Ian Dury’s Son Baxter Reveals He Lost His Driving Licence After Being Filmed Using His Mobile Phone While Driving by Jeremy Vine
Baxter Dury, the 53-year-old son of late 70s punk-rock icon Ian Dury, has admitted to losing his driving licence after being caught using his mobile phone while driving by BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine. The musician was filmed by Vine, who has been known for his campaign against reckless driving on London’s roads, while driving back to his west London home from producer Paul Epworth’s studio where the pair were working on his new album Allbarone.
In an interview with BBC 6 Music’s Roundtable host Huw Stephens, Baxter Dury said: "Do you know what? This is a tragic story, but I drove there for the first half (of making the record) and then lost my license." He added that he was caught in a traffic jam and Vine took a film of him looking at Instagram, which he admitted was deserved. "Shouldn’t probably say that publicly, he’s probably in the other room, isn’t he?" Baxter Dury said, according to the Daily Mail.
Jeremy Vine, 59, told the Daily Mail that the situation was "unfortunate" and expressed his "love" for Baxter Dury’s father’s music. "I’m afraid mobile phone use in cars in London, particularly the posher parts, is an absolute curse," Vine said. "So I am quite tunnel-visioned about it. We have 1,700 road deaths a year. Sorry to be serious about it. Best wishes to Baxter."
Vine has been known for his campaign against reckless driving on London’s roads, often filming and reporting drivers who break the law. However, he recently announced that he would no longer be uploading videos of drivers endangering themselves, others, and cyclists online due to the relentless abuse he received from critics. Despite this, he continues to film and report law-breaking drivers in an effort to improve safety on London’s roads.
According to the Daily Mail, Vine’s videos had been viewed by millions, but he decided to stop uploading them due to the abuse and the theft of his £620 bicycle. He said: "I know I’ve sometimes got a little cross when a driver has, say, pulled out without looking, but I only ever uploaded the film to show the danger."
Baxter Dury is the son of 70s punk-rock icon Ian Dury, whose hits include Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. The musician’s admission of losing his driving licence comes after he was caught using his mobile phone while driving, highlighting the dangers of reckless driving on London’s roads.
In recent years, London has made significant progress in improving cycle awareness, with a recent official Corporation study finding that bikes make up 56 per cent of peak time traffic in the City of London. One in six of those bicycles are dockless hire bikes, such as those operated by Lime and Forest. Despite this, Vine believes that there will still be arrogant drivers who see the roads as theirs and theirs alone.
The incident highlights the ongoing debate about road safety and the use of mobile phones while driving. As the Daily Mail reports, Vine’s campaign against reckless driving has sparked a significant conversation about road safety, and it remains to be seen how effective his efforts will be in reducing the number of road deaths and injuries.
