EXCLUSIVE Britain's worst drivers: Moment motorists leave other road users inches from death as they run red lights, mount pavements and perform dangerous overtakes in shocking dashcam videos
Clips of dangerous overtaking on blind bends and undertaking in heavy traffic also show how drivers are risking lives to save seconds on their journeys.
Experts at dash cam firm Nextbase, who compiled the footage, fear impatience is likely to spike in huge traffic jams during the upcoming bank holiday weekend.
There is also concern over wet weather creating dangerous conditions as about 20million drivers take to the roads each day between this Friday and next Monday.
Many dangerous manoeuvres contravene the Highway Code, such as Rule 36 on not stopping at red lights, which can result in a £100 fine and three penalty points.
Rules 162 to 169 relate to dangerous overtaking practices, such as overtaking on blind bends or at junctions; while Rule 268 covers undertaking in moving traffic.
Rule 145 bans motorists from driving on the pavement, which can lead to fines of up to £5,000 and nine penalty points; while Rule 144 is driving without due care and attention, which can result in a fine of up to £2,500 and disqualification.
Nextbase said it had received dozens of videos of dangerous driving in the first three months of the year, which is 'a small fraction' of the dangerous driving on UK roads.
This only includes footage submitted directly to Nextbase, rather than to police via the firm's national dash cam safety portal, or not captured on a dash cam at all.
Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, said: 'What we're seeing just ahead of one of the biggest driving weekends of the year is genuinely alarming.
'Drivers across the UK are increasingly treating the Highway Code as an inconvenience rather than a vital set of rules designed to keep everyone safe.
'The footage we've received shows people making split-second decisions that could have catastrophic consequences, all to save what often amounts to just seconds on their journey.'
He added that the urge to do something reckless to beat the traffic will be even stronger this weekend with millions of extra cars on the road for leisure trips.
Mr Brooker continued: 'We're particularly concerned about the number of videos showing motorists running red lights, overtaking on blind bends, and even driving on pavements.
'These aren't just minor infractions – they're potentially life-threatening behaviours that show a complete disregard for other road users.'
Separately, the AA has warned drivers to expect chaos and long delays during the late May bank holiday weekend with 20million cars set to hit the roads each day.
It said congestion is likely to be localised around attractions, retail parks, town centres and coastal areas - with half of journeys set to be under 50 miles.
The busiest day will be Friday when commuter traffic combines with leisure travel as many families head off to enjoy the May half-term holidays after schools break up.
Some 20.6million journeys are anticipated to be made in the UK on Friday, then 19.6million on Saturday and 19.3million on each on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.
The AA has issued an 'amber traffic warning' to alert drivers to high congestion on the roads, adding: 'Remember, the journey is just as important as the destination.'
Routes heading into the South West of England such as the A303, M5 and A38 are expected to be particularly busy, as well as roads leading to Wales such as the M4.
Drivers to Wales were also told to be aware of the current 20mph speed limits in built up areas, while the A52 to Skegness and the M55 to Blackpool could be slow-moving.
