A truck driver was captured on video “viewing the news” while operating a vehicle on a significant highway with his mobile device placed in front of him. The incident, involving an XDP truck, was recorded near J22 for Winwick Interchange on the M6 around 7:25 a.m. on Tuesday. A passing motorist in an adjacent lane recorded a brief video showing a mobile phone situated on the dashboard above the steering wheel.
The footage appeared to depict the driver looking at the screen while driving at high speed on the crowded motorway. XDP, a UK-based freight and parcel carrier, was identified in the video. The clip was captioned: “Driver during morning rush hour on the M6 at Manchester. Unbelievable,” as reported by the Manchester Evening News. The individual filming the incident can be heard commenting, “Casually watching the news while you’re driving the truck,” as the driver behind the wheel seems to notice.
Regarding the alleged incident, XDP stated that they take such matters very seriously and have escalated the case to their Operations Team for an immediate review. A statement issued by the company acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and assured that appropriate actions were being taken promptly.
In a separate incident in August, a truck crossed the central reservation of the M5 and traveled in the wrong direction on the busy motorway, narrowly avoiding a high-value Porsche. The driver of the Porsche, Peter Stone, narrowly escaped a potential collision as the truck sped towards him between junction 28 and junction 29. Stone, from Reading, Berkshire, had only a few seconds to react and managed to steer away from the oncoming truck just in time.
Fortunately, there were no reports of serious injuries following the incident. Emergency services responded to the crash scene, and the motorway was temporarily closed in both directions. Lanes were reopened to traffic around 1:30 p.m. following the necessary clearance and safety checks.