Should I report this to the police? [UK]

Should this be reported to local police?

  • Yes, but I myself would not make a report.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Maybe, but I can't make my mind up just yet!

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    15
Except that a passenger with any sense will shut up while you are negotiating a difficult junction or roundabout

But they often don't. In my experience passengers act worse than drivers.

And the great thing about people on the other end of a phone call is... you can ALWAYS ignore them. Same can't be said about people in the car getting in your face.

Having a kid in the car can be a hell of a lot more dangerous than using a phone. Maybe that should be banned.

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Some good discussion has come out of this at least. I don't think I'll bother this time. As said, the driver didn't look to be out of control, although, I would argue they were not in proper control of the car. Distracted? Hard to prove one way or another as there was no collision thankfully.

I agree that texting and facetwitting is far more a distraction than a phone call, however, you should still have both hands on wheel (or one hand on the wheel and the other free) at all times. A phone in the hand is not a free hand in the event you need to swerve suddenly to avoid a toddler having a tantrum, running free from its mother and who might also have other children with her that she has to control... It happens. Hands free kits are cheap, lives are not. Unless you have one of those balls fitted to your steering wheel that one armed people use to drive, you are not in proper control with just one hand on the wheel and the other holding some electronic device.

I think if my video evidence had been better, then yes, I'd pursue this. As it stands, I guess it is not clear enough to take to court and battle it out. I've seen plenty of people on the phone before but this is the clearest I've captured so far.
 
I think if my video evidence had been better, then yes, I'd pursue this. As it stands, I guess it is not clear enough to take to court and battle it out. I've seen plenty of people on the phone before but this is the clearest I've captured so far.
We need 4K dashcams, and then there will be no doubt!

I still think the argument of a hands free kit being cheep is irrelevant when it is a B$W - it will have hands free as standard even on the base models.
 
Wow. Look at how many people have put "No, not worth it" in the poll compared to other answers. I think that kind of says it all when we put our trust in the law.
I see this all of the time, but because of previous experiences of reporting crime, I too just rant to myself or sometimes to the driver and then go on with my day hoping that they don't kill someone.
 
Unfortunately, this is a sign of the times. A cop getting this report who think 'do I want to do more work than the boss needs me to do?'
 
I don't condone the use of a hand held device while driving but I don't understand how commercial drivers can legally use two way radio microphones while on the road.
 
Quite brazen, 6 points just doesn't deter some folks! Just for the record, I did not wave or flash this guy out, I was simply leaving the junction clear as required by the highway code. If I was in a position to decide whether or not to let someone out of a junction and I saw they were on the phone, I definitely would not help them out.


So yeah, as title:

- Should I bother reporting this guy and risk either the police not being interested, or, they are interested and I have to go to court and give evidence, etc? I do believe you have to give full name and address so the other party knows who the accusation is coming from, which is fair enough, but, my wife worries about any possible repercussions of some dodgy looking stranger knowing where we live!

Or

- Do nothing, and hope that he gets caught by plod before he kills someone while being distracted by his phone while driving, which no doubt he will do again. He just pulled out of a car park and could have easily finished his phone call before starting the car up or ignored the call if he was already driving when someone else called him.

Poll at top if you want to vote without discussing, vote can be changed in case you change your mind.

Are you of the opinion that people are incapable of driving and talking?
Perfectly legal here. And people sneak the texting in, as well. even/especially COPS.
(I have read NONE of the early replies)
But is there something fundamentally different about UK-ers/British that would make them not be able to drive and talk?
Also, I just drove over 12 hours, 600+ miles, across 6 days in the UK, and on back roads and such. So, I have a very small tad bit of understanding about your cars, roads, etc. not much, but I got through about every scenario including the Hemel 6-spoke roundabout, without breaking a sweat. easy-peasy. :) Also, drove 100+ MPH!!... (On silverstone, mind you in a race car...hehe)
I am, as you say, trying a little bit to wind you up just to get you to think about some actual other human beings get by daily just fine while talking on a cell phone whilst driving as well as a whole host of other things. I'd me more concerned about the prevelance of constant/large amounts of alcohol consumption I see/hear about. that's dangerous/stupid, driving and some other situations.
 
Are you of the opinion that people are incapable of driving and talking?

Depends which of the two is more important to them.
The UK does have a lot of people who are too complacent about driving, as if it can deal with itself while they take a break to do other things.
Fewer than the USA I suspect, but I'm basing that purely on seeing some truly ridiculous examples from over there.

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Lots of people I see on the web from UK and other places always wonder why USAmericans drive such big honkin' vehicles. It's because we have to equalize the other big honking vehicles AND couple that with distracted driving. Some people barely pay attention here. I know that I HAD to pay more attention to my driving on the cramped, UK roads in March. Why not widen some of those congested monsters. :)
 
Lots of people I see on the web from UK and other places always wonder why USAmericans drive such big honkin' vehicles. It's because we have to equalize the other big honking vehicles AND couple that with distracted driving. Some people barely pay attention here. I know that I HAD to pay more attention to my driving on the cramped, UK roads in March. Why not widen some of those congested monsters. :)
Our roads aren't "cramped"!

You must have been driving one of your USA monsters instead of a proper British car like a Mini, Morgan, McLaren or MG?
 
Our roads aren't "cramped"!

You must have been driving one of your USA monsters instead of a proper British car like a Mini, Morgan, McLaren or MG?

they're not cramped, they're size appropriate for the cute little cars you drive ;)
 
Our roads aren't "cramped"!

You must have been driving one of your USA monsters instead of a proper British car like a Mini, Morgan, McLaren or MG?
We took our first ever trip off across USA border and chose England & Wales in 2011. From Heathrow we arrived in South Ken, hotel, and tube station there. Took it directly to the first place I wanted to visit... McLaren showroom! :)
Still have not driven one. (Got invite to test drive the Ferrari Lusso today! the FF progenitor was a fun drive!) Charles Morgan drove and stopped here in Indy, and I took the family down to see their Morgan 3 wheeler. As well as others. My friend has an MG B, newly restored. COMPARATIVELY, your roads are like coffins to our flyover country's outstretched tarmac of travel! Pfffffftttt! :)
 
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