A DRIVER has been banned from driving for 12 months and must pass an extended re-test after dashcam captured their dangerous driving on the M6 in Cumbria.

Xin Zhou, 33, of Catena Rise, Lightwater, Surrey, had denied the charge of dangerous driving but was convicted at Carlisle Crown Court on Thursday (September 29) after the court was shown dashcam footage which captured a series of dangerous driving manoeuvres.

The footage initially shows Zhou driving his Audi close behind a van in lane three, whilst vehicles pass illuminated 50mph signs.

The Audi can then be seen to move across two lanes, into lane one, before undertaking a black Nissan car in lane two.

The court heard how the driver of the Nissan flashed his lights as a warning to Zhou about the dangerous manoeuvre.

At this point the Audi braked hard in front of the Nissan, resulting in the Nissan driver moving into lane one in an effort to avoid colliding with the rear of Zhou’s Audi.

However, Zhou mirrored the Nissan’s manoeuvre, also moving into lane one and continuing to brake hard, causing both vehicles to almost come to a stop.

The incident occurred on August 16 2021.

In a police interview, Zhou denied purposely slamming on his brakes to deliberately block the path of the Nissan behind, telling officers he had slowed as he feared a fault on his car.

When asked why, if this was the case, he did not move onto the hard shoulder instead of braking almost to a standstill on a live motorway, he said he had never used a hard shoulder and thought his actions were acceptable on a live carriageway.

Zhou was convicted at court. As well as the driving ban, he was sentenced to six weeks’ community service and made subject of a curfew (10pm to 7am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 7pm to 7am the rest of the week).

He was also ordered to pay £750 in costs and a victim surcharge of £95.

'Dashcam footage provides compelling live evidence'

Sergeant Claire Sampson of Cumbria Police said: “The manner of driving displayed by Zhou put numerous drivers at risk and could easily have resulted in tragedy, were the drivers around him not aware and competent enough behind the wheel to prevent a collision.

“This conviction is a direct result of a member of the public submitting dashcam footage highlighting the dangerous driving of another motorist.

“Dashcam footage provides compelling live evidence which can help police and the CPS take significant action against those drivers who put us at risk on the roads.

“As part of Operation Snap, we continue to urge motorists to submit such footage to assist our officers in keeping the roads safe for all and reducing the likelihood of fatal collisions.”

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