R M driver reading manual on steering wheel while driving

[POSTMAN]

Royal Mail driver was reading manual on steering wheel while on motorway

http://news.stv.tv/tayside/187655-royal ... -motorway/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Royal Mail driver was reading a manual which he had spread out over the steering wheel while on a motorway, a court heard.

Iain Copland was concentrating so hard on the instruction manual that he failed to notice an ambulance overtaking him.

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Copland swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway.

He admitted driving carelessly and reading at the wheel.

Copland, 45, of Innest Street, Inverness, admitted driving carelessly on the M90 between Inverkeithing and Perth on January 10 by reading a manual and veering across the white lines into the hard shoulder.

Fiscal depute Robbie Brown told Perth Sheriff Court that Copland had ample opportunity to pull over into lay-bys and even passed a service station at Kinross.

Mr Brown said: "This was in the early hours of the morning. There was an ambulance being driven by a witness and they became aware of the lorry ahead of them. At one point he was seen moving to the left and crossing the white line into the emergency hard shoulder before coming back in. They followed the lorry for a brief period.

"As they were overtaking it they saw the accused reading what they thought was a magazine. It was spread out over the steering wheel. Apparently the driver didn't even notice them as they passed him and he made no attempt to look up."

He told the court that the paramedics were so concerned by the danger posed by Copland that they pulled in to note down his registration and call the police.

Solicitor Martin Black, defending, said: "He is a collections and network driver for Royal Mail and was working in that capacity. He travels on a daily basis between Inverness and Glasgow and Edinburgh. Were he to lose his licence it would result in the termination of his employment. The simple reality is that if he is unable to fulfil his role there are no lack of others without work who could step in.

"He clearly took the wrong choice. A warning light he wasn't familiar with illuminated in the cabin and instead of making the sensible choice to stop and check he just checked the manual. Clearly this was an aberration on his part, which he accepts he shouldn't have done. He has an unblemished record and drives 75,000 miles per annum."

Copland was originally charged by police with dangerous driving, which carries a mandatory 12-month ban. However, the Crown accepted a plea to the lesser charge of careless driving and he had six penalty points imposed and was fined £425.

[stokes11eg]

Beyond belief!

[TeeferTiger]

Why was the ambulance being driven by a witness and not a technician or paramedic?!

[Lounge Lizard]

Why was the ambulance being driven by a witness and not a technician or paramedic?!

Probably a Jehovah's Witness working as a technician or paramedic in which case they would most likely be excused from blood transfusion duties.

[Straight4ward]

Beyond belief!

You're not kidding, Stokesy!

the Crown accepted a plea to the lesser charge of careless driving and he had six penalty points imposed and was fined £425.

Never mind Clarence Darrow or Perry Mason, I want Solicitor Martin Black defending me when my turn comes.

[DB1100]

Much ado about nothing,it was in the early hours of the morning probably the ambulance was the only other thing on the motorway,why didn't he just flash his blue lights?.Everybody is too busy trying to drop each other in the shite,shame on the ambulance driver.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Much ado about nothing

Really

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Copland swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway.

he was lucky a car wasn't on the hard shoulder with its lights out. Reading a book and not concentrating on the road he would not have seen them. Sometimes, its about what could happen, rather than what did happen.

Me I would do exactly the same as the Ambulance Driver. Okay the driver was a colleague but he is a professional driver and should act like one. If its a choice between dropping someone in it for their own stupid actions, or not reporting it and hoping they don't kill someone, its not much of a choice.

[Lounge Lizard]

Much ado about nothing

Really

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Copland swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway.

he was lucky a car wasn't on the hard shoulder with its lights out. Reading a book and not concentrating on the road he would not have seen them. Sometimes, its about what could happen, rather than what did happen.

Me I would do exactly the same as the Ambulance Driver. Okay the driver was a colleague but he is a professional driver and should act like one. If its a choice between dropping someone in it for their own stupid actions, or not reporting it and hoping they don't kill someone, its not much of a choice.

Indeed, Copland's actions were more reckless than many a motorist convicted for being slightly over the drink driving limit.

[DB1100]

Much ado about nothing

Really

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Copland swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway.

he was lucky a car wasn't on the hard shoulder with its lights out. Reading a book and not concentrating on the road he would not have seen them. Sometimes, its about what could happen, rather than what did happen.

Me I would do exactly the same as the Ambulance Driver. Okay the driver was a colleague but he is a professional driver and should act like one. If its a choice between dropping someone in it for their own stupid actions, or not reporting it and hoping they don't kill someone, its not much of a choice.

Only the word of the ambulance driver to say he swerved rather than strayed,plus a car on the hard shoulder without lights shows up a long way away,he wasn't asleep at the wheel just checking the manual,I'm not saying his actions were wrong I'm just saying it didn't warrant a court case.You should hear what the driver has to say before condemning him.

[DB1100]

Much ado about nothing

Really

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Copland swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway.

he was lucky a car wasn't on the hard shoulder with its lights out. Reading a book and not concentrating on the road he would not have seen them. Sometimes, its about what could happen, rather than what did happen.

Me I would do exactly the same as the Ambulance Driver. Okay the driver was a colleague but he is a professional driver and should act like one. If its a choice between dropping someone in it for their own stupid actions, or not reporting it and hoping they don't kill someone, its not much of a choice.

