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Would you report it?

(68 Posts)
Laurely Mon 19-Aug-19 21:41:00

This afternoon, driving for at least 10 or 15 minutes on the outside lane of a congested dual carriageway in
slow - speed up a bit - slow traffic, my front-seat passenger and I saw a young woman in the car beside us on the inside lane put on her make-up and do her hair. Her window was down and I distinctly saw an eye pencil in her right hand and then a blusher brush. My passenger reported that at times both her hands were off the wheel while her car was moving. Its near (passenger) side rear brake light was not working. We memorised the make and registration number of the car. At last the congestion eased; it had been caused by an 'incident', and we saw the end of the clean-up. When I got home, I found the car online; its tax ran out in July. (The MOT will expire in November.) I think she was driving dangerously; should I report it? What would you do? I felt outrage at the time.

TwinLolly Tue 20-Aug-19 16:18:04

I would report it.

One of my sisters is a paramedic and sees too many accidents caused by idiot drivers. Sometimes the accident is not a pretty sight....

Tillybelle Tue 20-Aug-19 16:17:07

Last night I watched a program about the Police in Devon and Cornwall. On one night there were only two Traffic Police on duty for both counties.

inishowen Tue 20-Aug-19 15:18:03

My husband was a police officer before he retired. When still working he would travel down the motorway every day. The traffic was always slow and many cheeky drivers would drive down the hard shoulder. Husband would take down the numbers and hand them in to a constable when he got to work. Each driver would get a fix penalty notice.

The worst thing I saw was when I was on a coach trip in the Netherlands. Again on the motorway. Because we were high up we could see into the cabs of big lorries. One driver was lying back in his seat and steering with his feet. I kid you not.

Tamayra Tue 20-Aug-19 13:35:02

I think you did the right thing by reporting her
In Australia we have a special police no to report dangerous drivers If you do it immediately whilst still in the area they send out a police car to find @ track the reported car
I’ve done it several times There are some real idiots driving !!!

Madmaggie Tue 20-Aug-19 13:21:24

If your car is fitted with dash cam you can also submit that to the police. Yes I would report it, too many lives ruined by illegal driving.

curlilox Tue 20-Aug-19 12:48:56

My husband was a passenger in a car on the motorway in a queue of traffic. While they were moving the driver told him that the woman behind was applying mascara in her mirror, not looking at the traffic. They had to slow down and he said she was obviously not slowing down. Next minute- BANG. She ran into the back of their car. When she got out of the car her comment was "Oh no, not again." !!!! shock I would definitely report it.

JulieMM Tue 20-Aug-19 12:18:54

I would definitely report it before she ends up causing an ‘incident’ in which innocent people could be harmed. Her makeup won’t be much use if she finds herself in A&E- or worse.

Caro57 Tue 20-Aug-19 12:09:46

Yes, not properly in charge of a vehicle, driving without due care and attention etc. Etc. We are all at risk with people as irresponsible as this on our roads

GinJeannie Tue 20-Aug-19 12:00:30

Absolutely a big ‘yes’. You could be saving a family or partner untold amount of grief and pain. She is an accident waiting to happen and innocent people will suffer as a result.

cassandra264 Tue 20-Aug-19 11:56:50

You should always report dangerous driving behaviour. You may save more than one life by so doing.

I once reported seeing a young man driving a small car with three children under five moving around freely in the back AND the front of the vehicle - no car seats or straps to secure them. Even if they did not cause serious distraction to his driving (unlikely!) - if he had had to make an emergency stop at even 30 mph they would all have been seriously injured.
I received feedback from the police who told me they went to read him the riot act and gave him a caution. Hopefully those children now have half a chance of reaching adulthood.

absthame Tue 20-Aug-19 11:41:33

I would certainly report it, although it may eventually cause some convenience

sarahellenwhitney Tue 20-Aug-19 11:31:26

It does no harm but may prevent it so yes report what you have seen.

Rosina Tue 20-Aug-19 11:20:01

Think how you might feel if you happened to discover that this same person had subsequently killed someone. I think that gives you the answer. If you ignore it, you condone it, and if you condone it you encourage it, is no bad thing to remember in these situations.

