Thanks to www.abd.org.uk for the link
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2065118/Former-police-chief-sets-cameraphone-lynch-mob-catch-drivers-use-mobiles-wheel.html
 

'Cameraphone lynch mob': Former police chief's volunteer scheme to catch drivers who use mobiles at the wheel

Members of the public urged to take photos of motorists breaking the law
Safety experts say the scheme could cause more accidents
By Hugo Gye

Last updated at 3:07 PM on 23rd November 2011

Drivers are being asked spy on fellow motorists they believe are breaking the law, in a scheme backed by a former police chief.
Members of the public are also being encouraged to photograph those they see using their phones at the wheel, in the proposal that has been branded a 'lynch mob approach'.
Volunteer vigilantes at Police Witness are told to wait by the side of the road, ready to capture on camera the drivers who break the law.

The footage of alleged dangerous driving will then be handed over to the police so it can be used in any future prosecution of errant motorists.

But both drivers and road-safety experts have criticised the proposal.

The group is launching a campaign to curb dangerous driving ahead of the Christmas season, and helps drivers kit out their cars with cameras to capture motoring offences which they can report to police.

But the Association of British Drivers has said it will not only distract drivers at the wheel but could even lead to accidents and road rage incidents.
It was set up earlier this year by former Northamptonshire Police assistant chief constable Alan Featherstone and entrepreneur Matt Stockdale.

Mr Stockdale, the company's chief executive, said the group decided to target pedestrians after a trial in Northampton saw them capture 17 drivers using mobiles in just one hour.
He said: 'We approached police authorities and said we suspect this isn't a local problem, maybe the road safety message across the country just isn't getting through.

'We find a lot of offenders are drivers at work. However, we hope that maybe if someone loses their job as a result of being caught it will make them think twice about picking up the phone again whilst driving.

'It is down to individual forces as to whether they will use the material to prosecute drivers with penalty points or a fine or send out a warning letter to the car's owner.'

Association of British Drivers spokesman Brian Macdowell said: 'The ABD is opposed to any attempts to permit members of the public to administer the law, especially using mobile phones or their own cameras which are unlikely to provide a clear, unambiguous picture of the alleged offender.

'Only the police can be said to be neutral and properly trained to use specialist equipment to produce evidence capable of standing up in a court of law.

'This lynch mob approach has too many downsides for it to become a workable plan, the law can only be administered by trained officers acting without fear or favour.'

The AA also questioned the idea, saying: 'Enforcement of law stopping use of handheld mobile phones while driving is best left to the police.'

Suzette Davenport, deputy chief constable at Northamptonshire Police and a leading national road policing official, said that officers welcomed evidence from members of the public, but warned that people should take care when trying to film drivers.

She said: 'Standing at the side of a busy road with cameras carries with it some inherent safety risks which members of the public need to be aware of.

'We would continue to encourage anyone who has witnessed any traffic offences and who has supporting evidence to contact their local police force in the normal way, as there is no need to go through a third-party company.'

A spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers confirmed that video evidence from the public could potentially form part of a prosecution attempt.

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