Congestion is also expected on the M6, M42 and M5 around the Birmingham area, as well any route with a major retail park such as Bluewater in Kent and Lakeside in Essex – which are both near the M25 – and Meadowhall in Sheffield, near the M1.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
19 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Police face weeks-long delay before they can reveal suspects' nationalities
Police face a weeks-long delay before they are allowed to reveal suspects' nationalities because Downing Street is waiting for new independent guidance before changing the rules. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is urging forces to give more information about suspects' nationalities and migration status after Reform accused Warwickshire Police of a 'cover-up' over the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton. However, an official rule change on when foreigners can be publicly identified as suspects has been delayed because of a review that is not expected to be published until the autumn. It came amid criticism of the Government's broader strategy on illegal migration, after Ms Cooper was unable to say whether a new deal with the French would allow small boat migrants to be deported this month. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, warned that the deal was 'wide open to abuse' because France does not have to share any data on who is coming to Britain – meaning new arrivals could include criminals and terrorists. Ministers have asked the Law Commission, an independent advisory body, to update guidance on contempt of court rules, which currently prevent police or officials from giving details about suspects. The review, commissioned in February, is not expected to report until the autumn, and a change in guidance for police forces could be implemented weeks after that. Without an urgent change, ministers fear a repeat of the riots that followed the Southport stabbings last summer, while Downing Street has said police should be more 'transparent' about their suspects. There is concern among law enforcement officials and in Whitehall that public debate about crime by migrants and the threat of violent protests at asylum hotels will culminate into a summer of 'disorder' on the streets. Ms Cooper told the BBC on Tuesday: 'We do want to see more transparency in cases, we think local people do need to have more information.' One police leader told The Telegraph that while the previous system of 'saying as little as possible in order to preserve a fair trial' had worked well in the past, the rise of social media had 'driven a coach and horses' through that approach. He said the absence of information all too often created a vacuum, which was filled by mis- or disinformation, and said the risk to public order meant police must provide more information. The review of police protocol follows inaccurate speculation on social media of the Southport attacker's identity last year, with users alleging that Axel Rudakubana was an illegal immigrant. George Finch, the 19-year-old Reform leader of Warwickshire county council, on Monday accused the Government of covering up alleged crime by migrants in Nuneaton, claiming that the two men charged with the rape of a 12-year-old girl were Afghan. That claim has not been confirmed by police. There is not currently any guidance issued to forces about disclosing the ethnicity or immigration status of an individual on charge. The rules state only that a suspect should be named unless there is an exceptional and legitimate policing purpose for not doing so, or if reporting restrictions apply. Philip Seccombe, the Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, has said that any release of information by police should 'follow national guidance and legal requirements'. The review of the guidelines on contempt of court was commissioned by Ms Cooper, Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, and Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, earlier this year. The Law Commission's review is expected to find that police officials and ministers should be allowed to reveal more information about suspects in cases where there is a 'threat of serious public disorder'. However, despite a request from ministers to publish new guidelines 'as soon as feasible', the body is not expected to report for some weeks. The delay has effectively left police forces defenceless against accusations of a cover-up, while Downing Street is urging them to make more information available. Another senior officer told The Telegraph any change to the rules would create new issues for the police because they do not routinely collect nationality and ethnicity data unless it is relevant to an investigation. 'The police's job is about gathering evidence and I can see some real practical difficulties in requiring forces to provide extra information,' the officer said. A Home Office source said: 'Not only are we deporting foreign criminals at a rate that Chris Philp and Robert Jenrick never managed when they were in charge at the Home Office, but we are also publishing far more information about that group of offenders than the Tories ever did.' Sir Keir is separately facing criticism over the one in, one out migrant deal agreed with Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, under which migrants who come to the UK illegally are meant to be swapped for people in France who have a legitimate asylum claim in Britain. The Prime Minister announced on Monday that the process of deporting the first Channel migrants under the deal will begin within days. But Mr Philp said the details of the agreement, published on Tuesday, show it will be a 'lawyer's paradise' that will make it too easy for migrants to stay. The agreement states that people who have made 'clearly unfounded' claims under the Human Rights Act will not automatically be deported, meaning lawyers will be able to create lengthy delays. The agreement states that anyone claiming to be under the age of 18 will be able to stay in the UK. Mr Philp said that because Britain does not carry out robust age checks, it means that people in their 20s who could they are under 18 could be allowed to stay. In addition, under the deal France will not have to hand over any data on the people they are sending to the UK, meaning they could be criminals or terrorists. 'This deal is unworkable and wide open to abuse,' he said. 'It's exactly what we've been warning about – a bureaucrat's dream and a lawyer's paradise set to prevent people ever being returned to France. 'There are no numbers specified, presumably because they are so small they would embarrass the Home Secretary. France won't even tell us any information about who we have to accept back, so they could be criminals or terrorists, and we wouldn't know. 'This is a pathetic deal, which simply won't work. No wonder this Government has presided over the worst channel crossing figures in history.'
Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Father tells of his anguish as son's killer will be freed due to a brain tumour
A killer who is seeking early release on compassionate grounds should be left to die in prison, his victim's family have said. Alan Dewar, 35, has been diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer and is said to have 12 months left to live. Dewar was jailed in 2008 for stabbing 17-year-old Joshua Mitchell in a random, drug-fuelled attack. The violent thug had pounced on the teen as he walked home listening to his iPod. He killed him by stabbing him once through the heart - then stood smoking nearby as his victim lay bleeding in the street. At the time Dewar said he killed the teenager because 'he was in a bad mood that day' and has never publicly expressed remorse for the attack. Joshua's father, Andy Mitchell, 58, still lives in the family home in Inverness, just yards from where his son was stabbed. Speaking after news of Dewar's cancer battle emerged, he told the Daily Mail that his son's killer should never be released. 'He's never showed an ounce of compassion or regret for killing our Joshua, so there's no way he should be given any now,' he said. 'The spot where it happened is just yards from our house and I pass it every time I walk up the road, and if I thought Dewar was out of jail - even for the short time he says he has left, smirking as he has been all along, it would eat me up. 'There would be no justice if the parole board are so weak they let him out early. 'What I think would be justice is that this illness will see him away early, and that should happen inside the four walls of his cell. 'The parole board should take one look at his violent record and will surely see that he's not fit to be out. If he'd shown remorse or behaved in jail, found God or something I could maybe understand him getting out early. But he's a violent menace and should never be released in a million years.' However, Mr Mitchell, now a self-employed HGV driver, says he has little faith in the parole board making the 'right' decision. He also pointed to the case of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, who was found guilty of mass murder and imprisoned for life in Scotland. The Scottish Government released terminally-ill Megrahi on compassionate grounds in 2009, three years before he died of cancer. Mr Mitchell said: 'You've only got to look at how they released Megrahi when it was said he had cancer and had months to live. 'He lived for another three years. That's the Scottish justice system for you though, if he can get out then I bet Dewar can by spinning the same tale.' The impact of Joshua's death had a long-lasting impact on his family, with Mr Mitchell saying his late wife Marilyn, who died in 2015, never got over the loss. He said: 'She died of a broken heart. There was so much anger inside us both, we were having our trauma for breakfast dinner and tea. 'I eventually learned how to deal with it, but Marilyn never did. She even tried to commit suicide once.' Another tragic aspect is that Joshua's girlfriend was pregnant with their son at the time of his death, meaning he never got to meet the boy, who was born the day after his killer was sentenced. Mr Mitchell said the prison service wrote to him earlier this year to advise him Dewar's parole hearing was due on September 25, a standard process advising victims of possible release thereafter. He learned later that the killer had cancer. Dewar's medical issues emerged at Perth Sheriff Court, where he was due to stand trial for stalking two women and making threats against them while serving time at the city's jail. He denied stalking but admitted making a call to the pair. Dewar's lawyer told the court he had been given just 12 months to live, after he was diagnosed with a rare form of brain and spinal cancer, called ependymoma, in January. Originally charged with stalking the two women, he pled guilty to a reduced charge of threatening or abusive behaviour on a single day. The court heard Dewar, now at HMP Low Moss, will ask to be released 'on compassionate grounds' at a parole hearing on September 25. Sheriff Mark O'Hanlon told Dewar in view of his condition he would be admonished. Dewar has now served more than the 13-year punishment element of his sentence for Joshua's murder, having now been behind bars for nearly 18 years due to committing more violent crimes while inside. He had 32 months added to his sentence in 2010 for attacking a fellow Polmont inmate with a pool cue. In 2022, he had his sentence extended by another eight months following a brawl in HMP Perth's C Hall.
The Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
Of all the harebrained schemes to smash migrant smugglers, Labour's new One In One Out plan is worst of all – here's why
HOME SECRETARY Yvette Cooper has a new plan to stop the migrants flooding into this country but is not going to tell you about it. It isn't about the numbers. They're calling the plan One-in, One-out but that isn't about the numbers, either. 4 4 More than 25,400 illegal migrants have crossed the Channel this year alone — 50 per cent more than last year — but that's not about the numbers, apparently. Ms Cooper isn't inclined to even reveal how many of them will be sent back to France under the new scheme, because to do so would only aid the people smugglers, or so she claims. Yesterday we had the rather ludicrous launch of a new policy that doesn't even do what it says on the tin. The Government's hope that this gimmick — for that is plainly what it is — will convince anyone the vile people-smuggling gangs will simply give up trafficking their lucrative quarries is wildly deluded. Taxpayer's expense Any examination of the new system makes it immediately obvious that there is no chance of it working. The Home Secretary said yesterday that, as of this week, migrants arriving illegally on to our shores will be detained then returned to France. Ms Cooper said detained 'within days' and returned 'within weeks'. But how, exactly? It was what she didn't say that was of far more interest. For example, where will they be detained? As far as we know, there are no workable detention centres anywhere near Dover. Small boat migrant found dead riddled with bullets on French coast after being gunned down 'by people smugglers' And Manston, the current holding area 20 miles away, is already over capacity. Ms Cooper has not volunteered any information as to where the arrivals will go. Neither has she suggested how long they will be held in detention, whether they will go through a court process or, indeed, whether they will be able to access legal services at the taxpayer's expense. As if all that wasn't bad enough, there is simply no explanation at all of how the migrants will be 'returned'. Will they all be packed into the back of a lorry? Will Border Force take them back to France on their boats? Or will it be down to the RNLI? One-in, One-out, it may be called, but not one clue is being given as to its likely success Perhaps the migrants will be put on the Eurostar or flown out of the country on one of those chartered jets. You might as well throw a dice or toss a coin. One-in, One-out, it may be called, but not one clue is being given as to its likely success. The Home Secretary has conceded there 'might' be legal challenges in some cases. So it's then back to the old right to a family life, under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The public, of course, are under no illusions. 4 4 My listeners and readers gave me their verdict about all this yesterday. 'If it's 50,000 in and 50,000 out, they get replaced by another 50,000, so it's still 50,000 more,' said one wise caller. Despite Ms Cooper's claim that this is not about the numbers, the increasingly frustrated and fed-up citizens of this country are very clear that it is. She has conceded that only about 50 migrants will be exchanged per week in the initial pilot stage of the programme — which is due to run for only 11 months. That represents just one in 17 of the current small-boat arrivals on to our shores. And so, obviously, the numbers do matter. Ms Cooper says that the replacement migrants will be fully documented and legitimised. In effect, they will qualify to come and live here because they can prove who they are and that they have family here. Does she really think that system won't be abused? Asylum seekers in France can now apply online to come to Britain. So, you can only imagine the numbers that will flock to the French coast in the hopes of a successful application. In one fell swoop, the Government has taken away the risk of dying in the Channel — instead encouraging the migrants to fill out a form. Harebrained schemes And who will assess the suitability of the applicants? Will a family of four from Libya get precedence over two teenage brothers from Eritrea? And if their application is successful, where will they live? A migrant hotel? Social housing? An army camp? Of all the harebrained schemes to smash the gangs, stop the boats, fix the system and secure our borders — yes, Sir Keir Starmer has promised to do all four — this is perhaps the worst of all. It brings yet more people into the country with no perceived skills or reason to be here. It adds fuel to an already tense situation, up and down the country. And it will almost certainly fail to do what it is meant to do. Aside from that, it'll cost more billions of pounds of our money. I'm not in. I'm out.
