Police Camera Action Filmed at Alconbury Driving Centre

Alconbury Driving Centre has over the last few years hosted several filming sessions for the popular TV programme Police Camera Action presented by Alistair Stewart, Adrian Simpson and Gethin Jones

Police Camera Action; Alistair Stewart At Alconbury Driving Centre
Police Camera Action; Alistair Stewart At Alconbury Driving Centre

TV Presenter Gethin Jones meets four drivers who admit to being distracted while driving. Cameras are placed in their cars to record their everyday driving behaviour and the results are eye-opening.

Twenty-six year old engineer Jamie regularly texts behind the wheel as he drives around the country for work.

Jasmine, a 21 year old student, applies make up when driving and regularly lets her dog sit on her lap when she is behind the wheel.

Thirty-two year old Simon is a professional singer. In-car footage shows him using his car as a mobile office while driving and swerving to miss something while texting.

Finally, Gabrielle, an 18 year old student, regularly eats behind the wheel. The camera catches her both eating an apple and texting, while driving.

Despite being confronted with their dangerous driving behaviour caught on camera, some of the drivers refuse to admit they were not in complete control of their vehicles. So they are taken to a track to assess their skills behind the wheel, in a specially designed hazards test at Alconbury Driving Centre.

Video Transcript

Many other drivers seem oblivious to their dangerous driving. Like these 4 drivers; we gave them in-car cameras to record their every day behaviour behind the wheel. In a special police camera action screening, I’ve been playing this extraordinary footage back to them.

Reporter – “At this point do you think you’re driving with due care and attention?”
Jamie – “Yeah, because my eyes are always looking at the road.”

Reporter – “Is this a one off? Or is this something you do…”
Jasmine – “No, I do this every day”
Reporter – “You genuinely look shocked watching that”
Jasmine – “Oh my god! I am so embarrassed”

Reporter – “Simon, you described your car as your office. Let’s have a look at what you’ve been up to.”
Next it’s 32 year old Simon, who’s married with two young kids. As he’s a professional singer he spends a lot of time in his car driving from gig to gig.
Reporter – “What are you fiddling with there? What are you doing there? What are you reading?”
Simon – “A receipt, I think. The car’s my office, so it’s like, I’ve got to. If the phone rings, ok, I’m on hands free but…”
Reporter – “Oh, what was that?”
Simon – “Oh my god!”
Reporter – “Hang on a minute. You’re texting away, you obviously swerved something, you’ve taken a deep breath and then you’ve started texting again!”
Simon – “Oh no! That was awful! My wife’s going to kill me!”

18 year old student Gabrielle’s car isn’t an office; it’s more like a fast food restaurant.
Reporter – “Look at that! Wow!”
Gabrielle – “That was after I finished my promotional job. I was really hungry.”
Eating an apple and texting at the same time.
Reporter – “Was that an important text?”
Gabrielle – “Probably not. I think this is on the way to college at like eight o’clock in the morning.”
Reporter – “Do you feel you were driving with due care and attention?”
Gabrielle – “I should stop eating, and maybe just pull over so I can eat.”

Reporter – “Jasmine, Gabrielle, Simon and Jamie don’t set out to intentionally hurt anybody. But I can’t help feeling quite angry after what I’ve heard in there. I can’t believe that you can be in complete control of a car whilst texting or eating a burger and even having a dog on your lap whilst you’re applying your make up…it’s just madness.”