Suffolk cabbie distracted by sat-nav slapped with five points after crash outside primary school

A Suffolk cab driver has been slapped with five points on his licence after being distracted by his sat-nav.

46 year old Haydar Bayir, of Maltings Way, Bury St Edmund, was carrying two passengers in his Ford Touneo when he left the road and smashed into a wooden post outside a primary school in Stanton, near Bury St Edmunds.

The crash, which took place in Upthorpe Road, near Stanton Community Primary School at approximately 4:10pm on November 7 of last year, left the two passengers in the vehicle with whiplash injuries.

Bayir had admitted careless driving at an earlier court hearing, but had to return to face magistrates in Ipswich last week, where he admitted failing to report the accident within 24 hours. 

According to a report in the East Anglia Daily Times, Bayir admitted to being distracted by his sat -nav going off, telling him that he had reached his destination, and looking at his passengers in the rear view mirror as he was talking to them, asking where they wished to be dropped off.

Bayir explained in court that the passengers couldn't decide which house number they wanted, and that there was a van in front of him which obscured his view of the post.

After the subsequent crash, Bayir told the court that he asked his passengers if they were ok, and then handed over his business card to the Passenger's father, who had arrived at the scene.

Bayir then said that he had contacted the police and told them that he would go into the police station to report the accident, but the police told him not to, as they would come to him.

Magistrates handed Bayir five penalty points on his licence and issued him with a £233 fine.

Image Source: Flickr

Image Author James Cridland