A driver was recorded on a dashboard camera colliding with no other vehicles in sight shortly after a test emergency alert was sent to mobile phones nationwide.
Phil Taylor, a 64-year-old freelance photographer, was driving on a 50mph dual carriageway in Bolton when the vehicle in front of him suddenly veered and crashed into the opposite lane.
The emergency alert test sounded on his phone just after 3pm, moments before the dramatic crash occurred. The dashcam footage shows the driver swerving to the left, over-correcting, spinning 180 degrees, and ending up on the opposite carriageway.
Before the emergency alert test, Edmund King, the president of the AA, had advised drivers to remain calm and concentrate on the road when the alert was received.
Drivers were cautioned that using a handheld device while driving could result in a £200 fine and six penalty points.
Following the accident, Phil stopped to check on the driver and passenger, who had managed to exit the damaged vehicle. They inquired if there was video footage of the incident, mentioning a full 360-degree spin.
The complete emergency alert issued on Sunday was a test of the UK government’s Emergency Alerts service, designed to warn individuals of nearby life-threatening emergencies. The alert assured recipients that no action was needed unless in a real emergency, advising them to follow the instructions for safety.
Since the initial Emergency Alerts test in April 2023, five authentic alerts have been issued. The most extensive utilization of the system reached about 4.5 million individuals in Scotland and Northern Ireland during Storm Éowyn in January 2025 after a red weather warning was issued.
