Footage has emerged that shows a woman taking both hands of the steering wheel of her car to use her mobile phone whilst hurtling down the motorway.
The video was taken by an understandably shocked onlooker as the car was being driven down the M1 near London.
Susan Long and her husband Graeme were astonished to see the woman texting whilst driving at over 70mph. They drove alongside her for about a mile on Monday on the way back to their home in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, after making deliveries in London and Kent.
Susan said: "How on earth can she claim to be in control of her car, let alone paying attention to the traffic?
"This is a blatant disregard for the safety of other drivers around her. I'm amazed we didn't witness an accident."
Before you ask, yes - of course - Susan was in the passenger seat of the van she was travelling in. In fact, that's how they spotted the woman's shameful behaviour in the first instance.
She continued: "We're quite high up in the van and we often see people using their phones while they're driving.
Advert
"This woman caught my eye because it was dark, she had a large phone or tablet and the glare from the screen was really bright.
"We were probably alongside for a good mile watching her use her phone and I thought 'that's not on', so I started to video her.
"We couldn't believe it when she took her hands off the wheel. What was she using to steer with?"
The woman texting and driving was behind the wheel of an Audi saloon car and can be seen concentrating on her phone whilst driving with one hand, and then removing both hands before putting them back onto the wheel as if to steady the car.
Terrifying and dangerous to say the least.
Susan's husband Graeme said: "When Sue told me what she'd seen I slowed down to stay with this woman.
"You can see her in the video looking up and down as she sends a text or email while she's driving, and we watched her take her hands off the wheel a few times.
"Then she spotted Sue filming her and put the phone down, so I sped up so we could get her number plate.
"It wasn't until afterwards when we watched the video and realised she was actually drifting towards our van where her hands left the wheel.
"We're trying to get the clip in front of police officers because what she was doing was so, so dangerous and it's only right that something is done about it."
A spokesperson from the road safety charity Brake said: "It is shocking to see such blatant disregard for the law and the safety of all other road users - it is incredibly fortunate that this driver's dangerous behaviour did not lead to a serious crash.
"Mobile phone use behind the wheel is illegal and dangerous, distracting drivers from the road where even a split-second's inattention can lead to devastation.
"We need to see roads policing made an investment priority so there is an active deterrent to this kind of illegal behaviour and drivers who break the law know that they will be caught and punished."
Featured Image Credit: Hook NewsTopics: Driving, Mobile Phone, Car, Motorway