If a call to your mobile operator, asking for the non-emergency contact number for the police, didn’t work, a 999 call would be better than nothing.
Absolutely the right thing to do.
As for using 999 to call the Plod, their job is PREVENTION just as much as prosecution after the event.
And as the Plod phoned you back and thanked you for your actions, WELL DONE
I can also see your point about not wanting to go to court in person, a statement will do the same thing.
I also feel sorry for the driver in this case, something must have pushed him to this desperate act.
Buttyman:
I have a question. What number do you ring to contact the police on the mobile phone??.
i would have called 999. after all, it is a very lethal weapon when its being driven this recklessly so i would class it as a life saving call. i have often wondered about non emergencies though as i have wanted to report a few car drivers in the past. people who cant keep between the lines should be pulled over and breathalised but without a non emergency number, what do you do? keep the number of every cop shop in britain? 
Yep i wouldnt have hesitated. People like this that give us all a bad name and one of the reasons everyone hates lorry drivers.
I’d have gone the 999 route;
copied this from the Kent police website
You should dial 999 when:
life is threatened
people are injured
crime is in progress
offenders are nearby
999 should be used when immediate help is needed
I think this incident falls into almost all these catergories. 
TBH if i see something that isn’t so serious or imediate, i tend to make a note of the firm/reg number/trailer number and phone their boss up That way if its a one off the driver will get a ticking off by the boss and if it’s something regular ie. they’re just a bad driver, chances are they’ll get the boot.
the IS a national non-emergency number for reporting crime
crimestoppers-uk.org/
0800 555111
Personally i think the main reason lorry drivers have such a bad reputation with the general public is the fact the industry has too long been plagued by the “well not my business if he breaks the law” attitude. We’re all aparenty proffessionals and a minority reflects badly on all of us. We’re all human so we all make mistakes, i know i have, but its the minority that constantly make mistakes which spoil it for the rest of us.
ok i’ll get off my soap box now 
dennisw1:
the IS a national non-emergency number for reporting crime
crimestoppers-uk.org/
0800 555111
That number is for ‘intelligence’ and normally goes through to an ansafone, and the information gets assessed and disseminated on the next normal wotking day.
It’s either the 9’s or nothing.
It’s what it is there for.
Your dam right i would have rang the police m8,you done the correct thing and do not feel guilty for saving a young child’s life due to an arse behind the wheel. 
From a mobile phone you should always dial 999 or 112 as the police can then trace the cell you are calling from. 112 is the alternative to 999 and is the International number
If you are on a deserted motorway and come across an accident, the call will alert the police to your position without having to give them marker post numbers
Wheel Nut:
If you are on a deserted motorway and come across an accident, the call will alert the police to your position without having to give them marker post numbers
That’s not entirely true.
The mast that routes the call will normally indicate to the operator which Force area you are located in but even this is not fool-proof. Phone from Barnsdale Bar and you get put through to North Yorkshire - as I found out one day when a hay wagon pulled in and burst into flames. (Brilliant - a vehicle on fire and he does no more than to pull into a petrol station. )
Whilst it is true that the location can be triangulated by the Service Provider, they wont left a finger without first receiving a signed fax to cover Data Protection, and even then it can take anything up to a couple of hours to get a reply.
The fact is that the Telecomms companies don’t like our 9’s system because it costs them money. They would much rather see an American system whereby ALL calls are automatically routed to just one answering centre. They have been trying to get themselves ‘out of the loop’ for many years and only do as much as they are required to under the various Telecomms Acts.
On a recent programme a spokesman explained that on average, the system handles 80,000 calls per day from mobiles, and of them, some 22,000, are ‘silent’. Mis-dialled calls from phones jangling about in pockets and handbags, or children ‘playing’ with the handset. All of which have to be assessed and then either passed on or discounted. It costs B.T. and all the others a lot of money in staff and equipment to handle all of the calls.
Many Control Rooms do not even use Calling Number I.D., as this would mean linking the Command & Control system to a third party computer network, and as such, is viewed as a ‘security concern’.
Of course the matter is now further complicated by the introduction of dedicated joint Regional control rooms operated by the Highways Agency, whereby the local Force will take the call and then pass it, sometimes electronically, but more often, verbally, to the Highways Agency, because the various computer systems throughout the Country are not compatible with each other.
ohterry:
would you have done the same?
Yes. Sounds like even a red hot poker up his arse wouldn’t have woke him up.
Krankee:
dennisw1:
the IS a national non-emergency number for reporting crime
crimestoppers-uk.org/
0800 555111That number is for ‘intelligence’ and normally goes through to an ansafone, and the information gets assessed and disseminated on the next normal wotking day.
It’s either the 9’s or nothing.
It’s what it is there for.
As i said though it’s for ‘non-emergency’ stuff, this would be an emergency. if you had something that wasnt totaly urgent calling crime stoppers would be fine. it’s what that’s there for
Would most certainly have done the same.
