Editorial: Bad drivers deserve to be reported

*555 calls have played a part in an increase in the reporting of bad driver behaviour.

It can be quite annoying when you are driving along perfectly safely and within the speed limit and you witness bad or dangerous behaviour by other motorists.

Sometimes they go very slowly and weave all over the place, while other times they sit on your tail and overtake you dangerously. Add to this the people who clearly should not be driving or the boy racer types who have no care or consideration and you have a recipe for chaos on our roads.

Often it is difficult to know what to do in those situations. Most of us suffer from very mild cases of road rage (ie: muttering under our breath) until the moment passes and we carry on our merry way.

However, it seems more and more of us are dobbing in bad behaviour on the roads.

Sometimes it happens so quickly that you don't even think to pick up the phone and report the driver in question.

Not only can you do this, but the police want you to, because they believe it is calls from other motorists that are making our roads safer. All you need to do is dial *555 free from a mobile phone (hands-free of course, unless you are parked) to report urgent but not life-threatening incidents.

About 6000 traffic offences were reported last year and police say these calls are making a difference. Sometimes the callers dob in drink-drivers while, in one case, an elderly woman had 16 complaints against her in six months. It turns out she was working hard and driving 50km each day on only four hours' sleep. Police were able to intervene and make her realise that she was a danger on the roads. A good driver should think for other drivers and expect them to do the unexpected. But it shouldn't stop there. Call the police and let them handle the situation before an innocent person is injured or killed.