Police in Aberdeen are investigating a motorist who was caught on camera using a laptop computer and handheld mobile as well as wearing headphones while driving a Land Rover Discovery on a busy road in the city.
The footage was filmed last week by YouTube user Aberdeen Cycle Cam, who wrote: “This bloke is driving a 3 tonne Land Rover in town, looking at a mobile phone, laptop and wearing headphones on both ears.
“Not only he's not paying any attention to the road, I suspect he's not even on this planet.”
Aberdeen Cycle Cam added in the description to the video, “Criminal. Should I report this one to the police?”
According to the Press & Journal, Police Scotland say they are “following a positive line of inquiry” in connection with the incident.
Local councillor Ross Thomson told the newspaper that people living locally were concerned about the dangerous driving of some motorists in the area.
“Dangerous driving like this has been a concern of the local community for some time and is regularly mentioned at community council meetings,” he said.
“It is especially a concern on the Queen’s Road because of the close proximity of all the schools in the area.
“The fact he was wearing headphones and had on a laptop is extremely dangerous.
“If you’re wearing headphones you are completely cutting off one of your senses, meaning you can’t hear emergency vehicles or other drivers’ horns.
“I know that driving through town can be frustrating but there is no e-mail that is more important than the life of a pedestrian.”
Some elements of the media describe cyclists who use helmet or handlebar cameras to record instances of bad driving and upload footage to the internet as "vigilantes," often with negative connotations.
But Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) research and policy director Neil Greig said more resources should be put into roads policing rather than relying on people using video cameras to help bring drivers breaking the law to justice.
“It’s a clear example of breaking the law on mobile phone use and the driver should be ashamed to be taking such risks for the sake of keeping in touch,” he said. “No call is more important than someone’s life.
“The IAM have no problem with camera users sharing their footage with Police Scotland so that they can consider if formal action is required.
“Ideally, we would like to see more police out there enforcing the law rather than relying on amateurs.
“No one taking such footage should be pursuing a car just to get a good shot. Concentrating on catching someone out is also a distraction from the real task of driving or riding safely,” he added.
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
32 thoughts on “Video: Aberdeen driver filmed using phone, laptop and headphones at the wheel”
24 carat tw@t
24 carat tw@t
There shows everything wrong
There shows everything wrong in the country.
No thought to their actions and what could be the consequences of them.
this is why we need zero
this is why we need zero tolerance and life bans from driving. If you are that much of a cock you should NEVER be allowed to drive.
confronted a Guy the other
confronted a Guy the other day who entered a car park In front Of me, blatantly talking on the phone. Not aggressively only pointing out that it is against the Law and that it was not worth the risk killing someone. The guy in front of a ten year kid, denied he was on the phone and suggested a visit to specsavers. Naively expected a different response,felt sorry for the kid being taught it was ok to drive Whilst using a phone and that it was ok to lie.
see it every day, sadly.
see it every day, sadly.
I’ve just walked home 1 mile in London NW1 and saw numerous motorists in private vehicles, company vehicles, large vehicles like delivery trucks, even 1 in a lorry all happily holding mobile phones in their hands, holding them to their ears or tapping away at the screens.
Some waiting at lights using the phone, lights change, a few seconds delay before they realize, then speeding off still using the phone.
So, this arsehole cycles
So, this arsehole cycles around with a camera snitching drivers to the police? He is just a nuisance.
dublinport … doing his
dublinport … doing his public duty more like … the driver is clearly breaking the
law and needs to be reported.
would you feel the same way if he ran you over whilst on his phone ?
The cyclist is not the
The cyclist is not the arsehole it’s the absolute idiot of a driver who is the arsehole. If you condone what the driver is doing then perhaps your description of the cyclist actually applies to you.
DublinPort wrote:So, this
You’re right. I find that anyone that films illegal activity – mugging, shooting, theft, robbery, etc – are snitches too.
I mean look at all that amatuer footage of the 2011 riots that convicted people. Shocking! They should have left well alone. It’s a sad day when you can’t even commit a crime in this country and not expect to be filmed.
It seems we already have
It seems we already have driverless cars on our roads…
Well-played, sir.
=D>
Well-played, sir.
I was sat in traffic next to
I was sat in traffic next to a woman on the phone the other day.
Ive trained my kids to give them a look of shame followed by a slow shake of the head.
PS dont feed the troll
I see it every day.
Last week
I see it every day.
Last week I saw one on the school run, kids in the back and she was holding a phone in one hand a coffee in the other – and somehow driving at the same time.
therevokid >
Better folks
therevokid >
Better folks than the filming cyclist landed on beaches in Normandy to fight this sort of thing.
