Watch: BMW driver 'inhales from balloon' on M6 as cops release clips of terrible driving
Police have released footage of a driver who appeared to be inhaling from a balloon whilst at the wheel on the M6.
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The shocking clip is just one of a number of clips released by West Midlands Police to mark the first anniversary of Operation Snap, a campaign to clamp down on dangerous motorists in the region.
The video, filmed by a passenger in another car, shows the undertaking BMW driver holding a large yellow balloon to his mouth as he drives along the busy motorway.
The driver was given six points on his licence, and ordered to pay £726 in fines and costs.
In total more than 11,000 submissions to the force's dashcam portal made in a year.
Another clip shows the driver of a blue Toyota ignoring a red light and driving over a pedestrian crossing, narrowly missing a woman who was crossing.
That motorist was given a year-long driving ban, ordered to take an extended retest and ordered to pay £2,649 after being convicted of dangerous driving as a result of the dashcam submission.
In another new clip, the driver of a black Renault Koleos comes dangerously close to a cyclist on Kings Heath High Street – landing them with six points on their licence and £1,034 in costs and fines.
A road rage Peugeot driver captured on footage from Lichfield Road, Wolverhampton, was given five points and a £150 fine for dangerous driving, while a taxi driver using his phone while waiting at traffic lights in the Dudley area was given six points and ordered to pay £400.
More officers were put into the Operation Snap team a year ago to review the public's submissions and in 2023 there were 7,145 compared to 208 in 2017.
Sergeant Steve Evans, who heads up the team, said: “Road safety is an absolute priority for West Midlands Police and the work of our team is making a real difference.
“Around 90 per cent of the submissions we get end in positive action. That can be everything from a warning letter, up to prosecution and a day in court. One driver has previously received a suspended prison sentence as a result of footage sent to the Operation Snap team.
“It doesn’t take long to do, and people who do take the time to send us their clips are making a real difference to road safety. Every one of the people who’ve been filmed like this and have had to pay the price should now be thinking again about the way they drive.”
"Every road death is a tragedy, and too many people are being killed and injured on our streets."
The public can send their footage to Operation Snap | West Midlands Police
