Vigilante shames bad drivers on internet

8:56am Friday 15th August 2008

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A MYSTERY vigilante has taken a stand against bad drivers by posting their photographs on the internet.

The shadowy figure, who would only give the pseudonym "Road Camera", has taken the extreme measure of installing recording equipment in his car to record bad drivers in Marlow and Cookham.

This can take down up to six hours of sound and video footage.

Marlow's own dark knight uploads pictures, along with number plates, to the website Better Driving Please, which makes public examples of bad drivers.

The man, from Cookham Dean, wished to remain anonymous and did not want to speak to the Marlow Free Press in person or by phone but was willing to reply to our emails.

According to Road Camera, he was driven to take action out of sheer frustration after having his property damaged: "In the past I have had many vehicles parked on the road damaged by dangerous drivers and although each incident was reported, nothing has been done by the authorities.

"I have also witnessed over the years many incidents of dangerous driving, and although reported many times, felt little has been done to discourage or even educate dangerous drivers.

"It's not such a case of tracking 'bad' driving - everybody makes mistakes from time to time. But it's the consistently bad or dangerous drivers that concern me most - those using mobile phones, breaking the speed limit, forcefully cutting people up or jumping red traffic lights."

Councillor Suzanne Brown from Marlow Town Council commended the mystery man's actions: "I think it's a good idea because unless you have evidence you can't prosecute people.

"Lots of people get away speeding like a bat out of hell. You don't have proof because the car's going too fast.

"He might not be very popular with some of the people he checks but they shouldn't be doing it. If you use a mobile phone while you're driving you deserve to be caught."

Images of drivers caught on Road Camera's video tape have been downloaded on to the website Better Driving Please.

However unpopular his actions may have made him he has vowed to continue: "I have heard some web forums refer to me as a vigilante and pass comments like 'haven't I got anything better to do?' "But my argument is that we are doing no more or no less than what a neighbourhood watch would do.

"If you saw somebody breaking into your neighbour's house, would you let them get on with it or would you try and report them to the authorities?

"If you saw someone swerving down the road using a mobile phone, missing a cyclist by about six inches, would you let them get away with it or report them in case they do it again, and end up injuring or even killing someone?"