F1 driver and defending world champion Lewis Hamilton will walk away unpunished for recording a video of himself riding a motorcycle in Auckland, New Zealand, local sources report. According to the police, that video cannot be used as evidence against him, so the Brit will not be fined.
The Auckland police started an investigation after the F1 star posted a video that showed him riding a Harley-Davidson along several stretches of highway. Using the phone (without a handsfree system) when driving a car is both dangerous and illegal, and this doesn't change when it comes to riding a motorcycle.
In New Zealand, using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle on public roads became an offense since 2009, but it looks like using the phone to record a video still needs to be addressed differently by the law.
At least, this is what we figure out after learning that the Auckland police ended the investigation and will not take any further action against Hamilton.
"The video footage available does not provide us with sufficient enough evidence that an offence has occurred. We would like to reiterate our earlier statements that police take the issue of mobile phone use whilst driving or riding very seriously, it is a significant distraction and a major risk to all road users," a police spokesperson told the press.
Now, this entire story ended this way because of a technicality, and the local law will most likely receive amends that will allow the cops to fine motorists that do what Hamilton did.
If you ask us, Hamilton set a bad example, and his impunity, albeit granted by the very law he broke, might entice other riders to do the same thing, putting them and others at risk. His fine would have been around $80 or €70, anyway, so the "victory" is a small one.
Google News