A truck driver was captured on video “watching the news” while operating a vehicle on a busy highway with his mobile phone placed in front of him. The incident involving an XDP lorry was recorded near J22 for Winwick Interchange on the M6 around 7:25 am on Tuesday. A passerby in another vehicle filmed a quick video showing a mobile phone positioned on the dashboard near the steering wheel.
The footage appeared to depict the driver looking at the screen while driving at a high speed on the congested motorway. XDP, a UK-based freight and parcel carrier, was identified in the video. The brief clip was captioned with a remark about the driver on the M6 near Manchester during morning rush hour, calling the situation “unbelievable.” The Manchester Evening News reported on the incident, quoting the person filming the footage commenting on the driver’s actions.
XDP responded to the alleged incident, stating that they take such matters very seriously and have forwarded the case to their Operations Team for an immediate review. They expressed gratitude for the notification and emphasized their strict approach towards incidents of this nature.
In a separate incident in August, a lorry crossed the central reservation of the M5 and drove in the wrong direction on the motorway, narrowly avoiding a luxury car. The driver of the luxury car, Peter Stone, had to quickly maneuver to avoid a potential collision with the oncoming lorry. Despite the alarming situation, no serious injuries were reported, and authorities responded promptly to the crash, temporarily closing the motorway in both directions for safety measures.
The experiences of both incidents highlight the importance of road safety and the potential dangers of distracted or reckless driving.