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Bad drivers are named and shamed online
1:11pm Monday 4th February 2008
Comments (60)DODGY drivers in North Yorkshire who use their mobile phones, park badly or put illegal number plates on their cars are being named and shamed on the internet.
The vigilante action by law-abiding motorists and pedestrians is seeing scores of offenders in the region being reported and having their car and registration details published through a website which is supporting a national police crackdown on motoring crime.
BetterDrivingPlease.com allows people to shop anybody they spot flouting the rules of the road, with the information collected being shared with police.
In January, a string of North Yorkshire offences have been highlighted - from failing to indicate near the York Designer Outlet off the A64 and dangerous driving on the A19 to poor parking in Piccadilly in the centre of York and speeding in Anthea Drive, Huntington.
Illegal number plates - often used by criminals to avoid being caught - are also being reported to the website at the same time as police in North Yorkshire launched a week-long operation to stamp out the practice.
BetterDrivingPlease.com is the brainchild of Andrew McGavin, who founded it last year and sees it as an additional weapon for catching driving offenders.
He said: "By displaying, for example, an illegal number plate on your car, you are saying to the world that you don't believe the traffic laws apply to you.
"That kind of attitude must surely creep and before long drivers can justify doing 40mph in a 30mph zone to themselves. It's a dangerous attitude and one which must be stopped. The idea behind the website is that anybody can report bad driving which they see with their own eyes, and can tick a box where they agree to their details being given to police.
"So far, we've had more than 7,000 drivers shopped for things like speeding, using a mobile phone or dangerous manoeuvres.
"Too many drivers don't think about their actions and I wanted to do something about it.
"The website has had support in the House of Lords, and we see it as being proactive in stopping driving offences rather than reactive.
"The laws are simple and apply to all of us and we are fully behind the police crackdown."
To view offences reported to the website, register for free to enter your own report or to see if you've been spotted driving badly, log on to www.betterdrivingplease.com A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "We are extremely proactive in road policing and carry out a broad range of enforcement and education campaigns throughout the year alongside day-to-day neighbourhood patrols.
"These include targeting offences such as drink-driving, using a hand-held mobile phone, speeding, seatbelt offences, defective vehicles and anti-social driving, and our focus this week is on targeting illegal number plates.
"Anybody who can supply information can speak anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, who have systems in place to collate the information and direct it to the appropriate police force."
Your Say YourYork Press
sarahj, york says...
1:40pm Mon 4 Feb 08
sephiroth, ^ES is V says...
1:43pm Mon 4 Feb 08
I'll be using this web-site myself now I know its there.
root-two, York says...
2:10pm Mon 4 Feb 08
this is probably illegal
It isn't - the information that the site would show (vehicle make, colour etc.) is easily obtained via the DVLA database.
The website is a good idea, but not a new one - something similar has been in place in Australia for a few years and was set up as a response to speeding drivers.
sarahj, york says...
2:14pm Mon 4 Feb 08
what is this website going to acheive?
Voice of reason, York says...
2:23pm Mon 4 Feb 08
sarahj, york says...
2:27pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Buggerluggs, York says...
2:30pm Mon 4 Feb 08
So what's stopping me from naming and shaming my ex-neighbour just for fun?
I wonder what kind of person would think of something like that? Tsk!
sarahj, york says...
2:35pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Its up to the police and traffic wardens to sort these drivers out.
Bemused, York says...
2:40pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Overall it involves the sort of nasty snooping and informing reminiscent of Nazi Germany and Stalin's Russia.
A user, Selby says...
2:46pm Mon 4 Feb 08
sephiroth, sephiroth's cave says...
3:06pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Not something I'd place a bet on myself these days.
Diogenes, Here and there says...
3:19pm Mon 4 Feb 08
sarahj wrote:You mus be joking!
Agreeing with X for his very valid points Its up to the police and traffic wardens to sort these drivers out.
We all need to act to put things right!
We have become a nation of "let someone else do it ". We need to return to the vaulues this country espoused fifty years ago!
John M, says...
3:23pm Mon 4 Feb 08
i am the stig, in my car says...
3:27pm Mon 4 Feb 08
sarahj, york says...
3:31pm Mon 4 Feb 08
If it a serious offence just report it to the police if you get chance to write the number down that is.
Not that I would expect anything to be done.
andyb, york says...
3:38pm Mon 4 Feb 08
plaggy terry, classic cutz heworth says...
3:38pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Buggerluggs wrote:oh my oh my someone is full of negative remarks, always commenting and searching for some thing he can pull a certain girl down over,,...quite often doesnt even comment on the story just the remarks made by.. said girl,..oh look ive done it myself, bite me
So what's stopping me from naming and shaming my ex-neighbour just for fun?I wonder what kind of person would think of something like that? Tsk!
i am the stig, in my car says...
