'Cruising while scrolling': Motorist caught on social media while driving
A video appearing to show a motorist scrolling through videos on their phone while driving through downtown Auckland has sparked outrage online.
The 17-second clip, posted online today, prompted users to call out the motorist for their behaviour and appeals for tougher enforcement against drivers using their phones behind the wheel.
Captioned, “Casually cruising at 15km/h while scrolling reels”, the video was filmed at night by a cyclist following behind a white Toyota.
The person who posted the footage said they could see the driver manually scrolling through Instagram Reels or TikTok while travelling at low speed.
It was unclear when the video was filmed.
The phone’s illuminated screen is visible through the Toyota’s rear window as it travels along Viaduct Harbour Ave before turning left on to Customs St West, where cars are parked on both sides of the road.
The person who filmed the footage claimed the motorist was manually scrolling through social media videos while driving. Photo / Reddit, transcodefailed
The vehicle then drives over a speed bump, approaches a roundabout and indicates right towards Pakenham St East.
The person who posted the video said they initially believed the driver was on a video call.
However, they later realised the driver was “scrolling vertically through reels – definitely IG or TikTok” and was “most definitely interacting with the phone, manually scrolling through each reel”.
Reddit users condemned the driver’s apparent phone use, with many saying distracted driving had become increasingly common on New Zealand roads.
“It’s f***ing crazy. I’ve been riding alongside people doing motorway speeds texting and whatnot,” one user wrote.
Another said: “I see this daily on my drive to work. We need to increase the fines to match Australia and roll out the cameras they have.”
Several called for harsher penalties, with one commenting: “Fines for this need to be the same as drunk driving.”
The footage follows a high-profile distracted driving incident last month, when a police officer was fined after a video appeared to show two officers watching a State of Origin match on a phone while driving a marked police vehicle.
A police officer was fined after a video appeared to show two officers watching a sports match on a phone while driving a marked police vehicle.
Counties Manukau Central Police Inspector MinHo Lee acknowledged public concern over the incident and apologised for the officer’s actions.
“We want to be clear that police officers must role model safe behaviour on our roads and they should lead by example,” Lee said.
A 2025 New Zealand Automobile Association survey found more than half of drivers aged 18 to 25 admitted to texting or messaging while driving.
The NZ Transport Agency estimates drivers are about four times more likely to be involved in a crash while using a phone.
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