Lewis Hamilton ran into trouble with the New Zealand police for violating the road safety rules while driving in 2016.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton got into trouble with the New Zealand police in 2016 after posting a series of Snapchat videos while driving a Harley Davidson.
The British F1 star was in Auckland before flying off to Australia for the first race of the 2016 championship season.
Hamilton posted several Snapchat clips of his adventure while driving his motorbike on a busy motorway at about 60 km/h. In the video, Hamilton shows off his Harley Davidson before taking it for a ride. Later, he reveals his face and the traffic on the three-lane motorway behind him.
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Following the video, he was investigated by the Auckland City Police. It is illegal in New Zealand to use a mobile phone while driving a vehicle. This rule has been in existence since 2009 and the punishment is a fine of $150 and 20 demerit points.
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Lewis Hamilton was let off the hook by police
Following the release of the clips, the local police took note of the videos showing the Mercedes star riding the bike, but they ended up letting him off. Due to this Hamilton escaped from paying the fine.
A police spokesperson said, “Auckland City Police will be taking no further action in relation to recent media publicity about Lewis Hamilton and his motorcycle journey in Auckland.”
“The video footage available does not provide us with sufficient enough evidence that an offence has occurred.”
“We would like to reiterate that police take the issue of mobile phone use whilst driving or riding very seriously. It is a significant distraction and a major risk to all road users,” the spokesperson further added.”
Furthermore, this is not the first time that the F1 star has been involved in driving-related incidents. In 2010, the Briton was fined $363 for doing a burnout. He was also fined and even had his driving license revoked in France in 2007 for speeding.
Hamilton also crashed his $1.8 Million customised Pagani Zonda into several stationary cars in Monaco before blaming the incident on heavy partying.
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