3:50pm Mon 4 Feb 08
OK, they can use that evidence to prosecute, and if it turns out to be hoax then no further action is needed.
But anything that gets them looking in the right place is good news.
AdmiralN, York Centre says...
3:53pm Mon 4 Feb 08
As for it being abused for grudges... well im sure people can think of a better way than tthis to settle them??
sarahj, york says...
3:54pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Danielle, York says...
3:56pm Mon 4 Feb 08
KarenWhite1978, Heslington says...
3:59pm Mon 4 Feb 08
i am the stig, in my car says...
4:02pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Brightidea, York says...
4:07pm Mon 4 Feb 08
lrd, york says...
4:30pm Mon 4 Feb 08
I am a proffesional driver, with a clean license for over 20 years no accidents ect, covering a lot of mileage. but would i say I am the best driver? no WE ALL make MISTAKES wether intentional or not. otherwise the best drivers would not need insusrance! i would not like my reputation as a pro driver be disgraced by some one else who believes I was in the wrong, it may be the other way round but it is 1 persons view. What next car insurance companies checking this to increase our premiums?
get it closed! the guy running it needs to find another interest!
Guy Fawkes, Bootham says...
4:34pm Mon 4 Feb 08
andyb, york says...
4:43pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Guy Fawkes, Bootham says...
4:48pm Mon 4 Feb 08
If you believe you are a good (i.e. safe) driver and are not committing criminal acst, what have you got to fear?
Someone who doesn't like me putting a malicious report on that site claiming that I'm a bad driver and/or have committed criminal acts.
Hieronymous, York says...
4:49pm Mon 4 Feb 08
lrd, york says...
4:51pm Mon 4 Feb 08
can i report a red honda civic RS23VHA travelling east on a64, driver on his mobile phone/ eating a sarnie doing over 80MPH!
(not true reg)
truth is this car is sat on my drive and i,m sat at the computer, how do i stop this information being used? maybe my employer checking/ insurance company.
Yes I am safe driver and I don,t break the law! but the law which is imposed by the police and VOSA and someone who has no experience, no calibrated recognised equipment to check speed ect. or even someone who may not like me.
AdmiralN, York Centre says...
4:55pm Mon 4 Feb 08
lrd wrote:Can i ask... do you get the rage like this when you arte driving???
not just a whim CRAP! can i report a red honda civic RS23VHA travelling east on a64, driver on his mobile phone/ eating a sarnie doing over 80MPH! (not true reg) truth is this car is sat on my drive and i,m sat at the computer, how do i stop this information being used? maybe my employer checking/ insurance company. Yes I am safe driver and I don,t break the law! but the law which is imposed by the police and VOSA and someone who has no experience, no calibrated recognised equipment to check speed ect. or even someone who may not like me.
lrd, york says...
5:06pm Mon 4 Feb 08
basically my point of view.
another thing that may apply to this is Data protection act as giving a vehicles registration may (and can if you know where to look) give persoanl details.
what about vehicle cloning? this is already a problem in London with the congestion charge and has been well documemented.
this site does not give you an option of explaining you side of any incident,,
the other day i went approached a traffic island, road markings indicated that to go straight over you use the right hand lane, (highway code shows left lane unless directed otherwise) once on the island i proceeded to go around the island and straight on using the correct lanes and indication, for some moron to bleet his horn and shout out of his window for something he had done wrong! now he could put this onto this website when infact he was wrong! and ontop of that was abusive and clearly possible of the said road rage.
andyb, york says...
5:13pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Mike Oxhuge, Have a look says...
5:19pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Guy Fawkes, Bootham says...
5:26pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Surely the burden of proof would still be down to the police?
In terms of criminal charges, yes. But that doesn't stop a malicious report from damaging someone's reputation. And I wouldn't be surprised if insurance companies start looking at it when it comes to premium renewal time, either.
andyb, york says...
5:40pm Mon 4 Feb 08
I suspect the novelty will die off quite quickly.
lrd, york says...
6:04pm Mon 4 Feb 08
plaggy terry, classic cutz heworth says...
6:06pm Mon 4 Feb 08
sarahj wrote:well u know what the line of the song went like, *he aint no big deal hes just a wide boy*,, lol
Hi terry ,I won't grass up your bad parking though I am sure you would love the attention,lol
dont park my car i abandon it lol
andyb, york says...
6:09pm Mon 4 Feb 08
When your in these situations time seems to stand still, and there could have been two people in the car, the second of which could have written the number down.
andyb, york says...