4allweknow Tue 20-Aug-19 11:13:13

Why can you not report it locally at a police office. Surely they must be able to pass the details on if necessary. Would have had more weight if you had managed to photograph/video the car on the road though. Think the police can't just take your word about what was going on. Maybe the fact you had a passenger also witness it would go some way to supporting your claim. So frustrating to see a driver behaving like that though.

MarpleBlue28 Tue 20-Aug-19 11:11:35

Yes I would

Teacheranne Tue 20-Aug-19 11:07:46

I would be inclined to report it as you did but possibly at the time I saw the dangerous driving.

It can be difficult though trying to report a crime. I recently saw a young lad climbing a height barrier across the gates of a park and cutting the lock with a bolt cutter. There were also two caravans blocking the road waiting to drive through the entrance.

I did not have time to phone there and then as the traffic started moving but stopped in a lay by a few minutes later. Initially I dialled 101 as I did not feel it was an emergency 999 situation. After over 20 minutes waiting to be answered, I was told there was nothing they could do as it was a civil matter and I needed to notify the local council. As it was a Sunday and there was no 24 hour phone number to use on the council website I gave up!

By the time I went past the park on my way home there were about 20 caravans parked all over the place.

00mam00 Tue 20-Aug-19 11:04:01

Waiting at a bus stop one day, a young woman driving past in slow traffic was looking down into her pot noodle in one hand and with chop sticks in the other, selecting a morsel to eat. She wouldn’t have seen traffic in front suddenly stop if the lights changed, let alone put down her meal. I didn’t report it as my bus came along just then.

nannypiano Tue 20-Aug-19 10:54:29

Only yesterday, my son was following a car that was veering all over the place. He even caught the kerb with a wheel at one stage. My son took his number, pulled into a lay- by and rang the police. He was surprised to get a call back from them an hour later to say they had arrested the man a few miles along the road and thanked him for informing them. So yes, always report dangerous drivers. You could save lives.

GrandmaJan Tue 20-Aug-19 10:53:32

I would report it but check if the car is taxed and insured before you do because if it isn’t it will add ammunition to your report. I think you can check on a particular website. I’ve dealt with too many drivers, passengers and pedestrians either critically injured or dead when I worked in A&E following accidents that I wouldn’t hesitate.

BusterTank Tue 20-Aug-19 10:39:06

Do you think anyone would take any notice of you did , or would they do anything about it ?

Hibs Tue 20-Aug-19 10:38:49

I think you should report it. I do believe that if the car is untaxed - the mot will be invalid and the insurance company will not pay out if she is involved in an accident.
It doesn't take much for insurance companies to refuse payouts and that will be the first thing they will check.

BladeAnnie Tue 20-Aug-19 10:35:18

I think I would report it - as everyone has said it's dangerous behaviour and an accident waiting to happen

Laurely Tue 20-Aug-19 10:33:58

We got the information about the car via Parkers website.

Trying to report the incident was an interesting experience. I googled 'how to report dangerous driving UK' and found advice (dated 2016) to tell DVLA. DVLA has only one phone number, and after pressing buttons, and holding, I finally got through to a live person - who told me I must tell the police on 101.

I rang 101, and got through to the automated answering service of my local force.

Tried again, selecting the option for a different force - we were miles away from home when we saw this daft girl - and finally got through to a member of the relevant police force. He took the car number, and told me that if the car is not taxed it will eventually be picked up (CaroDane, you were right) but that they can do nothing unless I go to a police station to report the incident. I am not going to do that. It would take half a day, given where I live.

I can't help wondering what the reaction would have been if we had videoed her and posted it on the internet?

nipsmum Tue 20-Aug-19 10:32:40

When Tax Discs were displayed on cars I reported everyone I saw with an expired tax. I reported someone I knew and they threatened that they would get the IRA to deal with me. IT never happened but the police did take action on that Tax.

MiniMoon Tue 20-Aug-19 10:29:56

I would most definitely report her. That is driving without due care and attention! She could cause an accident. Plus the fact that she was driving a faulty vehicle.
Go on, do it now.