Lorry drivers snapped eating, reading and using mobile

[Deleted]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40916148

Lorry drivers have been photographed on England's roads eating, reading and using a phone while behind the wheel.

Four drivers were photographed on the M20 near Ashford in Kent.

Two were reading, one was holding cutlery and a food container and another appeared to be steering with his elbows.

Road safety campaigners Brake branded the images as "shocking" while the AA said the consequences of such behaviour could be "dire".

Surrey Police said they spotted one driver using the app Snapchat.

Another was photographed looking at a piece of paper while travelling on the M4 in Swindon and another was snapped on his mobile phone near junction 46 of M1 in Yorkshire.

Jason Wakeford, from Brake, said: "These are shocking images showing drivers with a total disregard for the safety of other road users."

Police forces across the country have been using unmarked vehicles to take pictures.

PC Dan Pascoe of Surrey Police said the force's lorry had been "invaluable", with 26 people caught on one day so far this month.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said the risks associated with drivers using phones are "very clear".

'Harder to spot'

The Department for Transport said anyone who is distracted can be prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving.

Edmund King from the AA, said some lorry drivers get bored, particularly on motorways.

"I think some feel that because they are high up in the cab it is harder to spot them."

He said the consequences of the driver of a 44-tonne lorry being distracted for a second or two could be "absolutely dire".

Tomasz Kroker was jailed for 10 years last year after killing a woman and three children when his lorry ploughed into their stationary car on the A34 near Newbury, Berkshire, while he was distracted by his phone.

Can't say I am surprised considering the way some of these dicks drive

[Heladys]

Good thing I'm not a Lorry driver in the UK because you'll never stop me eating. Reading and using the phone though I have accepted as unacceptably attention-demanding and thus risky.

[Glnger]

the incentive structure is set up for the drivers to get paid more for driving longer and skipping stops. most people even on casual drives don't stop to eat/ use mobile, how are you going to incentivize faster delivery, make the pay a variable of how quickly it gets delivered and then blame the drivers when they cut corners because they want to make more money for their families.

[Thoughtcrime]

It's not just lorry drivers. People of all walks of life do it everywhere all the time and I fucking hate it. I live quite close to a school and on my daily commute to work I always see parents dropping off their kids and driving along the road next to the school, over the speed limit, while texting. Happy to hurl abuse their way and make them feel bad about themselves when I see it.

[Deleted]

Not allowing them to eat or drink seems a bit silly.

It's illegal to eat and drive at the same time

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Good thing I'm not a Lorry driver in the UK because you'll never stop me eating. Reading and using the phone though I have accepted as unacceptably attention-demanding and thus risky.

So you perform illegal acts

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the incentive structure is set up for the drivers to get paid more for driving longer and skipping stops. most people even on casual drives don't stop to eat/ use mobile, how are you going to incentivize faster delivery, make the pay a variable of how quickly it gets delivered and then blame the drivers when they cut corners because they want to make more money for their families.

Sorry but service stations are for eating

[Glnger]

Sorry but service stations are for eating

Yes, again in theory. but they are incentivized to deliver faster and in the US (was big news back when gas prices were high) some companies give a blanket amount and the fuel comes out of that so gasoline is literally cutting the drivers profits, stopping and getting back up to speed takes gas, for long haul truckers that really adds up.. Those trucks have 100+ gallon tanks so it's not like fuel stops make for a good medium to stop and pee/get food regularly. You've never heard of truckers peeing in bottles while driving in order to avoid stopping? Never heard of truckers popping caffeine pills? They aren't doing it for their health, they're doing it to cut corners and make more money because that is how their companies have structured incentives.

[Deleted]

And?

Just because something is or isn't legal doesn't make it right or wrong.

Risking the safety of yourself and others is wrong

[kasuke06]

Risking the safety of yourself and others is wrong

Then why not excise the root of the problem instead of going after symptoms? You want to shit all over the baseline worker because of corporate's actions, or to put it another way, you want to scream at the cashier, who has slightly less than zero power to change things.

[Mystrome]

Risking the safety of yourself and others is wrong

Don't pretend you know anything about the subject, there's eating a sandwich, and there's having a 6 course dinner. There's nothing wrong with having a snack or a drink from a small container that can be sealed once opened.

[Themius]

Then why not excise the root of the problem instead of going after symptoms? You want to shit all over the baseline worker because of corporate's actions, or to put it another way, you want to scream at the cashier, who has slightly less than zero power to change things.

what in the fuck are you even arguing? Your argument makes no sense.

[TheFuse]

I see Adam is taking Tennis' place in flooding the OT with pointless drivel.

[Independent voter]

You should always pay attention. I agree.

In Los Angeles people often have 100+ mile commutes, you see people eating cereal, reading the newspaper, typing on laptops, etc.

[Manabomb]

I'm starting to get a feeling that this is just negative PR for Lorry drivers so that way someone with an agenda can call for more things like Uber and Lyft.

[kasuke06]

what in the fuck are you even arguing? Your argument makes no sense.

Since you're not grasping/intentionally ignoring the core of the argument: The drivers get paid extra to not make any stops, like say, having to piss, or sleep, or eat, and their baseline pay takes this into consideration, AKA they get paid basically nothing without that bonus. So if you're getting pissed at them for this risky behavior, I have to ask why? They're being rewarded for it, and rather harshly penalized for following the law, so if you wish to effect change then why do you go after them? You need to go after the companies that pay them extra to not follow the laws.

Did that clarify it for you, or are you going to attack me again because you can't even begin to understand simple concepts?

[Vash The Stampede]

Good thing I'm not a Lorry driver in the UK because you'll never stop me eating. Reading and using the phone though I have accepted as unacceptably attention-demanding and thus risky.

You think that's bad, my car has a stereo that allows me to watch YouTube and movies. I'm an easily bored person. But if all this unacceptable attention-demanding driving is pissing people off, then I would work faster on self-driving technology. That way I can sleep in the car too. And it had better be affordable.

[Themius]

Since you're not grasping/intentionally ignoring the core of the argument: The drivers get paid extra to not make any stops, like say, having to piss, or sleep, or eat, and their baseline pay takes this into consideration, AKA they get paid basically nothing without that bonus. So if you're getting pissed at them for this risky behavior, I have to ask why? They're being rewarded for it, and rather harshly penalized for following the law, so if you wish to effect change then why do you go after them? You need to go after the companies that pay them extra to not follow the laws.

Did that clarify it for you, or are you going to attack me again because you can't even begin to understand simple concepts?

Eat one big meal... problem solved.

Stop being an apologist.

[Ech0544]

Really curious what all these "drivers are incentivised" statements are based off?

I originally planned on going to go into lorry driving so took a few courses and I live in UK, here you have a electronic timer card thing that records your driving hours/ breaks and you have VOSA agency that is incentivised to nail every truck driver for every infraction they can find, if they skipped a timed break they get fucked for it, iirc if they are caught more than a few times they loose their licenses and companies are required to log these timer records which also get audited?

From what I remember, the problem isn't UK drivers, its foreign drivers coming into the UK.

On topic of banning eating/ drinking, thats idiotic, eating a chocolate bar/ sandwich while driving isn't really an issue, atleast no more than changing track on radio or smoking, of course if it requires cutlery to eat it then thats obviously different.

[Orby]

This is actually quite common here in the UK alot of idiot lorry drivers over here.

[Polarthief]

Can't wait for those self-driving cars, amirite?

[kasuke06]

Eat one big meal... problem solved.

Stop being an apologist.

And then have to stop for half an hour and shit it out. Great plan. If enough lorry drivers end up homeless, they won't be fucking the roads up anymore right?