Indeed, Copland's actions were more reckless than many a motorist convicted for being slightly over the drink driving limit.

Don't talk daft,completely different thing,If he was reading the manual in heavy traffic I could understand your outrage but it wasn't.

[Lounge Lizard]

Much ado about nothing

Really

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Copland swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway.

he was lucky a car wasn't on the hard shoulder with its lights out. Reading a book and not concentrating on the road he would not have seen them. Sometimes, its about what could happen, rather than what did happen.

Me I would do exactly the same as the Ambulance Driver. Okay the driver was a colleague but he is a professional driver and should act like one. If its a choice between dropping someone in it for their own stupid actions, or not reporting it and hoping they don't kill someone, its not much of a choice.

Only the word of the ambulance driver to say he swerved rather than strayed,plus a car on the hard shoulder without lights shows up a long way away,he wasn't asleep at the wheel just checking the manual,I'm not saying his actions were wrong I'm just saying it didn't warrant a court case.You should hear what the driver has to say before condemning him.

Even the solicotor defending him admitted "He clearly took the wrong choice .... which he accepts he shouldn't have done"
It's futile trying to defend the indefencible.

[Lounge Lizard]

Much ado about nothing

Really

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Copland swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway.

he was lucky a car wasn't on the hard shoulder with its lights out. Reading a book and not concentrating on the road he would not have seen them. Sometimes, its about what could happen, rather than what did happen.

Me I would do exactly the same as the Ambulance Driver. Okay the driver was a colleague but he is a professional driver and should act like one. If its a choice between dropping someone in it for their own stupid actions, or not reporting it and hoping they don't kill someone, its not much of a choice.

Indeed, Copland's actions were more reckless than many a motorist convicted for being slightly over the drink driving limit.

Don't talk daft,completely different thing,If he was reading the manual in heavy traffic I could understand your outrage but it wasn't.

So why's that "daft" and "completely different" ? Are you suggesting that because driving when inappropriate to do so can be for such a wide variety of different circumstances that comparisons can't be made ?

[DB1100]

Much ado about nothing

Really

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Copland swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway.

he was lucky a car wasn't on the hard shoulder with its lights out. Reading a book and not concentrating on the road he would not have seen them. Sometimes, its about what could happen, rather than what did happen.

Me I would do exactly the same as the Ambulance Driver. Okay the driver was a colleague but he is a professional driver and should act like one. If its a choice between dropping someone in it for their own stupid actions, or not reporting it and hoping they don't kill someone, its not much of a choice.

Indeed, Copland's actions were more reckless than many a motorist convicted for being slightly over the drink driving limit.

Don't talk daft,completely different thing,If he was reading the manual in heavy traffic I could understand your outrage but it wasn't.

So why's that "daft" and "completely different" ? Are you suggesting that because driving when inappropriate to do so can be for such a wide variety of different circumstances that comparisons can't be made ?

Calm down and stop getting hysterical,there was no other traffic apart from the ambulance driver,nobody got killed or maimed,the driver said a warning light came on that he was unfamiliar with and he was trying to find out what it was for,if you look at the case it doesn't say he repeatadley swerved all over the place does it,ok he should have pulled over on to the hard shoulder and checked it out,but he doesn't deserve to have the book thrown at him.

[fishtank]

If you take the Professional Driver's money you should act like a professional.
This was a Mr Bean stunt,the fact that no-one was hurt was pure luck.
He got away with careless...he won a watch and he will know that,with luck like that he should have bought a lottery ticket.
Hopefully he's learnt his lesson.

[Lounge Lizard]

Much ado about nothing

Really

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Copland swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway.

he was lucky a car wasn't on the hard shoulder with its lights out. Reading a book and not concentrating on the road he would not have seen them. Sometimes, its about what could happen, rather than what did happen.

Me I would do exactly the same as the Ambulance Driver. Okay the driver was a colleague but he is a professional driver and should act like one. If its a choice between dropping someone in it for their own stupid actions, or not reporting it and hoping they don't kill someone, its not much of a choice.

Indeed, Copland's actions were more reckless than many a motorist convicted for being slightly over the drink driving limit.

Don't talk daft,completely different thing,If he was reading the manual in heavy traffic I could understand your outrage but it wasn't.

So why's that "daft" and "completely different" ? Are you suggesting that because driving when inappropriate to do so can be for such a wide variety of different circumstances that comparisons can't be made ?

Calm down and stop getting hysterical,there was no other traffic apart from the ambulance driver,nobody got killed or maimed,the driver said a warning light came on that he was unfamiliar with and he was trying to find out what it was for,if you look at the case it doesn't say he repeatadley swerved all over the place does it,ok he should have pulled over on to the hard shoulder and checked it out,but he doesn't deserve to have the book thrown at him.

I'm calm enough with a good black coffee and asking a couple of questions doesn't make me hysterical. But he was concentrating so hard on the instruction manual that he swerved onto the hard shoulder before veering back onto the M90 motorway and it's only luck that 'nobody got killed or maimed' and if they had he would most likely and rightly have been jailed. And if there's no other traffic apart from one other vehicle you would probaly suggest that there would be less harm in making mobile phone calls,having your breakfast or being slightly over the drink driving limit than if the motorway was busy. Are you Iain Copland by any chance ?