I called 999 three years, a guy and a female were staggering around in lane 1 on the M27 near J1 at 2 in the morning. I swerved into lane 2, the trailer was still sliding along lane 1. I thought I’d gone over both of them, it wasn’t until I stopped that I saw them running away. The old bill didn’t turn up, so I carried on, it wasn’t until a couple hours later that the implication of what could have happened, and shock set in. I still wake up in a sweat about it.
I wouldn’t have any hesitation in calling the police to prevent loss of life.
I too would have called the police. There is absolutley no excuse for drving of that nature, especially in an LGV.
spot on tel 
jon
yep, i`m on this bandwagon too terry. This time you were well justified in ringing plod
I would & have used 999 on several occasions. If it is not a dire emergency I explain that I’m a lorry driver, have observed something I think they should be aware of & apologise for coming in on that number as i had no other available. They’ve never said anything about it & always thanked me my for my time & thought for calling it in.
Instances have been broken down unlit vehicles oin the hard shoulder during the hours of darkness on unlit m/way sections. (Something plod see as very high risk).
A flooded m/way causing cars to aquaplane all over the place in a section where there were gantry signs available which could be used to warn & limit speed.
…and many years ago 2 guys following me on the M8 for a long time in a Jag at maybe just 45-50mph when i’d just pulled out of a bonded warehouse with a full load of whisky onboard.
dennisw1:
Krankee:
dennisw1:
the IS a national non-emergency number for reporting crime
crimestoppers-uk.org/
0800 555111That number is for ‘intelligence’ and normally goes through to an ansafone, and the information gets assessed and disseminated on the next normal wotking day.
It’s either the 9’s or nothing.
It’s what it is there for.
As i said though it’s for ‘non-emergency’ stuff, this would be an emergency. if you had something that wasnt totaly urgent calling crime stoppers would be fine. it’s what that’s there for
Calling Crimestoppers might get you a reward though
Instances have been broken down unlit vehicles oin the hard shoulder during the hours of darkness on unlit m/way sections. (Something plod see as very high risk).
A flooded m/way causing cars to aquaplane all over the place in a section where there were gantry signs available which could be used to warn & limit speed.
…and many years ago 2 guys following me on the M8 for a long time in a Jag at maybe just 45-50mph when i’d just pulled out of a bonded warehouse with a full load of whisky onboard
No need to apologise to them for those.
1 & 2 “life has been threatened”
3 “offenders are nearby”
Wheel Nut:
Calling Crimestoppers might get you a reward though
If it’s a reward you want, try putting a name to this face,
TruckPol:
Bogus driver - Felixtowe
TruckPol would like help to identify the driver in the attached images. This man and another are wanted for questioning over the theft of two loaded trailers from a warehouse in Felixtowe on 24/11/2005. It is believed that the vehicles they used were a white renault Premium and a white ERF EC12. If anyone recognises these images, please call TruckPol or Crimestoppers in complete confidence.
Even just for the correct name, the price of a good meal for two will usually be available.
Thanks for that guys. It seems the majority vote on the phone number to ring is 999.
Like I said earlier, have seen some real dodgy stuff over the years, and because I didnt want to get in trouble for ringing emergency services, I left the problem to sort itself out.
One time I did ring 999 was when I saw a Metro clout the armco and barrel roll at Jnc 21 M62. It was 6.30 on a winter Saturday morning, hardly any traffic around, so I legged it over the motorway to where this almost invisible gun metal grey car was side on straddled across lanes 1&2. When I got to the car there was nobody in it, so as I was routing around in the grass and trees on the banking , a cockney lad parked his truck in front of the car with his 4 ways flashing.
So what does plod do when he eventually arrives on the scene…no “Thanks for diverting an accident driver”, but “Move that [zb]truck before I do you”. So the driver drove away , and I refused to give a statement to the arrogant sod, and drove away also leaving him to sort out the problem on his own.
Seems that us truckers are generally in the wrong even when we do the right thing.
Stuart
I think you did the right thing Terry as well.
Going slightly off track for a second but I know you can text a landline but can you text 999?
The reason I ask is I’ve often thought it a good idea to pre-write a text (when overnighting in a layby or ind est) along the lines of :-
URGENT MESSAGE TO AUTHORITIES
I AM A LORRY DRIVER PARKED AT …
MY REGISTRATION NUMBER IS …
MY VEHICLE IS … IN COLOUR AND MY
TRAILER IS …IN COLOUR WITH
… WRITTEN ON THE SIDE
MY VEHICLE IS UNDER ATTACK NOW!!!
PLEASE SEND IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE
URGENT MESSAGE TO AUTHORITIES
I AM A LORRY DRIVER PARKED AT …
MY REGISTRATION NUMBER IS …
MY VEHICLE IS … IN COLOUR AND MY
TRAILER IS …IN COLOUR WITH
… WRITTEN ON THE SIDE
MY VEHICLE IS UNDER ATTACK NOW!!!
PLEASE SEND IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE
Maybe if we could get a code word to use from somwhere like Operation Indicate/Coppergold etc etc to prove the text is genuine.
If sombody is trying to break into the cab you may not have time to dial the police then wait for an answere but with a text you only have to push “send”