Reporting mobile use while driving

[Thierry Beliere]

People in London can report mobile-phone-using drivers on the following form:

http://www.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon/

The form takes about 5 mins to fill in, and can be sent anonymously. It is also relevant for other gross traffic offences. I have sent in several forms and correspondence with the admin officers shows that they are very keen indeed to get details of "those who consider themselves above the law" in their words. There is even a drop-down choice for "cycling near-misses". We should support this effort to change the enforcement environment in favour of the general good.

If people are aware of other schemes around the country, perhaps they could also post details?

Admin, could we have a sticky?

Cheers

TI

I don't like this kind of forum, delation type...
Low key... specially that I often break lights

 

[cycleoptic]

Both cabbie and phone in one:
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM_7M2snFZ8


reaction from carriage office:

"I must explain that the Taxi & Private Hire (TPH) can only deal with offences that are contrary to the Hackney Carriage Acts and Orders. Under the circumstances you describe, we are unable to take any action against the taxi driver involved.

The TPH has no legislative power to investigate road traffic offences committed by cab drivers. I can only advise you that if you have a complaint about the driving behaviour of a cab driver you should report the matter in person to the nearest police station."

Obviously they just check the cab is clean and boot laces are done up!​

 

[gaz]

Both cabbie and phone in one: ​

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM_7M2snFZ8​

​

​

reaction from carriage office:​

​

"I must explain that the Taxi & Private Hire (TPH) can only deal with offences that are contrary to the Hackney Carriage Acts and Orders. Under the circumstances you describe, we are unable to take any action against the taxi driver involved.​

​

The TPH has no legislative power to investigate road traffic offences committed by cab drivers. I can only advise you that if you have a complaint about the driving behaviour of a cab driver you should report the matter in person to the nearest police station."​

​

Obviously they just check the cab is clean and boot laces are done up!​

Was that reported to roadsafe or to TFL?

 

[BentMikey]

I'd definitely want to Roadsafe that taxi, the James Blunt. Also to put his taxi number and registration in the YouTube title and tags, as having it indexed is at least a consequence to him that you can control and issue yourself.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Scary,I don't know what the obsession is with using mobile phones while driving but I see more and more of it,especially texting.Nothing seems to be done about this.Why?
I've got a fixed camera so I haven't always got the best of evidence,not that anything is done anyway.

I don't like cyclists jumping red lights but IMHO this is worse.

 

[jimbo notts]

Looks good, wish they did something like that in the Midlands.

In the midlands would be great can't count the number of times people pull into the bike lanes at traffic lights and are forever on there phone I've been knocked off twice this year already neither stopped and all to quick to get a plate number debating getting a cam for my commute just to see if I can hand a copy to the old bill at the end of a week lol

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Maybe once you become a head-cam wielding, form filling self appointed guardian of the law the fun has gone out of your cycling?

 

[gaz]

Maybe once you become a head-cam wielding, form filling self appointed guardian of the law the fun has gone out of your cycling?

Nope.... pretty sure I'm enjoying cycling more now than I was this time last year..

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Maybe once you become a head-cam wielding, form filling self appointed guardian of the law the fun has gone out of your cycling?

No the fun has gone out of cycling due to the car driving imbeciles out there.

Lets face it,there are quite a few who should not be driving.

 

[BentMikey]

No the fun has gone out of cycling due to the car driving imbeciles out there.

Lets face it,there are quite a few who should not be driving.

You're not kidding! I wouldn't trust quite a few of them to do my photocopying.

 

[Phill057]

I see it all the time over here in Ireland. It infuriates me seeing them with the kitchen tile stuck to their ear while driving. We have another good one over here in Ireland is texting while driving. You have to see this on to believe it. Us as commuting cyclists should have the power to issue out point on the spot when they are stopped at traffic lights. I would introduce a mandatory penalty of putting their mobile phone under their front wheel and getting them to drive off. Because the are reducing police stations and the number of the police itself the police have neither the time not the motivation to impose any penalties. Personally speaking the problem is such state that if they did spend their time collecting the fines accociated with this they would have an entire police budget within a month easy.
It is only us that are on bikes can see how bad the situation is. Being a former Fire Fighter I have seen the result of the Mobile/ Car combination and it aint pretty at all. And when a rescue is performed what is the first thing that they look for when they are being put into the ambulance . "Where is my Phone"

 

[Phill057]

I say Report them to the police every chance you get. And Report the police officer that ignores them

 

[Davidsw8]

Both cabbie and phone in one: ​

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM_7M2snFZ8​

​

​

reaction from carriage office:​

​

"I must explain that the Taxi & Private Hire (TPH) can only deal with offences that are contrary to the Hackney Carriage Acts and Orders. Under the circumstances you describe, we are unable to take any action against the taxi driver involved.​

​

The TPH has no legislative power to investigate road traffic offences committed by cab drivers. I can only advise you that if you have a complaint about the driving behaviour of a cab driver you should report the matter in person to the nearest police station."​

​

Obviously they just check the cab is clean and boot laces are done up!​

I reported a cabbie who cut me up the other week and got almost exactly the same response as above - looks like a regular cut-and-paste response eh? I replied:

"As this was a case of inconsiderate (but potentially dangerous) driving, I felt this did contravene sections 39.1.a and 39.2.a (despite the antiquated language) of the Hackney Carriages Act so I was surprised to hear that this kind of driving is deemed acceptable."

Needless to say, I heard nothing further from them on this so I reported it to Roadsafe...

 

[Davidsw8]

Maybe once you become a head-cam wielding, form filling self appointed guardian of the law the fun has gone out of your cycling?

The fun has definitely gone out of cycling I'm afraid, it's just a cheap and quick way of me getting to work.

I say report every last one of them too, if someone I cared about got hurt by some idiot not paying attention cos they're talking to their partner about what fish to have with their chips for dinner, I'd be pretty damn upset!

It's our obligation to report breaches in the law, there are too many people willing to stand by and let bad things happen to other people.

 

[Phill057]

I totally agree with you. They think it is no harm until they have an accident. All of those offenders should be made witnessed what have during my Fire Fighting years. All of which was due to carelessness. They do not seem to realize that it is lethal weapon that they are in. More so than a loaded gun.