happily see your car seized and crushed. Maybe you'll learn for next time.

And I am a card carrying pinko leftie.

Y A N B U

And what's the point of that? Surely you then just contact your provider for a new sim and get another phone

Yes, but it'll cost them and for a day or two, they'll be unable to use their favourite possession.

Absolutely, they're dangerous, hate it

It's the car they were misusing, not the phone. Confiscate and crush.