Shocking moment BMW driver ‘inhales hippy crack balloon’ while behind the wheel on the M6 as cops reveal worst offenders
THIS is the shocking moment a BMW driver inhales what looks like a dangerous hippy crack balloon as he drives along the M6.
Footage captured the reckless motorist using the illegal drug while behind the wheel as cops slapped him with a £726 fine and six points on his license.
The video was sent to the West Midlands Police by another driver through their Operation Snap Portal.
The UK-wide system is designed as an easy way for motorists to report dangerous driving anonymously through their own dash cam, phone or helmet cam footage.
Footage of the careless BMW driver showed the man holding an inflated orange balloon in his mouth as he has his hands on the wheel.
Cops suspect the man was likely inhaling nitrous oxide – known as laughing gas – as he drove.
The never-before-seen clip was taken by a passenger of a car driving past on the M6.
First deployed in 2017, Operation Snap has become a pivotal force trying to crack down on avoidable roadside accidents in the UK.
In the last year alone, 11,000 dangerous drivers were caught on camera and dealt with by officers.
West Midlands Police say they have a remarkable 90 per cent conviction rate thanks to the clear-cut nature of the footage being sent in.
June was the busiest ever month for the cops who say they were sent a whopping 1,467 submissions – almost 50 a day.
The portal has quickly risen in popularity as in 2017 just 208 reports were received.
To praise those who helped them catch the drivers and to discourage more reckless motorists in the future, West Midlands Police released a montage of clips exposing the year’s worst drivers.
One clip shows a driver speeding through a red light and over a pedestrian crossing – narrowly avoiding a distressed woman.
That motorist banned from driving for a year, ordered to take an extended retest and made to pay £2,649 in fines.
A second video shows a car driving worryingly close to a cyclist on Kings Heath High Street in Birmingham.
After being convicted he was issued six points and ordered to pay £1,034.
Other clips showed a raging driver in Wolverhampton causing chaos on the roads by getting close to his fellow motorists and making obscene gestures.
As a taxi driver sat on his phone at traffic lights in the Dudley area was hit with six points and a £400 fine.
West Midlands police sergeant Steve Evans said: “Road safety is an absolute priority for West Midlands Police and the work of our team is making a real difference.
“It doesn’t take long to do, and people who do take the time to send us their clips are making a real difference to road safety.
“Every one of the people who’ve been filmed like this and have had to pay the price should now be thinking again about the way they drive.”
Across the UK the portal has been used to fine drivers putting others at risk on the roads.
South Yorkshire has had a 1,882 percent increase in submissions through the system over the last two years – making it one of the locations in England and Wales leading the dash cam charge.
Humberside had a jump of 205 per cent, while Hampshire saw a 469 per cent increase.
Warwickshire and Lincolnshire rounded out the top five dash cam spots with increases of 191 per cent and 172 per cent, respectively.
Most Common Illegal Driving Activities
HERE'S a list of reckless driving behaviours and the fines and penalties you risk getting from it
- Using phone while driving
Cheeky glance at a phone screen will result in six penalty points on your licence and a £200 fine
New drivers might lose their licence if caught doing so within two years of obtaining it - Speeding
Lovers of fast and furious will end up with minimum three points and £100 fine - Running a red light
This offence will incur three points and £100 fine - Middle lane hogging
It constitutes careless driving and police will hand you out a £100 fine with three penalty points - Undertaking
This could possibly result in three points on your license and a £100 fine