‘You are breaking two laws’: US travel writer incurs British fury after filming himself on his phone as he coasted down the middle lane of M6 motorway while on a driving holiday to Cumbria
- Rick Steves was driving on the M6 on the way to the Lake District in Cumbria
- He filmed himself driving in the middle lane as other cars and lorries overtook
- He originally shared the video on Twitter, but it has then been taken down
An American travel writer has been slammed by angry drivers after filming himself on a busy British motorway.
Rick Steves posted a video of himself holding a phone while driving on the M6 on the way to the Lake District, Cumbria.
The video shows the famous writer speaking to the camera as he drives in the middle lane.
Rick Steves, pictured, filmed himself driving on the British motorway on his way to Cumbria
Mr Steves discusses his journey and films the road ahead, before showing viewers the inside of his hire car.
As he looks at the camera, he says: ‘Hey, I’m Rick Steves and I am joyriding in the North of England, enjoying these motorways.
‘I’ve had a beautiful day today on the motorway, started in Liverpool, spent the entire day in, doing some research there and now I’m heading north to Cumbrian Lake District.’
He shows the road ahead of him while driving in the middle lane as vans and cars overtake
He then shows the vehicle’s GPS, as well as some food, including a sandwich, a banana and some carrots that he keeps on the passenger seat together with a map of England.
Several vehicles overtake him on the inside lane, while others go past on the right.
Mr Steves originally posted the video on his Twitter profile, where he has 108,000 followers.
The video, however, has then been taken down following the angry reactions of British drivers.
After showing his face on camera, the American author gives viewers a tour of his hire car
Mr Steves says he is ‘joyriding in the North of England, enjoying these motorways’
One person commented: ‘You are breaking two laws there. Get off the phone, get in the correct lane and, ideally, don’t drive in this country until you’ve learnt how to do so properly.’
Rule 264 of the Highway Code states: ‘You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear.
‘If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.
‘Slow-moving or speed-restricted vehicles should always remain in the left-hand lane of the carriageway unless overtaking.’
On the passenger sit, there are a sandwich, a banana, some carrots and a map of England
Travelling in the middle lane while not undertaking another vehicle can land drivers a £100 fine and three penalty points.
Using a phone while driving attracts a penalty fine of £200 and six penalty points.
A Cumbria Police spokesman said: ‘Driving whilst using a mobile phone is illegal and dangerous. Using a mobile phone causes the driver to be distracted and could easily lead to a serious collision.
‘People caught using their phone whilst driving can face a fine and six penalty point on their license.
Car overtake on the inside lane as the writer drives in the middle of the motorway
At times, the author shows the road after talking directly to the camera while driving
‘Cumbria Constabulary has promoted campaigns aimed at educating people on the dangers of using a mobile phone whilst driving, including encouraging people to put their phone in the glove compartment.’
Mr Steves is famous for his travel writing and tips, especially in Europe.
Since 2000, he has hosted ‘Rick Steves’ Europe’, a travel documentary series which airs on public television.