An annual event which aims to discourage people from recording or streaming videos while driving takes place this year on 3 April.
Don’t Stream and Drive Day is an online campaign, founded in 2016 by Sgt Neil Dewson-Smyth to highlight the dangers of all mobile phone use at the wheel, and in particular recording and sharing video footage while driving.
Running with the strapline ‘distracted driving kills’, the campaign was conceived to consolidate the year-round efforts of police forces and road safety stakeholders to deal with issues relating to mobile phone use by drivers.
The 2018 day will once again be underpinned by a Thunderclap campaign – a crowdspeaking platform that broadcasts a specific message onto social media.
The Thunderclap message reads: “I’m supporting #DontStreamAndDrive Day and helping to make our roads safer for everyone.”
To date, the 2018 Thunderclap has 211 supporters (84% of its 250 target) – including the Road Safety GB Twitter feed – equating to a social reach of 3,197,892 users.
With more than a month still to go the reach is closing in on the 2017 total – when 3,817,916 social media users received the message.
Other 2018 supporters include Essex Police, Lancashire Police, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, Brake, GEM Motoring Assist and the DVSA.
Click here to support the Thunderclap campaign from your social media account(s).
Gosh, another awareness day, one to go with all the other largely meaningless awareness days. As usual, all talk and no action.
We need traffic officers, indeed all officers, to clamp down hard on mobile phone use. Yakking on the phone is one thing, but texting altogether different. This should be an instant ban. Even drunks are looking where they are going, albeit possibly seeing double. Texters are eyes down. May as well drive with eyes shut. Those videoing are looking at the screen, not the wider road. They too should be banned.
I like the New Zealand and Australian approach. Officers can suspend licences there and then. The court then decides what else to add. That would clear a lot of people off the roads at once.
However, Construction and Use regulations need addressing. In my car, I can send and receive texts while driving. I can also muck about with the settings and a load of other stuff as well. This is wrong. C & U should ensure that once the engine is running, all this functionality is switched off. To make such changes, the ignition can be on but the engine off. This is very easily achieved with a simple voltage sensor. Alternators charge at around 14.5 volts, so anything over say 13.5 volts would trigger a disabling function.
Kevan Chippindall-Higgin, Southsea
+1