This is the moment a long-distance trucker livestreams a video on TikTok while at the wheel of his articulated lorry.
Father-of-two David Crossley, from Rochdale, gives his 20,000 followers a Peter Kay’s Car Share-style commentary as he drives thousands of miles between the UK and Spain.
Crossley, who reveals it is almost midnight, appears to take his eyes off where he is going to read comments from his followers as he drives.
He addresses the camera directly on several occasions and at one stage lifts both his hands off the steering wheel to clap.
In the wake of several fatal accidents caused by lorry drivers looking at mobiles, motoring chiefs hit out at him and urged Crossley to park up before posting.
‘There’s a time and a place for TikTok, and it’s definitely not behind the wheel of a moving truck,’ said Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA.
This is the moment a long-distance trucker livestreams a video on TikTok while at the wheel of his articulated lorry
In the TikTok footage, father-of-two David Crossley from Rochdale (pictured above in a different vehicle) gives his 20,000 followers a Peter Kay’s Car Share-style commentary as he drives thousands of miles between the UK and Spain
‘We have seen far too many tragedies on our roads where the offending driver was messing around with their phone.
‘Amongst the informative aspect of the videos about life as a trucker, it would be better received if he set an example on road safety.
‘Fortunately, the law that both the Daily Mail and the AA campaigned so hard for will be strengthened next year, as a loophole is closed.
‘Except when docked and used as a sat-nav, anyone seen touching their phone while driving will pick up a £200 fine and 6 points.’
In the seven minute expletive laden clip seen by MailOnline, Crossley never draws breath, chatting about a range of topics and railing at his critics.
During the livestream, one follower sends him a message which reads: ‘Why’s your seat going up and down?’. He immediately replies: ‘Why am I going up and down? It’s me chair, guys’.
He then says he will perform a ‘magic trick’ and pumps up the independent suspension on the chair to make himself taller in the seat.
He tells the camera: ‘When someone starts on me on the road, I pump my chair up like this and they think ‘f*****g hell, he’s a big c***’.’
In the same clip, he tells the 300 people following him live that his phone charge is down to 10 per cent and asks them to message ‘Yes’ if they want him to host another livestream after he pulls over for the night, which many do.
In the seven minute clip seen by MailOnline, Crossley never draws breath, chatting about a range of topics and railing at his critics
During the livestream, one follower sends him a message: ‘Why’s your seat going up and down?’. He immediately replies: ‘Why am I going up and down? It’s me chair, guys’. He then performs a ‘magic trick’ and pumps up the chair’s suspension to make himself taller in the seat
Crossley’s uncanny resemblance to Peter Kay’s accent and delivery isn’t so surprising as Rochdale is only 12 miles from Kay’s hometown of Bolton, but it is frequently remarked upon by followers in on-screen messages.
However, among those angered by Crossley’s antics was the road safety group Brake.
‘Driving is a highly complex task where even a moment’s distraction from the road ahead can result in catastrophe – even more so when the vehicle being driven is a lorry,’ said director of campaigns Joshua Harris.
‘We urge all drivers to keep their focus on the road and never use hands-free devices when behind the wheel, as research clearly shows that this is just as distracting as illegal hand-held phone use.’
Crossley denied reading incoming messages on his TikTok, but admitted he’s currently serving a ban from posting for swearing in his livestreams.
‘It may look as if I’m reading the messages,’ he told MailOnline, ‘But I can’t physically see them where the phone is posted, and maybe I’m looking at a sign or in my mirrors or something. I assure you I’m in control of the vehicle at all times.
‘I’m just trying to get across to people what this job is like. If people find it entertaining – and they do – then great, but I’ve been away from home for nine weeks and it’s tough, but I’d never do anything to put myself or anyone else at risk.’
He also said he was driving on a private estate in Spain, but did not divulge any further details.
Crossley’s uncanny resemblance to Peter Kay’s accent and delivery isn’t so surprising as Rochdale is only 12 miles from Kay’s hometown of Bolton, but it is frequently remarked upon by followers in on-screen messages
Crossley denied reading incoming messages on his TikTok, but admitted he’s currently serving a ban from posting for swearing in his livestreams. He also said he was driving on a private estate in Spain, but did not divulge any further details
Earlier this year, at the start of the lockdown, he complained he had been ‘treated like an animal’ while delivering food for the UK, and turned away from service station lavatories and bathrooms because of Covid fears.
He said a kindly wave from a pensioner walking across a road bridge gave him the encouragement he needed to carry on after seven weeks away from his family.
A spokesman for St Georges Removals and Storage, for whom he drives regularly and posts footage of their trucks on his TikTok account, declined to comment.