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Reckless motorist pictured playing racing game on iPad while driving at 65mph on motorway
By John Ferguson 13 May 2013 07:20

THE driver who is thought to be in his 20s was seen playing the Real Racing app whilst travelling along the busy motorway.
A driver played a car game on his iPad as he travelled at 65mph on Scotland's busiest motorway A driver played a car game on his iPad as he travelled at 65mph on Scotland's busiest motorway
Daily Record

A DRIVER played a car game on his iPad as he travelled at 65mph on Scotland’s busiest motorway.
The Record obtained this shocking image after the irresponsible motorist was snapped by a van passenger.
The Ford Fiesta driver – who is in his mid-20s – was racing along the M8 motorway near Glasgow, resting his iPad on the steering wheel as he played the Real Racing app.

The shocked ­photographer said: “I was in the passenger seat as we passed this guy who was doing 65mph.
“I looked down and couldn’t believe my eyes.
“He was sitting playing the Real Racing game on his iPad and glancing up at the road every now and then.
“I have never seen anything like it, it was ­terrifying to watch.
“The guy looked to be in his mid-20s.
“He saw me looking at him and was waving at me but when I tried to take a picture of his face he turned away behind the seat.
“At one point he ­undertook us still playing the game on the iPad.
“If the guy keeps carrying on like this, he is going to kill himself or someone else, for sure. He needs a wake-up call.
“The fact that he was playing a car racing game made it all the more ­unbelievable.
“Could he not have been content just to do the real thing safely?”

The motorist, whose black Fiesta sported blue go-fast stripes, was spotted on the motorway’s westbound stretch at the ­Eurocentral junction at 4.45pm on Thursday.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: “Clearly, this is really dangerous driving behaviour.
“The research we have done has shown even using a smartphone at the wheel is more dangerous than having drugs or alcohol at legal levels in your body.
“People consistently underestimate the danger and distraction caused by these things but to have an iPad open while you are driving is just crazy.
“The only way to really stop this kind of behaviour is to have more traffic police out there.
“People like this don’t tend to heed safe driving campaigns but if they see a police officer out there, they will behave perfectly.
“This is a good case to highlight the dangers this kind of behaviour poses but the only way to combat it is to have a larger, high-profile police ­presence on our roads.
“I am glad someone has reported this person to the authorities so they are caught.”

Last night, we handed the astonishing photographs to the police.

They have now been forwarded to officers at the Police Scotland’s Road Policing Complex.

A spokesman said: “Further inquiries will be continuing.”
Scottish Labour’s justice spokesman Lewis Macdonald said: “Drivers need to know the difference between playing games and living in the real world.
“If they don’t, they are likely to put themselves and other people in real danger.”

Do you know who the driver in the picture is? If you do, ring our newsdesk on 0141 309 3251.

Pure insanity! Can’t say I’m surprised that it’s an irresponsible yoof.

I wonder if a PC jobsworth could try and do me for using my new mob as a Sat Nav, (works really well). I Velcro it to the dash just below the windscreen. It’s actually better than a dedicated Sat Nav! (Samsung Note 2).

Tone -might be as worth (if it's possible on the phone) to set it to "plane mode", disabling it's phone mode . Least that way you might be able to argue that it was not possible to use it as phone .

If it's velcroed to the dash, it's not hand-held, so what's the problem?

On a more serious note, of course that's terrible behaviour. The thing is, will they create a specific offence (playing a games console while driving) or would they (if they caught him) not just do him for "without due car & attention"? If so, why did we need a specific mobile law? If not, will we need a specific law for every possible distraction?

And when they fcuk-up to the point they can't squirm out of it or blame someone else? You'll like this, it's the oft quoted buzz phrase from politics I heard from the last managerial 'emty suit' who has moved on now.

The problem is , Tone, that these people couldn't do a "proper job" so they put them in un-needed management to do un-needed jobs but unfortunately they get underfoot of the real workers. I used to work for a local council many decades ago and even then the saying was..."if he's totally useless , make him a manager"