An Auckland motorist received an unexpected phone call from a police officer instructing him to stop using his mobile phone—while he was still driving. The driver, who wished to remain anonymous, admits he was checking navigation on his dash-mounted phone during the journey, but found the police approach surprising, The New Zealand Herald reported.
The incident occurred as the motorist was travelling on State Highway 16. After passing a stationary highway patrol car, he received a call from an unknown number moments later.
“I answered the phone, which was still mounted on the dash and on speaker,” the driver explained. “The person on the other end identified themselves as a police officer and asked, ‘Why are you on your phone?’”
The driver's response was blunt: “Well, I’m talking to you.” He presumed the officer had noted his number plate as he passed, searched his details, and contacted him as the registered owner of the vehicle.
The driver reported that he was travelling at speeds exceeding 80 km/h when the call came in, leaving him startled. “It was quite a shock to be called by the police while still driving. I’ve never experienced anything like it,” he said.
The police officer allegedly verified the driver’s identity by reading out his number plate and home address during the call. The driver admitted to using his phone, though he argued it was mounted in his line of sight, comparing it to his air conditioning controls. Days later, he received a $150 fine in the mail.
When approached for comment, a police spokesperson acknowledged that phoning a motorist to discuss their behaviour was not standard procedure, though it can happen in certain cases. “It’s not common, but police will occasionally contact registered vehicle owners to discuss driving behaviour,” they stated.
In this case, the officer deemed the situation serious enough to contact the driver immediately. However, the motorist criticised the action, arguing that it was “counterintuitive” for the officer to engage him in a phone conversation while driving, replicating the very behaviour the police aim to prevent. “It was more dangerous answering that call than adjusting my navigation,” he said.
The police spokesperson made no apology for targeting high-risk driving behaviours, reiterating that safety is paramount. While New Zealand transport regulations allow the use of a mounted phone for navigation, police advise against using phones while driving altogether.
In a follow-up, police claimed the driver had been holding his phone and that the officer had signalled for him to get off the phone as he drove by. The driver disputed this, questioning how he was expected to notice a mouthed warning from a police officer on the side of the motorway.
When asked for further details on this type of police interaction, the spokesperson declined to comment further, stating, “We have said everything we are going to say on this matter.”
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