Motorists looking to hit the road this Bank Holiday weekend are being warned to look out for poor driving by a road safety expert. Bryn Brooker, head of road safety at Nextbase, said the coming days would be ‘ one of the biggest driving weekends of the year’.
More than 20million journeys are being predicted over the whole weekend. Dashcam providers Nextbase issued a driving alert and released a video showing some of the abysmal driving that motorists could encounter as many of us hit the roads over the three-day holiday.
The videos, which were submitted to the company in just the first four months of 2025, showcase everything from vehicles running red lights at speed, motorists making dangerous overtaking maneuvers on blind bends, drivers undertaking in heavy traffic, and even a vehicle mounting the footpath to bypass traffic.
This footage represents just a small fraction of the dangerous driving seen every day on British roads, as it only includes footage submitted directly to Nextbase, rather than to police through Nextbase’s National Dash Cam Safety Portal, or not captured on a dash cam at all.
Mr Brooker said: “What we’re seeing just ahead of one of the biggest driving weekends of the year is genuinely alarming. Drivers across the UK are increasingly treating the Highway Code as an inconvenience rather than a vital set of rules designed to keep everyone safe. The footage we’ve received shows people making split-second decisions that could have catastrophic consequences, all to save what often amounts to just seconds on their journey.
“With millions of extra cars on the road this weekend for leisure trips the urge to do something stupid to ‘beat’ the traffic will be even stronger. We’re particularly concerned about the number of videos showing motorists running red lights, overtaking on blind bends, and even driving on pavements. These aren’t just minor infractions – they’re potentially life-threatening behaviors that show a complete disregard for other road users.
“We live in an era of instant gratification, where next-day deliveries and smartphones have conditioned us to expect immediate results. This mindset appears to be spilling over onto our roads, but the physics of driving haven’t changed – impatience behind the wheel kills.
“A dash cam is an excellent deterrent and provides crucial evidence in the event of an incident. But unfortunately we can’t solve this with technology alone – we also need a cultural shift towards patient, considerate driving that respects the rules of the road and the safety of all road users.”
Many of the dangerous maneuvers captured on dash cams contravene multiple sections of the Highway Code, including:
-
Rule 36: Not stopping at red lights (which can result in a £100 fine and 3 penalty points)
-
Rules 162-169: Dangerous overtaking practices, including overtaking on blind bends or at junctions
-
Rule 268: Undertaking vehicles in moving traffic
-
Rule 145: Driving on the pavement (which can lead to fines up to £5,000 and 9 penalty points)
-
Rule 144: Driving without due care and attention (which can result in a fine of up to £2,500 and disqualification)
This footage represents just a small fraction of the dangerous driving seen every day on British roads, as it only includes footage submitted directly to Nextbase, rather than to police through Nextbase’s National Dash Cam Safety Portal, or not captured on a dash cam at all.
More and more police forces are offering motorists the chance to report poor driving via portals on their websites. More than 33,000 dangerous driving videos were sent to the police in 2023, with dash cams making it easy to report dangerous drivers.
The number of cases being reported to police continue to rise each year and more and more motorists equip their vehicles with dashcams.
