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(Rank: Albert Einstein^2)

What is the best thing to do if you spot someone driving like a nutter when you are driving down the motorway?

My first instinct is to reach for the phone and contact the police before their ridiculous behaviour gets someone killed, but if I did that, I'd be breaking the law.

So what is the correct, responsible thing to do?

The incident that has prompted this was a nutter in a white van (what else?) who was weaving in and out of traffic on the M1 this afternoon in the 50mph speed restricted zone - he missed me by inches as he pulled into the gap between me and the car in front, and then weaved his way (to the salute of lots of car horns) in and out of the traffic.

So, what should I have done? Note the reg number and then wait until the next services to pull over and contact the police? If so, what number should I have called? What else can you do if you are in the car on your own? My phone is hands free in the car, but still...

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Asked in law, cars, mobile phones asked on: 04/18/2008 07:20pm

closed on: 04/25/2008 07:20pm

5 Answers

Aiming4777

Rank: Albert Einstein² (30,829) | law (701), cars (263), mobile phones (47)

17 minutes after the question was opened (04/18/2008 07:37pm)

My usual response is to slow right down so the nutter will get far in fornt of me and I am in no danger from them. By the time you have contacted the police, they will probably be well gone anyway.

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Rank: Novice (0) | law (50), cars (19), mobile phones (5)

4 hours after the question was opened (04/18/2008 11:13pm)

well personally i would say just get and stay out of their way and let the cameras which there are loads of on the motorways these days pick the nutter up on film

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Rank: Bachelor (842) | law (16)

13 hours after the question was opened (04/19/2008 07:28am)

First reaction would be to take take the reg no. and just reported to 999, but I wouldn't want to go to court etc, so I'd probably leave it, and be glad that he didn't concertina my car. I know it's wrong, but that's what I'd do.

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Rank: Novice (0) | law (71)

17 hours after the question was opened (04/19/2008 11:30am)

the best thing to do is take a note of the reg number' what kind of car/van it is and contact the motorway police' you usually see the number for them dotted about on the motorway or you may be even lucky enough to see the motorway police on your journey' if so you are free to flag them down if you feel someone is driving dangerously enough to cause an accident' it may be that the police decide not to do anything but you will have a clear mind knowing that you have done something to prevent an accident.

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Rank: Bachelor (958) | law (27)

21 hours after the question was opened (04/19/2008 03:43pm)

Once you get home safe and sound by avoiding the idiots, report them here:

http://www.baddriving.com/ copy

Then you have at least warned people, which might make you feel better.

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697 View profile Send message beeper_spryte Rank: Albert Einstein^3: beeper_spryte

avoid them like the plague!