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He was nicked driving to work while eating his breakfast. It was in a bowl sitting on his lap. Corn flakes on the fly.
This is perhaps the most bizarre story to emerge locally from the nationwide crackdown on distracted driving.
And it's enough to have Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion tut-tutting with disbelief and frustration.
'Disappointment is the nicest way to put it,” says the seasoned traffic enforcer.
The alleged offender will face a higher authority – he's been charged with careless driving and will appear in court. It could cost him a $3000 fine and a period of disqualification at the discretion of the judge.
'We have been talking publicly about driver distraction in the Western Bay of Plenty since March,” says Ian. 'And then this happens.”
The anecdote comes off the back of other excesses around the country– a driver using a mobile in each hand, another reading a book while driving and yet another cleaning his teeth.
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'But to be fair we are probably as bad as anywhere in New Zealand,” says Ian. And possibly a bit worse.
'While the national campaign has been running two weeks, our campaign has been running seven months. And the reason for that is distraction as a causation factor in serious crashes in the region has been trending up.”
Most of those people seriously injured or worse are law abiding citizens who make one bad choice, one bad mistake. 'If you are distracted the chances are you will drift off the road or across the centre line. With our traffic volumes you are going to hit something.”
That's when it turns nasty. And while most of us associate 'distraction” with mobile phones, there are a raft of contributing factors.
'It could be a debate or intense discussion with passengers and not focussing on the job at hand” says Ian. 'It's a distraction and can be a dangerous one.”
It could be putting on make-up. 'A woman told me recently that would never happen. Then just days later she spotted a woman doing exactly that.” So it does happen.
'The men will have the mirror adjusted and having a quick shave when running late for work.” A distraction.
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Eating and drinking is a distraction. 'A quick sip of a water bottle as long as it doesn't affect your vision, your concentration and your control, may be okay.”
Animals loose in a vehicles, responding to the demands of children, adjusting radios and looking for CDs, and fiddling with GPs can also constitute distractions.
But if it can lead to an accident promoting situation, why do it? The senior sergeant's advice is don't.
'Pull over, stop, and do whatever you have to do. Especially on a long trip, food and drink refreshes you. It resets the fatigue clock.”
When the government introduced the mobile phone legislation in November 2009, there was a high compliance rate. 'People have become blase with time. It's just a short phone call or txt, she'll be right. Well, it won't be right,” he warns.
It won't be right because there have been several serious crashes, some of them fatal, where distraction has been the key contributing factor.
Senior Sergeant Campion says with hands-free and Bluetooth technology there aren't too many excuses for 'manipulating” a mobile phone while driving.
'Manipulating means you don't have to be making a call or txting. If you pick up a mobile and activate a button you are ‘manipulating' the device, so you are liable.”
But this traffic cop can also tell uplifting stories from his time on the monthly 'distraction” checkpoints.
'I stopped an elderly couple. Their Labrador poked his nose between the seats and even he had his seatbelt on – he was tethered to the backseat. Great news!”
But while the national distraction campaign ends this weekend, policing in the Western Bay of Plenty won't. Checkpoints will continue through to December.
'We have had more serious injury distraction related crashes in the past two years than any previous two years. That tells me something.”
12 comments
Driverless cars
Posted on 27-09-2015 16:15 | By maildrop
We need these driverless cars asap so I can concentrate on inane communications with my fake friends on Facepuke, Twattier and Instaspam. Driving is so yesterday.
Statistics
Posted on 27-09-2015 17:03 | By spikeredmires
Lets see some numbers from the police, like how many people have been stopped in the seven months.Based on that what are they going to do going forward.We always hear of these initiatives but we never hear the numbers, how well are the police doing or not doing. Lets see the results. I remember a supposed crack down on modified cars and the noise they make. Never heard a thing from the police. I am not anti police but I think results from performance are what we pay our taxes for.???
Chop sticks
Posted on 27-09-2015 18:31 | By chrissi m
A couple of years ago I saw a woman driving and eating noodles with chop sticks!! Multi tasking??
The judicial system
Posted on 27-09-2015 18:40 | By s83cruiser
is soaking the bus ticket right now...The alleged offender will face a higher authority
Good policing
Posted on 27-09-2015 19:34 | By mutley
Great to see Snr Sgt Campion focussing on the root cause of crashes and not just banging on about pedantic speed enforcement.
It has been great to see
Posted on 27-09-2015 20:36 | By How about this view!
What appears to be MORE traffic policing happening around Tauranga of late. I would love to see a more visible policing of the road rules, particularly around roundabouts and traffic signals, but until we fund the police properly and punish law breaking appropriately we must all put our lives at risk every time we venture onto Tauranga roads. I have heard a number of Bus/Coach drivers (Who have driven professionally all over the world) comment on how atrocious the driving standards are in Tauranga and even suggesting that we are worse than Aucklanders!! HOW COME?????
So ...
Posted on 28-09-2015 00:01 | By Murray.Guy
Disgusting and dangerous!
Posted on 28-09-2015 06:19 | By monty1212
What an absolute moron. a serious danger to himself and others. He should get a lengthy ban.
@Murray.Guy
Posted on 28-09-2015 10:38 | By Scottie
Don't be a fool, read it in context with the previous paragraph: "Senior Sergeant Campion says with hands-free and Bluetooth technology there aren't too many excuses for
Trev
Posted on 29-09-2015 14:17 | By Pete KELLY
Mobile phones in Mtr-Vehicles should be BANNED, full stop!!Heaps of people continue to use them whilst driving but even worse, the ones that pull over to use their mobile do so in the stupidest places, like on the side of the Hyway where there's no shoulder etc etc, they just jam their brakes on and stop they're in such a hurry to answer the call.
All this talk...
Posted on 29-09-2015 21:35 | By GreertonBoy
Of how dangerous it is to drive and use gadgets like phones etc is all great, but how many times do you see police driving along talking on phones, tapping on their computers/radars/radios etc.... oh, they are trained for it I guess? Same as taxi drivers, truckies on CB radios etc.... If the authorities want people to stop using technology whilst driving and it seems they have pretty well made it illegal to manipulate ANY electrical device whilst driving.... then maybe it is now illegal to use your indicators? Illegal to honk the horn, illegal to turn the volume up on the radio? They are electronic gizmos?I think that people/drivers just need to be smarter and not use their phones whilst driving because they KNOW how dangerous it is, people calling drivers should be more patient when calling someone who may be driving and police should lead by example
Driver Distractions
Posted on 05-06-2017 16:22 | By swt3
As a Motor Cycle Instructor, I am appalled at the lack of concentration car drivers have. The distractions I see while on the road is disgusting. I just about get taken out weekly, on a regular basis. What is it with car drivers. I see them, putting on makeup, drinking coffee, Cell phone use, fiddling with radio's, Gps, shaving, eating & just generally talking to others in the vehicle & a 'lack' of concentration as they drift across road. Why don't the Police do more to deter these idiots from causing other people grief. And, why do they advertise they are doing a 'blitz'. Oh, thats right, so the drivers will be on their best behaviour for the next week, then they can go back to the usual disregard for driving a motor vehicle. Do a 'Drive Forever' course. Us bikers do a 'Ride Forever' course. It works.
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