Watch: Driver's 20mph go-slow on M1 near Northampton while fiddling with satnav

Magistrates banned a driver for a year after dashcam footage captured her driving at 20mph on the M1 near Northampton.

A Thap Quan, aged 48, was recorded on a National Highways’ in-car camera crawling along in lane two of the northbound carriage in August last year.

Terrifying footage showed other motorists forced to take evasive action to dodge collisions with Quan’s Mini One.

Motorway matrix signs were activated to clear traffic out of lanes one and two while traffic officers persuaded Quan to stop in the inside lane.

PC Mo Allsopp-Clarke of Northamptonshire Police safer roads team said: “When the officer spoke to Quan, she admitted that she was trying to reset her satnav whilst driving.

“He advised her to drive the short distance to Watford Gap Services. But when Quan drove off, she again drove extremely slowly, before coming to a stop whilst using her phone to ask someone how to operate the satnav.

“The officer continued to follow Quan, who drove off at 35mph and moved back into lane two. She kept that speed before driving past the services towards junction 18.

“She then cut across from lane two onto the slip road – driving over the hatch markings – and around the roundabout, re-joining the M1 on the southbound carriageway.

“Quan’s slow speeds were a danger not only to her but to other motorists and could very easily have ended in tragic consequences.”

Quan, of Brunel Way, Darlington, initially pleaded not guilty at magistrates’ court in February, electing trial by jury, but then admitted dangerous driving at Northampton Crown Court.

She was disqualified for 12 months, fined £450 and ordered to pay £340 court costs and £34 victim surcharge.

Anybody can report driving offences by uploading video evidence on the police website as part of Operation Snap.

Reports are then triaged by trained police staff, who check the footage to ensure it falls within the scheme's remit and contains clear views of an offender’s number plates so they can be identified. Officers in the safer roads team then study the footage to see if an offence has been committed before starting legal proceedings.

For more information about Operation Snap or to submit video footage, visit the Northamptonshire Police website.