Goldsmith Condemned By National Charity For "Dangerous" Driving

3.45.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 21st May 2007

Cllr Stephen Knight, with Baroness Sally Hamwee and Cllr Michael Wilson protesting at Mr Goldsmith’s reckless driving

A national road safety charity has condemned Conservative candidate for Richmond Park Zac Goldsmith for reportedly rolling a cigarette whilst driving and giving a newspaper interview at the same time.

National road safety charity BRAKE has condemned Mr Goldsmith's actions, reported in the Evening Standard newspaper, saying: "This behaviour is very dangerous and completely unacceptable. It is, of course, illegal to drive without due care and attention, and Mr Goldsmith was certainly doing this if he was lighting a cigarette while driving."

The Evening Standard newspaper reported on 19th April 2007 that whilst Mr Goldsmith was negotiating the streets of Hammersmith in his car, he rolled his own cigarette.

The journalist wrote:

"He [Mr Goldsmith] asks if I mind if he smokes and then proceeds to do something in all my years I've never seen before: to roll his own and drive at the same time. The front of the car is bashed in and even allowing for his remarkable dexterity - he produces a perfectly formed cigarette while negotiating Hammersmith - I can't help wondering if the dents are due to his determination to follow two widely different paths at the same time."

Councillor Stephen Knight, Deputy Leader of Richmond upon Thames Council said:

"Mr Goldsmith may like to behave like an irresponsible playboy, but this behaviour is reckless in the extreme. His actions, if accurately reported, clearly put the lives of pedestrians and other road users in danger. How can a person who aspires to be a law-maker behave as a reckless law-breaker?"

"It would seem that the poker table is not the only place where Mr Goldsmith will take risks, except on the road the stakes are far higher."

The article has been passed to the Metropolitan Police to investigate whether Mr Goldsmith has committed the offence of 'driving without due care and attention'.