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Video: Driver tells cyclist he can drive safely while using phone... then crashes into car in front
“Can you drive safely with your mobile phone?” asks the cyclist who shot this footage. “Yes, I can,” replies the driver. To be fair to him, when he later crashes into the back of the car in front, he isn’t actually using his phone. (You can see a longer version of the video here.)
The Scotsman reports that the incident occurred on the A739 Switchback Road between Bearsden and Glasgow last month.
Dr Dave Brennan spotted a motorist using his phone at the wheel and challenged him about it.
"I called over to encourage him to stop using it, as it is not safe to drive whilst look at a phone. He later started talking to me, and during that conversation claimed he could drive safely when using his mobile phone.”
The motorist drove off, but urban traffic being urban traffic, Brennan soon caught up.
"There is often a queue of traffic on this road, so it was not unexpected for me to catch up with him. He'd complained I was previously cycling along at '3mph', so I smiled and waved as I went past, pointing out the fact he was the one now doing 3mph.
"As his window was wound up, I'm not even sure he heard me, but he probably saw me wave. He then proceeded to accelerate forward as the traffic ahead of him stopped and he crashed into the car in front. I spoke to the two drivers. I offered my footage to the driver in front as evidence, but they decided to settle it between them.”
Brennan said he didn’t think the driver was actually using the phone when he crashed.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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20 comments
What has gone wrong with the world today?
I noticed that this has been reported today on the Daily Fail website and the vast majority of comments (and all highly rated) are supporting the cyclist
They must have been hacked. c.f. FCC's Net neutrality comments in the U.S.
Film if you must but don’t tell other road users to ride/drive - they just get angry.
Wonder if he was looking at the cyclist or his phone. 5hit happens.
I agree with the point above... ultiamtely I'm sure the driver can argue that they were distracted by an aggressive cyclist.
I don't agree with that viewpoint, but I am fairly confident it would have worked.
Never mind offering the footage to the rear-ended driver, how about offering the footage to local plod so this numpty gets the points on his licence that he clearly deserves?
"the incident occurred on the A739 Switchback Road between Bearsden and Glasgow last month."
The initial engagement may have started on Swithchback Road, but the crash happened as it changes to Bearsden Road
This is a little too close to home (literally) for comfort
Oh that made me laugh. I thank you Dr Dave Brennan for your sterling work. Like many on here I drive a car too and it boils my piss to see others on their phones thinking they "can handle" both activities at the same time while they weave all over the place and come so close to doing what the prat above managed to do so entertainingly.
My client naturally accepts that his use of a mobile phone earlier on in this incident was unacceptable and has been awawarded the penalty points and fine for this - indeed he had every intention of turning himself in when he got to his destination.. However, Mr Cyclist, with no further provocation from my client, continued to taunt him two minutes later further up the road where they met again. It is this distraction and concern now for his own safety which caused my client to collide with the vehicle in front.
Etc, etc.
In situations like this car drivers use the advantage of speed and acceleration to escape; commonly, you catch up with them in traffic, but the original incident, e.g. a close pass that threatens you with bodily injury is now arguably closed (It isn’t - they scarpered) and now you’re the one being provocative, with all those terrible wounding, upsetting words. It’s enough to make any level headed driver (hard pressed motorist, my favourite all time phrase) suffer this kind of misfortune.
A driver's reaction time is likely to remain impaired in the moments following his or her use of a mobile phone.
The original, full footage is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb_NHo39b88.
Karma, and let's have a laugh? Naaah - look below at the comments. Terrifying. Drivers piling in to blame the CYCLIST for the arrogant, ignorant, and downright dangerous incompetence displayed by the "berk-in-a-Merc".
Jeeze - and we have to "share the f***ing road" with these f***ers with licences.
The original, full footage is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb_NHo39b88.
Karma, and let's have a laugh? Naaah - look below at the comments. Terrifying. Drivers piling in to blame the CYCLIST for the arrogant, ignorant, and downright dangerous incompetence displayed by the "berk-in-a-Merc".
Jeeze - and we have to "share the f***ing road" with these f***ers with licences.
It is worrying. On the other hand, you don't have to spend much time on this forum to discover that there are people who consider all car drivers to be cyclist-hating wielders of 2 ton death machines who get up every day with the specific aim of killing a cockroach cyclist. I guess it takes all sorts.
Hopefully Dr Dave informed the rear ended car driver that the twonk behind was on the phone.
I've seen some pillock in a BMW do this when he wa busy mouthing off to me in traffic.
I had to stop and get off I was laughing so much.
schadenfreude | ˈʃɑːd(ə)nˌfrɔɪdə |
noun [mass noun]
See this video.
As my son would say: “Instant karma!”
The evidence shows that mobile phoning affects the ability to drive for up to five minutes after. And being a complete plonker, that affects it too.
Like most drivers, he thinks he's better than average and can retain full control of a motor vehicle in extremely complex situations while on the phone, when he isn't even in control without the phone. I think we have a possible podium candidate for "Total and Utter Plonker, 2018".
Hilarious
.
Bit disappointed that we don’t get a gloating cyclists in the face of this moron. I won’t have been able to stop myself.
What a Muppet!