A SHOCKING video shows reckless motorists driving on pavements in their desperation to get past bin lorries.
CCTV from bin lorries shows several near-misses as frustrated drivers veer off the road and come within inches of council workers.
The clips were released by local councils in the Kent area in a bid to stop motorists risking the lives of staff to save a few minutes.
One clip in the video shows a bin man pulling a wheelie bin back on to the pavement actually being hit by an impatient driver causing injury to the worker’s leg.
A second clip shows a van hitting a small bin out of the hands of a bin man after he was oblivious to the vehicle overtaking the bin lorry on the pavement.
A third clip shows a truck plowing into a wheelie bin which stands at the side of the road whilst the vehicle races down the pavement.
Yet another shows three bin men forced to stop working after a selfish drivers mounts the pavement and drives in front of where the bin men are working.
In another clip a van driver mounts the kerb and drives past the bin lorry on to a grass verge in order to overtake the bin lorry.
A final clip shows how a bin man was moments from being hit by an impatient driver after he was able to see the headlights of the car approaching him which appeared to have had partial mounted the pavement.
One of the participating councils, Folkestone and Hythe District Council, posted the first video to their Facebook page on Monday saying “This week we will be sharing genuine CCTV footage of reckless driving taken from cameras fitted on waste vehicles.
“We’re joining Kent Police and supporting a national campaign which starts today, to raise awareness to road users of the day-to-day dangers collection crews face due to drivers driving recklessly on pavements (DROPs).”
Responding to one of the clips online, Susan Whybrow said: “Hope they jail him and confiscate his van. Selfish useless idiot. It’s not just the bin men who could have been killed or seriously injured. What about anyone leaving their house.”
Folkestone World Naked Bike Ride added: “(Thumbs up) to you for involving the police, and this going UK wide in a campaign. To the dangerous idiot in the truck who could of killed someone there.”
Emma Luck wrote: “What a t***!”
Emma MacLennan said: “Oh my god.”
However, some aren’t quite so sympathetic towards the bin men.
Daniel Eales said: “It’s very bad behaviour and should not be allowed, but the same goes for the fact that the waste collection vehicles would rather stop in the middle of the road then pull into a safe space, just so the lads don’t have to walk another 10ft.”
Wayne Joy added: “Cool, can I get a new black box since it’s getting smashed to bits by your bin men when they just chuck them up the path, but CCTV won’t see that as the trucks are halfway up the street as they fill a bin with paper and follow the truck.”
Cllr Rory Love OBE, Chairman of the Kent Resource Partnership said: “Seeing CCTV footage from our collection vehicles should encourage all drivers to think again before considering reckless and life-threatening manoeuvres.”
David Currie, Head of Traffic Prosecutions for Kent Police, said: “Rule 145 of the Highway Code states: ‘you must not drive on or over a pavement, footpath or bridleway except to gain lawful access to property, or in the case of an emergency.’
“Therefore, it is unacceptable to drive on the pavement to pass a recycling and waste vehicle to save just a few seconds off your journey.
“People need to think about the consequences of their actions – if they chose to drive on the pavement they not only risk prosecution but more importantly they put themselves and others at risk of serious injury or worse.”
