Driver reading a book complains cyclist is aggressive.

[Mugshot]

Unfortunately the law allows hands-free which under tests is shown to be just as distracting. The issue is not so much the holding as the remote conversation. They couldn't prove it was the phone as she could have been obscured by an on-coming car. Talking on the hands-free is pefectly legal; so cannot be convicted of that.

Either way, the jury sadly returned the correct verdict but the law needs to change.

You're quite right, I should have put the "Law" needs looking at as opposed to the "Courts"

 

[jarlrmai]

Since juries are our peers and seem reluctant to convict drivers, perhaps it's society or driving culture.

 

[glenn forger]

The road warrior is a bit unsteady on two wheels, isn't he!

He's going to get stabbed one day, acting all officious like that. Bet he wouldn't have done that with a huge chav in the car.

He's done it lots and lots of times to large male drivers, check his channel. He's even done it to coppers, twice the old bill have ignored the asl and he's had words.

 

[Crankarm]

I see this lots. This morning I saw a self-gratification artist in a big Mercedes driving down Milton Road into Cambridge with an A4 pad on his steering wheel writing, numerous open documents on the empty passenger seat and a tablet balanced in front of the gear stick on the centre console. I pulled along side and looked in, he threw the pad in the back and the tablet into the passenger footwell. He was about 50 year old grey hair and showed me a rude finger salute.

I [hope] this stupid lying woman gets prosecuted for trying to pervert the course of justice and a huge fine for driving whilst reading a book, although it could have been the Highway Code?

 

[Pale Rider]

I've often derided headcammers on here, but fair play to this one for his calm conduct at the scene.

The woman is contemptible, not so much for reading the book, but for immediately resorting to telling lies, then turning on the taps and playing the children card.

Wretched creature could have got the cyclist into some bother, had not he and the copper kept their cool.

 

[screenman]

There are 4,356 traffic police out there. Now taking only a third will be at work, 20% will be on tea break, 20% in a cycle shop, motorbike shop, car showroom or suchlike and some may even be having a little skive ( yes it does happen) that means at any one time we have about 700 attentively doing the job for the whole of the UK. Now many of these it seems do not have very good eyesight judging by the amount of one eyed cars I see, so let us drop that number by another 10% to 630, most will be down south as it is warmer. So that leaves about 2 for every other county.



Just kidding you boys in blue, I know you are doing your best. I hope.

 

[Globalti]

You're not far wrong on that score - my PC neighbour tells me that on a typical night there are two Police officers on duty for the entire town of Blackburn. They rely on being able to call for help from other towns.

 

[glenn forger]

As far as I can make out at any one time eight trafpol cover the entire counties of Norfolk and Suffolk.

 

[Pale Rider]

As a Durham City copper told me, get into any bother of a night time and you are largely on your own, so you need to look after yourself.

The phrase: 'thin blue line' has never been more apt.

 

[CopperCyclist]

If only there was an organisation that had the authority to do something about all these atrocious and dangerous drivers that we all know about.

I quite agree, if only there was. I vaguely remember the semblance of one many years ago, before the government tore it up to pay for their second houses and their own pay rises.

 

[buggi]

Aye the law is incorrect, remote talking is the issue not just mobile use. A passenger can react to conditions and pause the conversation, someone on the other end of the phone can't. If someone rings me and I can tell they are in a car I will end the call even if they are on hands free.

Same here.

 

[andyfraser]

Going by the YouTube page for that video it looks like the police spoke to the woman but didn't do anything else. That makes me angry when there's a video of the woman breaking the law.

 

[screenman]

I quite agree, if only there was. I vaguely remember the semblance of one many years ago, before the government tore it up to pay for their second houses and their own pay rises.

Was that just before all the coppers I know retired early? which as we know takes a large lump of tax payers money to make up.

 

[downfader]

This is surely getting a bit tiresome. We know many drivers are crap, some atrocious, some outright dangerous, so why the surporise and indignation when we're reminded of that which we already know? 10 minutes on a bike in the average town will show multiple examples of idiocy.

Yes we do know many are crap.Nobody is surprised despite your constant rally. But the point is many riders and drivers are now actively trying to do something about it. Which brings me to the point I put to you before on these forums... are you actually a copper (as you seemed to infer before), and what are YOU doing to actively contribute to road safety?

 

[Drago]

.

And the reason is because the Police are either incapable of or unwilling to do anything about it.

Incapable is the word. Multiply the number of officers ten fold and there still wouldn't be anywhere near enough to deal with every act of perckerism (New word, (c)Drago industries 2015). Seeing as there aren't enough as it is, and no two people can agree on the order of priority with wich they deal with different issues, you may as well urinate into a stiff breeze.