More than 60 drivers caught snapping accident on phones

Man stabbed after confronting group

Rubbernecking is nothing new. A build-up of traffic often occurs on the opposite side of an accident purely because humans find it extremely difficult not to indulge their dark side and cop a good look at the carnage.

But police have decided to draw the line on motorists who insist on photographing the scene of an accident with their mobile phones.

An accident that saw an overturned lorry spill its load over the A34 at Sutton Scotney, Hampshire, last week resulted in a staggering 60 drivers receiving a letter asking if they were driving at the time a photograph of the scene was snapped.

Police officers recorded the number plates of the offending vehicles and plan to punish those reckless enough to reach for their mobiles and take a picture.

If the drivers were found to be using a mobile phone at the wheel, they could be fined £100 and given three penalty points, or offered a driver awareness course, police revealed.

An unnamed passenger who admitted to taking a photo of the scene told the BBC: "If you're hanging out the window with your camera phone then you're asking for it.

"There were not any police around when I went past. If people were stationary, what harm are they doing?"

But the law clearly states that drivers are only allowed to use their mobile phones in the car when they need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency when it's unsafe or impractical to stop, or when the vehicle is safely parked.

Nick Lloyd, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, commended the police for taking such positive action against offending drivers but said, "it's very disappointing they have to do this in the first place, that 60 drivers have been seen taking a photograph," 

Comments

Popular Posts