Would you report it?

My OH is always getting cross because someone is using their phone whilst driving or overtaking on hatched lines in the middle of the road. He then clicks on his dash cam to save the recording of the incident but doesn’t know what to do or how to use this footage to good effect. However, he did report a large SILVER van which appeared in his quiet cul-de-sac for over a week. When he checked on the government website the registration was for a RED car. The police were pleased to hear from him and let him know that the van had been stolen, presumably to carry out a theft etc in the future. Definitely report any dodgy driving ASAP, preferably with photos/footage of the registration plate and the incident. No family wants to deal with the after effects of an RTA. Just think of poor PC Harper and his new bride.

yes - simple. Putting lives at risk ...

Yes, definitely report it. What a pity you could not have taken a photo.
Our local police have a website where any crime including motor offences such as using a mobile phone whilst driving, can be reported. I am sure other regions will have a similar site. Several years ago, when I first started reporting phone users, I was thanked politely and told that the offender would get a warning, nowadays, thankfully, the police are more stringent in their actions.

Thank you all for your interest. This is the final update, and I am sorry if anyone is disappointed by what I de decided.

The police station in my local town, four miles from where I live, is open only 9:30-12:30. But as I was in town this morning, I visited it. The constable on duty's first response was to say that I should report the incident to the police force of the area where it occurred, South Yorkshire. I explained that force had told me I must report it in person at a police station. She looked up things on computers, tried to get hold of the county control unit, went upstairs for advice. When she returned to the desk, she asked if I was prepared to make a formal statement and explained that could lead to my being summonsed as a witness. I decided the answer was no. We left it that she has logged my report of the incident.

Why am I not prepared to take it further? I cannot be precise about the time or place we saw this. I was the driver and so was concentrating on driving, not watching the daft lass. My passenger is not prepared to go to court. The car has no dash cam. We are not the kind of people who automatically pull out a mobile and record events. So it would be my word against hers, and any case would take place about a hundred miles from where I live. I was told that if the incident had occurred in my county, it would have been passed to the Traffic branch. Each police force does things differently. If the car remains untaxed, there will be automatic follow-up.

Many of you may think you would have continued to try to take this further.

I spent about an hour on Monday online trying to find out how to report it and checking I had the car details correct. Another hour or so yesterday checking online and working my way through phone menus to try to report it. A good half hour this morning at the police station. The time I spent cannot be recouped: tasks that should have been begun this morning (preliminary adjudication of competition entries from 200 or so local children, and admin to do with a volunteer group) have been pushed back.

However, if any of you have a young friend or relation in the Doncaster area who drives a blue Mazda, registration number EA60 UCL, do tell her to get her nearside rear brake light fixed, to tax the car and to keep her hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

You've done your best to do the right thing and I think it's wonderful that you've spent so much time and effort to resolve this.
We live in an unjust and unfair world. You can't do any more now. Let it go and leave it to karma to sort out. It's a pity there aren't more people like you in the world, it would be a better place.

Laurely Do you use Facebook? Or does your passenger or anyone else near you?

Your opening post, plus your latest one, with a little bit of editing, could be put onto Facebook, where someone in the Doncaster area who knows this young woman might see it and pass on to her that she was seen to be acting illegally and dangerously, and also that her brake light needs to be fixed.

If I have time, I will do that. I have a Facebook page, but can hardly be said to 'use' it. Thank you, Elegran, for the suggestion.

And I have put a post on Facebook.

Well done, Laurely. Someone will recognise the registration number and tell her. I hope she is mortified. What's more, I hope she stops doing it!

Report it! My son and his girlfriend saw someone driving very erratically on their way home from work one evening and called the non-emergency number for the police. they were told that they did the right thing and that the car would be stopped further down the road

Someone I know saw a car driving erratically; they followed it and called the police. Turned out it was an elderly man that had been taken ill whilst driving. He had a grandchild in the car with him as well. Police said they had probably saved someone's life that day.

Yes, I would report it and save someone's life. It never ceases to amaze me how some people drive, although I must admit, I do occasionally go over the speed limit, but wouldn't dream of taking my eyes off the road or my hands off the wheel!

It does need to be reported before she kills somebody!

Good for you Lourely not everyone is public spirited.?

Heads up thread from last summer

Yes.

Why does nobody read these threads everyone telling the poster to report it

SHE DID ON 20th August