Vigilante biker reports speeders to police

A vigilante motorcyclist has revealed how he rides dead on the speed limit, films bikers who overtake and hands the footage to police.

Riding instructor Jeff Smith uses a helmet-mounted camera to film continuously for up to three hours while riding his ex-police Honda Pan European.

The 62-year-old from Southampton said: “I record all the idiots that, while I’m doing the normal correct speed, are flying past at 80 or 90mph.

“If someone overtakes at a bit extra speed in a 30mph zone, I would also report them because they shouldn’t be doing it.

“I know various police officers. I just download the film onto a DVD and give them a disc and it’s down to them what they do.

“I estimate people’s speeds, pass film on to police and it’s down to them whether they catch them next time.”

Oddball Smith, who claims to never break the speed limit, believes his efforts are necessary to tackle a plague of irresponsible riding. He said: “As you will appreciate, it’s mainly because we get a lot of re-born bikers at the moment.

“I met one recently who said: ‘I only passed my test two months ago and I’ve bought an R1.’ I said: ‘You’re a bloody idiot. Did you go back to your training school and ask them to teach you how to ride it?’”

The former courier isn’t sure whether anyone has been charged based on his evidence but hopes his efforts have led police to target motorcyclists more. “I know the police do act,” he said. “Yesterday at a local bike meet we had the roads policing unit there. Every weekend now Hampshire Police are out all over and so is East Sussex when we come into their area, which is good.”

A spokeswoman for Hampshire Police was unaware of Smith’s actions. Asked what the force would do with his footage, she said: “We would look at it.” 
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