A van driver has been convicted of dangerous driving after another motorist shared dash cam footage with police.
Antiques dealer Guy Watson narrowly missed a head-on collision with a car when he overtook a stationary van at Skeeby Bridge.
The 37-year-old from Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, crossed solid white lines to squeeze past the vehicle, which was giving way to oncoming traffic on a humpback bridge.
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A nearby motorist was so alarmed by his manner of driving, they downloaded their dash cam footage.
They shared the video with North Yorkshire Police as part of Operation Spartan – a forcewide campaign to encourage officers and the public to submit intelligence about anti-social or poor driving.
Police can use the information to carry out engagement or enforcement action with drivers. They particularly focus on road users who are at higher risk of serious collisions – including people who drive for a living, young drivers and bikers – in a bid to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the county’s 6,000 miles of roads.
After pleading guilty when he appeared in front of Northallerton magistrates on Tuesday, Watson was convicted of dangerous driving and ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid community work.
He was also banned from driving for a year and told to pay court costs of £620.
After the hearing, Road Policing inspector Dave Barf, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Watson’s dangerous driving probably knocked a couple of seconds off his journey. But it cost him his licence, more than £600 in costs and a significant amount of unpaid community work.
“But the consequences could have been even worse – his dangerous driving could have led to someone being seriously injured.
“We’re here to keep road users safe, and that’s why we’re encouraging members of the public to share dash cam footage or reports of bad driving with us. Bear this in mind when making your decisions. You never know who is watching.”
Last year, a cyclist suffered minor injuries after driving into the back of a car at Skeeby Bridge.
The car apparently stopped at the bridge to give way to oncoming traffic.
The cyclist seemingly failed to notice and kept going into the back of the vehicle.
By chance the incident was captured on video by student Chloe Richardson who was filming a horse and rider in a field next to the bridge.
Read this story and watch the video here.
