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

  • Tailgating risk in UK, and elsewhere
    April 25, 2012
    Safety campaigners in the UK have reacted with concern following the release of a study showing 53% of drivers tailgate while travelling at speed on motorways. There has been an increase in the problem of tailgating over the last seven years since a similar study was carried out, showing 49% of drivers were guilty of this dangerous practice. The study was carried out jointly by road safety body Brake and insurance firm Direct Line. Men are particularly likely to tailgate, with the study revealing 30% of mal
  • Busy bridge in Beijing replaced quickly
    March 31, 2016
    The replacement of a very busy road bridge in China’s capital Beijing has been carried out successfully. Due to the volume of traffic using the bridge during week days, the work had to be carried out quickly so as to minimise traffic disruption. But despite being carried out in the centre of Beijing, the replacement work for the Sanyuan Bridge just took 43 hours from start to completion.
  • India’s road to safety
    September 5, 2012
    India's growth rate is the envy of the world, and its infrastructure is rapidly improving, but its road safety record is the world's worst. Patrick Smith reports on a conference aimed at finding answers to the problems Ambling through the gardens and marble magnificence that is the Taj Mahal or gazing down on the city of Jaipur from the hilltop Jaigarh Fort is far removed from the world outside.
  • bargain hunting, live onsite auction day in Donington, UK
    November 14, 2016
    It’s live onsite auction day in Donington, UK and it’s noisy. It’s also raining in early morning but that doesn’t put off the gathering crowd Buyers are milling around parked machinery. They kick tyres and slam doors. Some are behind the wheel, gingerly nudging vehicles frontwards and backwards or raising and lowering booms. Their partners stand a few metres away scrutinising the machine’s movements.