Drivers duty to inform police of driving offences?

[TripleS]

First of all, what amazes me is that you are only busting one offender per week - poor show I would say

I do sympathise with your reasons for recording. Of course this can be a double edged sword.....

There is no duty to report in this situation, so far as I can see. Whether you should is a matter of conscience. If I happened to capture something really serious I would see it as my duty to hand over the evidence. But if its just a minor traffic offence you should really think about what kind of society you want to live in. Would you be happy going about your daily business knowing your comrades are laying in wait to capture your every indiscretion and turn you over to the powers that be?

Exactly. What a dismal world that would be.

[sussex2]

First of all, what amazes me is that you are only busting one offender per week - poor show I would say

I do sympathise with your reasons for recording. Of course this can be a double edged sword.....

There is no duty to report in this situation, so far as I can see. Whether you should is a matter of conscience. If I happened to capture something really serious I would see it as my duty to hand over the evidence. But if its just a minor traffic offence you should really think about what kind of society you want to live in. Would you be happy going about your daily business knowing your comrades are laying in wait to capture your every indiscretion and turn you over to the powers that be?

Exactly! What you use to protect you can be used against you.
This isn't Russia and I wouldn't ever want to go down the path of spying on everyone and reporting people for minor offences.
I'm half Spanish and that country is still recovering from decades of individuals spying on their neighbours for quite often selfish and vicious reasons.
That's one reason why you will see security guards in Spanish shops/supermarkets. You aren't allowed undercover store detectives! You may have CCTV in your shop but it may not show the faces of people passing by.

[sussex2]

The thread is in response to recent articles in the press such as "Send us your dashcam videos to catch dangerous drivers: Police appeal to public for evidence of motorists behaving badly" Dailymail and "Police want your dashcam videos of reckless drivers" (The Sunday Times)

There are also benefits to your car insurance costs in having these cameras fitted,to prove who is to blame in the event of an accident. insurers are offering additional discounts to drivers who have them fitted. There are other articles regarding 'crash for cash' and 'flash-for-cash' claims!

A few years ago I was involved in a minor insurance incident, the other driver claims I reversed in to them which I did not. It was their word against mine. If I had a camera fitted then there would be no question that it was the other drivers fault and they drove into me as this would be recorded as the video evidence.

It is well known there is much higher risk of a driver having an accident whist holding a handset and having a conservation on the phone. This is why it is illegal to operate a mobile phone whilst driving. Its an accident waiting to happen. Surely if you can prevent an accident this is better than some driver losing control of their car mounting the kerb and killing a innocent pedestrian.

The guy in question who was operating a mobile phone whilst driving navigated around two roundabouts single handed without using indicators.

The omission of a signal when negotiating a roundabout might not always be a bad thing!

I agree as regards the signal.

[GJD]

It is well known there is much higher risk of a driver having an accident whist holding a handset and having a conservation on the phone. This is why it is illegal to operate a mobile phone whilst driving. Its an accident waiting to happen. Surely if you can prevent an accident this is better than some driver losing control of their car mounting the kerb and killing a innocent pedestrian.

I think "But won't somebody think of the children!!" is the phrase you're looking for.

[Horse]

It is well known there is much higher risk of a driver having an accident whist holding a handset and having a conservation on the phone. This is why it is illegal to operate a mobile phone whilst driving. Its an accident waiting to happen. Surely if you can prevent an accident this is better than some driver losing control of their car mounting the kerb and killing a innocent pedestrian.

I think "But won't somebody think of the children!!" is the phrase you're looking for.

'Fluffy kittens' too? Ideally pink.

[MGF]

I doubt the Police are asking for videos of errant driving generally. Each submission is effectively a complaint to the Police which would need investigating and it is unusual for the Police to advertise for business involving minor motoring offences.

OP, your motives are good and you do not deserve the inevitable ridicule but unless the Police specifically seek witnesses or there is evidence of a more serious offence, it isn't worth your while.

A commercially minded former Police Officer helps to run a website which you can subscribe to for a not inconsiderable charge and upload videos of errant driving. Alternatively you can upload them onto a forum of your choosing to vent your frustration for free.

[TR4ffic]

The guy in question who was operating a mobile phone whilst driving navigated around two roundabouts single handed without using indicators.

The omission of a signal when negotiating a roundabout might not always be a bad thing!

I never believe them when they do...

[sussex2]

If who is to blame in a prang is the purpose I could suggest a different approach.
Most other EU countries have a standard form which is kept in the vehicle and must be completed, in the event of a collision, by both/all drivers involved.
The form is then signed and that is pretty much the end of it. The rest is left to the insurance companies.
With this system there is less chance of someone having a convenient memory or total lapse of memory a while later

[martine]

I doubt the Police are asking for videos of errant driving generally. Each submission is effectively a complaint to the Police which would need investigating and it is unusual for the Police to advertise for business involving minor motoring offences.

Quite agree - I really can't see the police being able to cope.

OP, your motives are good and you do not deserve the inevitable ridicule...

Absolutely - well said.

[cliftonite]

a Tesco artic doing an inadvisable but skilful and apparently legal U-turn safely on a busy London thoroughfare.

Not legal; the lane he was in was left turn only.

@ Estoril Sport: a fairly comprehensive set of replies I think.

Lane markings (white arrows) are advisory only. I can see (from the photographs) no signs that prevent this manoeuvre.

Does anyone have a Google Streetview link?

[MGF]

There's a blue and white arrow sign on the traffic lights. He turns left and does a 'U' turn immediately in the road he has turned into.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Aldgat ... 74,,0,5.15

[Lingo]

Going ever so slightly off-topic, but on the theme of reporting drivers generally, what are people's thoughts on reporting drivers doing something careless or dangerous to someone's employer/organisation if they see one of those 'how's my driving?' signs on the back of the vehicle with a telephone number?
Do the organisations take people who report such behaviour seriously? I'm guessing so if the vehicles have such a sign in the first place. Does anyone know what action organisations/employers normally or can take with such reported calls of allegations of bad driving of their vehicles?

Lingo

[GJD]

Going ever so slightly off-topic, but on the theme of reporting drivers generally, what are people's thoughts on reporting drivers doing something careless or dangerous to someone's employer/organisation if they see one of those 'how's my driving?' signs on the back of the vehicle with a telephone number?

I do not like those signs at all. To me there is a very nasty undertone to the idea of encouraging people to judge and report on each other like that. There is far too much stone casting in society as it is by those who are not without sin themselves. We should be condemning that sort of behaviour, not condoning it.

If the driving is bad enough that it needs reporting, then it needs reporting to the police - in which case the "how's my driving" phone number is redundant.

[MGF]

It is quite common for employers to ask their customers to rate their employees. This is an extension of that.

I see nothing sinister in employers wanting their employees to project a positive image of the organisation to the public and to seek feedback on the extent to which this is happening.

[dombooth]

Going ever so slightly off-topic, but on the theme of reporting drivers generally, what are people's thoughts on reporting drivers doing something careless or dangerous to someone's employer/organisation if they see one of those 'how's my driving?' signs on the back of the vehicle with a telephone number?
Do the organisations take people who report such behaviour seriously? I'm guessing so if the vehicles have such a sign in the first place. Does anyone know what action organisations/employers normally or can take with such reported calls of allegations of bad driving of their vehicles?

Lingo

From experience they treat it seriously, I reported a sign written van driver to his employer for running a red light and he was suspended.

Dom