6:31pm Mon 4 Feb 08
and seeing threads pulled because of idiots acting like infants.
lrd, york says...
6:34pm Mon 4 Feb 08
trust me I have tried to get a vehicles number at less speed then 50 and not been able to clearly get it.
if these folk trully believe that another driver is at fault then report it to the police not on some silly little website.
one comment says that a vehicle has been seen many times driving erattically in the same area night after night, I don,t agree with this but what is stopping some other scrote pulling out in front of this vehicle and causing an accident so they can claim the insurance damages whiplash to passengers ect and use some of the comments on the site as evidence of poor driving?
again going back to the details i have in the past known and seen people in the motor trade use a registration number to obtain personal details, ie if they liked the lass who was driving a particular car, the reg was put in and the full details given, inclusive of status and if the vehicle was financed bank account details too.
andyb, york says...
6:37pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Tk, York says...
6:45pm Mon 4 Feb 08
ex-con, york says...
7:02pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Mullarkian, York says...
7:55pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Instead we'll have busybodies taking pictures of each other or shopping someone who has upset them.
Typical ar5eh0le mentality of joe public.
sarahj, york says...
7:59pm Mon 4 Feb 08
So hope Im not included in that statement.
plaggy terry, classic cutz heworth says...
8:07pm Mon 4 Feb 08
exceellent informed response luggs, im amazed,never knew u had it in u (snorts)
read-all-about-it, Haxby says...
9:00pm Mon 4 Feb 08
andyb wrote:andyb - couldn't agree more with your comment.
I just get sick of scrolling down thru miles of b.s. to get to the relevant part, and seeing threads pulled because of idiots acting like infants.
That's why I, for one, hardly ever bother to comment on this site now.
Intelligent debate and a mutual exchange of views about the issues of the day have been replaced by chatroom children.
Franky, York says...
9:14pm Mon 4 Feb 08
andyb wrote:No, just Buggerluggs I suspect, for starting the off-comment personal attacks... ;-)
You two are going to get banned soon
Back on the story, I don;t think the site will interest the police or insurance companies at all, and it will die a death when the persons energies wane.
bjc, York says...
9:15pm Mon 4 Feb 08
read-all-about-it wrote:Please read my comments - and others in the forum on this very subject.
andyb wrote: I just get sick of scrolling down thru miles of b.s. to get to the relevant part, and seeing threads pulled because of idiots acting like infants.andyb - couldn't agree more with your comment. That's why I, for one, hardly ever bother to comment on this site now. Intelligent debate and a mutual exchange of views about the issues of the day have been replaced by chatroom children.
On this topic;-
I've just had a peep at the above website and there's something a little distasteful about it....the opportunity to spite someone is huge.
Also, would it not be one persons word against another in the majority of cases ie. talking on your mobile?
How would this 'evidence' be proven and lead to prosecution or fines?.. more like a punch up in the middle of the road when you catch someone snooping!
The website's an interesting idea but in reality I suspect it's going to cause more harm than good.
TooRad, york says...
9:24pm Mon 4 Feb 08
Anyway, the idea is good, but like Guy Fawkes said I think it's badly implemented and there should be provision for removing malicious and false accusations.
Shod, York says...
10:07pm Mon 4 Feb 08
I also find it unfair that you make a post anonymously. If you want to "name and shame" then surely you should have to post your own license number - how many posts will be made by overly virtuous drivers who insist on driving dangerously slowly and then making a complaint on this site when someone has the "cheek" to overtake them? It's all far too subjective.
Gardener, York says...
12:17am Tue 5 Feb 08
york1900, York says...
12:50am Tue 5 Feb 08
dodgydave, york says...
8:51am Tue 5 Feb 08
CHRIS, YORKborn&bred says...
9:15am Tue 5 Feb 08
Would I be breaking the law by doing this,?????? Answers Please
sarahj, york says...
9:20am Tue 5 Feb 08
But I may be wrong.
i am the stig, in my car says...
9:35am Tue 5 Feb 08
I was under the impression you had to ask a persons permission to take a photo,
But I may be wrong.
You can take a photo
in public place whenever you like.
You are sort of correct about specifically taking someones picture, but then you could argue that they were simply in the image rather than specifically targeting them.
Would I be breaking the law by doing this,?????? Answers Please
The law applies to only to moblie transmitting devices, which a camera is not.
However if it is distracting you from driving then you MAY be done for driving without due care and attention.
Martin, York says...
6:54pm Tue 5 Feb 08
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X, At Work says...
1:27pm Mon 4 Feb 08
This also leaves the drivers open to having their cars cloned, the owners of the website have the reg number, make/model/colour of the cars involved.
If the police were doing their jobs this web site would not be needed.