I prefer to take my chances on my bike, in a free society.
sry mye speling and gramer
sry mye speling and gramer arnt good im dislexik i was passing my local scholl and notist a tesco dilivery van on its way down the road phone to his ear so i make him stop and ask mhim wat he think he is doing he say dilivering food still with phone to his ear i say you are on your phone he say i talking to my boss i phone tesco thay say thay look into it today thay ring me back to say he is no holiday for 2 weeks and when he comes back his boss will be on holiday so thay carnt do any think for a month i think thay think i will just forget it i wont as in october i was hit bye a driver at 30 mph on his phone so i will keep at then till thay deal with it as for the driver that hit me the copers say thay send him on driver awernus corse no points ther wher 7 witnesis north wales police dont care about cyclists 2 time in 4 years iv been hit bye a car both times thay let them of
mikesean mcc wrote:sry mye
use this email
ceo.customerservice@tesco.co.uk
no point beating round the bush.
I predict Godwin’s law within
I predict Godwin’s law within the next five posts.
I saw the sole occupant of a
I saw the sole occupant of a car belonging to a driving school the other day – so, an instructor, at a guess – driving no-handed while consulting his phone.
I used to work very close to where the business in question is based, and it did cross my mind that maybe they should revert to the name they used to go by back then … The Italian Driving School 😉
The headphones bit is unclear
The headphones bit is unclear if they are in both ears and is utterly pointless IMO, if we use that reasoning then deaf drivers and deaf cyclists will be taken off the road…
The phone and laptop, well they are just plain stupid to be watching while driving and hopefully a good long chat from PC Plod will make the driver change his ways. Points/Ban would be even better at correcting his driving habits. 🙂
But the cyclist does seem like a vigilante which does create bad feelings between cyclists and motorists which is not needed either. Mind you there is some god awful driving in Aberdeen, so I’m sure he has plenty to record.
Mikesean. Don’t take any
Mikesean. Don’t take any flannel from Tesco. When a complaint is made about an employee any manager should take it on if the individuals line manager isn’t about.
thanks giff77 will keep on
thanks giff77 will keep on ther case till im satisfide thayv delt with it proply
When neighbourhood watch
When neighbourhood watch schemes first appeared, were they ever described as vigilante homeowners?
I hate most of these
I hate most of these ‘vigilante’ style video’s as I dont think they help and think they put passive riders at risk (I’m not passive, I shout, thump and throw bottles, I just don’t video it), but I thought no, this one is good, the driver is bang to right…then I notice the guy on the bike has a bloody flashing light on his hat!
no doubt he turns to speak to other cyclists and blinds them with his nut mounted camera flash too.
Flashers on the back only please, or on the bike, at low power, next to a steady light. I want all road users to see where they are going.
He’s a witness, not a
He’s a witness, not a vigilante. Why some people can not tell the difference I do not know.
Probably p!ssed as well,
Probably p!ssed as well, Aberdeen is one of the UKs worst drink driving hotspots.
mrchrispy asked you not to
mrchrispy asked you not to feed the troll yet some of you have! ~X(
Filming by “vigilante
Filming by “vigilante cyclists” is part of “the war on the motorist”
useful emotive language to mold opinion …..
prefer “responsible, law abiding cyclists” film “errant motorists”
“errant motorist” nice and soft not “potential killer motorists”
my personal campaign is replace “punishment pass” with “coward’s pass”
goes off to see if can find a headline that includes:
[i]lycra lout lawbreaker invades privacy of commuter[/i]
Just for the fools on here
Just for the fools on here who described the cyclist filming as a vigilante:
A vigilante is someone who takes the law into his own hands.
This cyclist is merely witnessing a crime and reporting it to the police.
Can you see the difference?
darrenleroy wrote:Just for
Eh no, he accused the guy and pointed his hat mounted stun gun/ phaser at the nugget in the car, like in Star Trek. B-)
Quite an impressive clip
Quite an impressive clip videobike’s going at in the video. He might not have stopped if his way wasn’t blocked unnecessarily by Landrover chump.
Re Flashing lights, they are fine, a real boon in fact. His headflasher must work well at big roundabouts, for the drivers he is looking at as he joins the roundabout.He’s probably not thinking about anyone’s personal peeves, quite right.
Dictionary corner: He’s not a vigilante.
There we go, all covered, time for tea! <:P
The guy should be arrested
The guy should be arrested and charged. Still using an i-Phone 4 is criminal.
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