Skip to main content

Sense of humour failure?

A UK driver using his hands-free phone was spotted laughing at a joke by a police traffic officer and pulled over. The driver was told that laughing while driving can be an offence and was then questioned by the officer for 30 minutes. During this questioning, the driver was asked the colour of his hair.
February 28, 2012 Read time: 1 min
A UK driver using his hands-free phone was spotted laughing at a joke by a police traffic officer and pulled over. The driver was told that laughing while driving can be an offence and was then questioned by the officer for 30 minutes. During this questioning, the driver was asked the colour of his hair. The driver pointed out that he is bald due to alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss, and was then asked what colour his hair was, prior to the onset of the alopecia. The man was allowed to drive away without charge. Drivers in and around the Birkenhead Tunnel should take note from this incident however and refrain from laughing, as well as blinking excessively, sneezing or coughing, while at the wheel. Smiling while at the wheel is permissible but drivers should check the width of their smile and ensure that this does not exceed guidelines regarding field of vision. Bald drivers may be required to carry hair samples.

Related Content

  • Getting the message
    April 23, 2013
    A British man from Suolk has now been banned from driving for a record 44 times following recent vehicle and theft oences. He has not been fazed by this apparent setback however and has reportedly vowed to continue driving as soon as he completes his 10 month jail term and despite his ongoing disqualication. His last recorded oence was in 2010 when he was involved in a hit and run crash that caused a serious injury to a pedestrian. Following that incident, the man was banned for dangerous
  • Workzones benefit from new mobile speed enforcement technology
    April 10, 2012
    A variety of new technology for temporary speed zones during major highway projects across the globe is about to hit the market, while other proven systems remain in demand. Guy Woodford reports. The D-Cam P is one of four new mobile speed reading products for temporary speed zones being launched this month by Truvelo. Deployable solely as a speed camera or at a red light intersection to monitor red light offences, the D-Cam P can also act as a speed camera on the green and amber light phases. The machine d
  • Workzones benefit from new mobile speed enforcement technology
    April 11, 2012
    A variety of new technology for temporary speed zones during major highway projects across the globe is about to hit the market, while other proven systems remain in demand. Guy Woodford reports The D-Cam P is one of four new mobile speed reading products for temporary speed zones being launched this month by Truvelo. Deployable solely as a speed camera or at a red light intersection to monitor red light offences, the D-Cam P can also act as a speed camera on the green and amber light phases. The machin
  • Sri Lanka is suffering a worrying increase in road accidents and road related fatalities
    April 19, 2012
    The latest data from Sri Lanka reveals a massive rise in road accidents and the deaths. Finding the root cause is not straightforward however and may be many complex causes for this scenario. Key factors have been identified by local experts however and these include reckless driving without adequate road discipline, the absence of an effective procedure for issuing driving licenses and a lack of any training procedures for drivers as well as other road users. Other key problems include deficiencies in the