‘Rubbernecking’ motorists at crash sites caught on camera

POLICE are targeting motorway “rubberneckers” by installing new roadside cameras to identify them in a new crackdown against “disrespectful” motorists.

Derbyshire Police has vowed to prosecute drivers who film traffic collisions at the wheel after incidents involving three crashes on the M1 occurred last Friday.

The force’s road policing unit said it had seen evidence that motorists were fiddling on their mobile phones while they were at the wheel near crash scenes.

The cameras will be regularly reviewed to catch motorists in the act, and anyone found filming a crash will be sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution in the post.

The measures were taken following the collisions on Friday, one of which required an air ambulance to land on the carriageway, while a Major Rescue

Unit from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service was also in attendance.

Derbyshire roads policing unit announced the latest measure on Twitter, writing: “All rubberneckers who drove without due care and attention earlier on the M1 so they could film the collision scenes on their phones. We’ve put our cameras to good use and filmed you back. To be reviewed and offenders prosecuted.” In a Facebook post shared the following day, the unit clarified the reasoning behind the decision and described the actions of “rubberneckers” as “disrespectful and illegal”.

The unit wrote: “We attended three collisions on the M1, one requiring the air ambulance to land on the carriageway, and noted that as usual the rubberneckers couldn’t help themselves. It is understandable to have a level of curiosity about why you’ve been held up in traffic but your own driving shouldn’t suffer as a result.”

“For a while now the next step for a particular hardcore group of these elastic-necked drivers is to fiddle about on their phone, switch it to camera mode and record the collision scene. All whilst controlling between 1 and 40 tons of metal, surrounded by dozens of others doing the same.”

“It’s disrespectful and illegal. It’s a simple case of driving without due care and attention.

“The driver should be focusing on what’s ahead, not what’s on the other carriageway and their phone.”

The move has been met with support from some social media users.

One Facebook user said: “Brilliant. I’m a lorry driver and the amount people that literally stop to look is sickening. 100 per cent got my backing.”

‘It’s disrespectful and illegal. It’s a simple case of driving without due care and attention’