Would you report it?

Waiting at a bus stop one day, a young woman driving past in slow traffic was looking down into her pot noodle in one hand and with chop sticks in the other, selecting a morsel to eat. She wouldn’t have seen traffic in front suddenly stop if the lights changed, let alone put down her meal. I didn’t report it as my bus came along just then.

I would be inclined to report it as you did but possibly at the time I saw the dangerous driving.

It can be difficult though trying to report a crime. I recently saw a young lad climbing a height barrier across the gates of a park and cutting the lock with a bolt cutter. There were also two caravans blocking the road waiting to drive through the entrance.

I did not have time to phone there and then as the traffic started moving but stopped in a lay by a few minutes later. Initially I dialled 101 as I did not feel it was an emergency 999 situation. After over 20 minutes waiting to be answered, I was told there was nothing they could do as it was a civil matter and I needed to notify the local council. As it was a Sunday and there was no 24 hour phone number to use on the council website I gave up!

By the time I went past the park on my way home there were about 20 caravans parked all over the place.

Yes I would

Why can you not report it locally at a police office. Surely they must be able to pass the details on if necessary. Would have had more weight if you had managed to photograph/video the car on the road though. Think the police can't just take your word about what was going on. Maybe the fact you had a passenger also witness it would go some way to supporting your claim. So frustrating to see a driver behaving like that though.

Think how you might feel if you happened to discover that this same person had subsequently killed someone. I think that gives you the answer. If you ignore it, you condone it, and if you condone it you encourage it, is no bad thing to remember in these situations.

It does no harm but may prevent it so yes report what you have seen.

I would certainly report it, although it may eventually cause some convenience

You should always report dangerous driving behaviour. You may save more than one life by so doing.

I once reported seeing a young man driving a small car with three children under five moving around freely in the back AND the front of the vehicle - no car seats or straps to secure them. Even if they did not cause serious distraction to his driving (unlikely!) - if he had had to make an emergency stop at even 30 mph they would all have been seriously injured.
I received feedback from the police who told me they went to read him the riot act and gave him a caution. Hopefully those children now have half a chance of reaching adulthood.

Absolutely a big ‘yes’. You could be saving a family or partner untold amount of grief and pain. She is an accident waiting to happen and innocent people will suffer as a result.

Yes, not properly in charge of a vehicle, driving without due care and attention etc. Etc. We are all at risk with people as irresponsible as this on our roads

I would definitely report it before she ends up causing an ‘incident’ in which innocent people could be harmed. Her makeup won’t be much use if she finds herself in A&E- or worse.

My husband was a passenger in a car on the motorway in a queue of traffic. While they were moving the driver told him that the woman behind was applying mascara in her mirror, not looking at the traffic. They had to slow down and he said she was obviously not slowing down. Next minute- BANG. She ran into the back of their car. When she got out of the car her comment was "Oh no, not again." !!!! I would definitely report it.

If your car is fitted with dash cam you can also submit that to the police. Yes I would report it, too many lives ruined by illegal driving.

I think you did the right thing by reporting her
In Australia we have a special police no to report dangerous drivers If you do it immediately whilst still in the area they send out a police car to find @ track the reported car
I’ve done it several times There are some real idiots driving !!!

My husband was a police officer before he retired. When still working he would travel down the motorway every day. The traffic was always slow and many cheeky drivers would drive down the hard shoulder. Husband would take down the numbers and hand them in to a constable when he got to work. Each driver would get a fix penalty notice.

The worst thing I saw was when I was on a coach trip in the Netherlands. Again on the motorway. Because we were high up we could see into the cabs of big lorries. One driver was lying back in his seat and steering with his feet. I kid you not.

Last night I watched a program about the Police in Devon and Cornwall. On one night there were only two Traffic Police on duty for both counties.

I would report it.

One of my sisters is a paramedic and sees too many accidents caused by idiot drivers. Sometimes the accident is not a pretty sight....

But I would report it. I'd feel guilty not to - she could hurt someone else (as has been observed).

inishowen. about the fixed penalty notices to the horrible people in the hard shoulder.
? for your husband doing a great job!

For goodness sake report it before she kills someone.

If she's not taxed, it invalidates her insurance, and she sounds such a bad driver that she's bound to be putting other drivers at risk - I'd defo report it.

Unless there is evidence what can you report? Would be different if you were a policeman!

I’m really surprised they told you that you had to go to the station in person to report it - surely they must be able to take a report over the phone. I wonder if they were trying to put you off so that they wouldn’t have to follow it up?

Of course you should report it. If the tax has expired, there is probably no insurance, which means that anybody involved in an accident with this vehicle, can make no claim. You can report it anonymously by going to the car tax website.

Yes; please report it.