An Auckland man has mastered the black art of driving with a cellphone in one hand, drinking a beer with the other, and steering with his knees.
Waitemata Road Policing Manager Inspector Trevor Beggs said police ran a checkpoint in Henderson yesterday and the man was one of 54 people nabbed for using their cellphone while driving.
But the man with the beer wasn't the only driver to raise eyebrows; one man was texting with a cellphone in each hand while steering with his knees, while a woman was texting with three children in the back of the car while towing a horse in a float.
"That sort of driving behaviour is frightening," Mr Beggs said.
"To think that something is that urgent that you'd put yourself and others at risk is scary. If you're that desperate to update your Facebook status, speak to someone, or send a text, then pull over."
Mr Beggs said police would continue to target distracted drivers, especially those using cellphones behind the wheel.
"We know that some will say this is just 'revenue-gathering' but what we saw yesterday just goes to show the real risks that people are taking behind the wheel, risks that could quite easily end in tragedy.
"Our only interest here is making sure that we're not going to someone's house to tell them that their loved one is dead because someone who was texting crashed into them."
