Police catch lorry driver using his phone while driving along the M5
‘He’s now scrolling up!’ Moment police catch lorry driver taking both hands off the steering wheel as he uses his phone while driving along the M5
- Footage shared by Gloucestershire Police on Twitter shows man on his phone
- He is unaware he is being filmed and scrolls up and down the device
- At one point takes both hands off of the wheel while driving his lorry
- He is stopped at the end of the clip by police who pull up alongside him
This is the shocking moment police caught a lorry driver taking both hands off the steering wheel and using his phone on the M5.
Footage shared by Gloucestershire Police on Twitter shows the man on his phone, unaware that he is being filmed.
The driver is spotted scrolling up and down on the device with both hands off the wheel.
Footage shared by Gloucestershire Police on Twitter shows the man on his phone, unaware that he is being filmed
He then puts the phone back into its holder before the officers catch up with him at the end.
Appalled by the lorry driver’s actions, the officer delivers a rolling commentary, saying: ‘He has got both hands off the steering wheel. He is now scrolling up!
‘He’s put it back in the cradle. I am going to try and get alongside.’
Police officers pull up alongside the man at the end of the clip, making him aware he has been caught by the highways team.
The driver is spotted scrolling up and down on the device with both hands off the wheel
Gloucestershire Police said: ‘A HGV driver caught with both hands off the steering wheel whilst using his mobile phone behind the wheel on the M5.
‘Using a handheld phone behind the wheel is illegal and drivers who do so are 4x more likely to be involved in a collision.’
Officers also shared a link to the government rules on using a handheld phone or sat nav while on the road.
The rules reiterate that the lorry driver’s actions were illegal and that if you must use a device while on the road it should not be handheld.
Drivers must use a device which has features such as a Bluetooth headset, voice command and a windscreen mount.
Motorists caught using sat navs or handheld phones while driving can face fines of up to £200.
They also face getting six points on their licence for the offence.
If drivers are taken to court for using a phone while on the road the maximum fine they face is £1,000 or £2,500 if you are a lorry or bus driver.
Motorists who passed their tests in the last two years also face losing their licence.
Using mobile phones and sat navs while driving: The law
It’s illegal to hold a phone or sat nav while driving or riding a motorcycle. You must have hands-free access, such as:
The device must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead.
You must stay in full control of your vehicle at all times.
The police can stop you if they think you’re not in control because you’re distracted and you can be prosecuted.
The law still applies to you if you’re:
- stopped at traffic lights
- queuing in traffic
- supervising a learner driver
You can use a hand-held phone if either of these apply:
- you’re safely parked
- you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop
You can get 6 penalty points and a £200 fine if you use a hand-held phone when driving.
You’ll also lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last 2 years.
You can get 3 penalty points if you don’t have a full view of the road and traffic ahead or proper control of the vehicle.
You can also be taken to court where you can:
- be banned from driving or riding
- get a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 if you’re driving a lorry or bus)
Source: Gov.uk
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