http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Drivers on Phones - what can a concerned citizen actually do? en Wed, 13 May 2026 01:51:12 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21538#post-375011 Fri, 17 May 2024 11:18:26 +0000 EdinburghCycleCam 375011@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In slightly more positive news, this driver got 6 points and a £220 fine: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGfqSqji7RU" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGfqSqji7RU</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21538#post-375010 Fri, 17 May 2024 11:18:05 +0000 neddie 375010@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Too depresssing.</p> <p>Cars dominate every aspect of our society, to the point where there will never be enough resources to ever police them effectively.</p> <p>It's a spiral of self-harm and ultimately destruction </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21538#post-375009 Fri, 17 May 2024 11:14:07 +0000 EdinburghCycleCam 375009@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The police will <em>sometimes</em> act on drivers on the phone, if you have it on video - but you really need to be lucky with which officer you get. I'd guess 20% of the reports I've made have resulted in action (Though "action" is almost always just talking to the driver, not charging them).</p> <p>For speeding, there's nothing you can do about it. I recorded someone overtaking me at AT LEAST 50 mph in Holyrood Park (20 mph limit) and the police said there's nothing they can do without it being recorded on a speed camera (And they also said they don't have the resources to sit in Holyrood Park with a speed camera, and the rangers also DGAF and just say it's up to the police).</p> <p>I've also been threatened by the police with a public order offence after telling a (not shouting at a) driver to "put his f'ing phone away", in addition to being told that they won't charge the driver because it wasn't seen by a police officer - so now I don't even bother reporting mobile phone use unless there's additional offences.</p> <p>tl;dr: Police Scotland are absolutely useless. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21538#post-375005 Fri, 17 May 2024 09:06:01 +0000 fimm 375005@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My only suggestion (and it isn't a very good one) is to find out who/where your local Community Police Person is and complain to them. Regularly. And get any other people who feel the same as you to do the same. The police at least claim to respond to community concerns, and might send someone along once to tell people off. Which won't change anything, of course, but at least it would be a police person telling them off and not some random shouty bloke. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21538#post-375002 Thu, 16 May 2024 21:39:49 +0000 mcairney 375002@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That reminds me, while driving towards the Queensferry Crossing on Saturday for the Pitlochry Etape there was a plonker in an Audi RS4 using his phone to record video of the bridges (as in both hands off the wheel, looking/pointing phone out the side window. Bad enough in a stationary vehicle but at 50mph?? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21538#post-374998 Thu, 16 May 2024 17:39:18 +0000 pringlis 374998@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I agree, would love to be able to do something about that too but the burden of proof is a lot higher for speeding than mobile phone use. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21538#post-374997 Thu, 16 May 2024 17:11:46 +0000 neddie 374997@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Same question for speeding... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=21538#post-374996 Thu, 16 May 2024 16:55:01 +0000 pringlis 374996@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>At the end of my tether with drivers on mobiles. I walk or cycle from Blackford Pond to Comiston Road to Canaan Lane and back on the school run most days and every single day I see at least one person on their phone while driving, usually more. I've gotten into a shouting match with drivers a few times, including yesterday with someone on Comiston Road who was using their phone AND smoking while edging up the queue outside the school, each time leaving the classic "WhatsApp gap" and then coming perilously close to the car in front as they accelerated forward, all just as they got to the traffic lights where kids at SMPS cross. I usually let it slide but when it's in front of a school I often feel I should say something. Probably shouldn't, especially as the kids are with me... though they're used to it now!</p> <p>It's all fruitless though, I know it, as very few drivers would change their behaviour based on a random man in the street telling them to stop, and the chances of them being caught by the police are incredibly low. Without a reporting portal, what can I actually do?</p> <p>Is it worth filming them and reporting to the police, or is that unlikely to result in any action? I feel like with the scale of it there's little point... </p>