For some drivers the motorway is what they fear most. The thought of vehicles reaching speeds of up to 70mph is enough for them to opt out of driving altogether. With large vehicles such as Vans and Lorries drivers often feel like they are on a high-speed sandwich. If the thought of that wasn’t enough to put you off, the latest investigation from the Daily Mail is sure to.
The Daily Mail set up a camera for an hour on the M25 to catch drivers behaving badly. They said in their report that it created a whole new meaning to ‘breakfast on the go’. The camera caught 14 drivers breaking the law in the space of an hour.
One of the 14 was a man caught tucking into a bowl of cereal as he was driving along the busy motorway. The paper photographed drivers eating, drinking, texting and even nodding off. One man was even pictured fully unclothed as it appeared he was getting changed, whilst the driver of the vehicle was enjoying his cigarette. These mischievous drivers were all caught yesterday on a stretch of the M25 near South Mimms, Hertfordshire.
In 60 minutes the papers snapped five drivers talking on their mobile phones, one was caught texting, one was seen eating a sandwich while looking at his stereo and two were caught swigging from drinks bottles. Two drivers also went ‘handsfree’, with one placing his head in his hands, while another rested both hands under his chin.
The road safety charity, Brake, was less than impressed. Spokesman Joel Hickman told the Daily Mirror: “We are horrified by these photographs. It is extremely dangerous to attempt to drive without using your hands. Distracted driving accounts for a huge number of deaths and serious injuries each year and it is staggering that people continue to flout the law and drive recklessly. I would urge any driver to pull over safely and stop at a service station if they are tired, need a rest or are hungry. The consequences of not doing so could be fatal.”
The Highway Code states that drivers must avoid distractions while driving and must not eat, drink, smoke, read maps, or insert a CD or tune a radio. The Daily Mail kindly pointed out that the culprits captured were all van and lorry drivers, which they believes reinforced a well-established stereotype.
Here at the Injury Lawyers road safety is really important to us. We are constantly updating our road traffic accident guide as part of our blog, and want drivers to ensure the safest journey possible. If you have been involved in a road accident and suffered injury due to the negligence of another driver then you may be able to make a claim for compensation.
