Dashcam footage reviewed by investigators has brought renewed attention to the dangers of mobile phone use while driving, following a fatal motorway crash near Manchester in October 2025. The collision, which occurred on the M62, resulted in the deaths of a young mother and her two children and has since become part of a wider national discussion on distracted driving.
The driver under investigation, Renne Good, a 32-year-old marketing professional, survived the crash with non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities allege that she was using her mobile phone at the time of the incident. Phone records examined as part of the investigation indicate that an incoming call was active moments before the collision.
According to police findings, the vehicle crossed lanes and struck an oncoming car carrying a family traveling for routine morning plans. Emergency services responded quickly, but the occupants of the other vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have not been emphasized by authorities beyond confirming that they were a mother and her two young children.
The Investigation
Greater Manchester Police seized the driver’s mobile phone as part of standard procedure in serious road traffic incidents. Digital forensics confirmed call activity coinciding with the time of the crash. Investigators have stated that this evidence, alongside dashcam footage from another vehicle, will form a central part of the prosecution’s case.
Police have emphasized that the investigation does not hinge on intent, but on conduct. Under UK law, handling a mobile phone while driving—including answering a call—constitutes a serious offense, particularly when it results in loss of life.
The Crown Prosecution Service is reviewing evidence to determine the appropriate charges. Legal experts note that cases involving mobile phone distraction have increasingly resulted in custodial sentences, reflecting stricter enforcement and changing public expectations.
Public Reaction and Broader Context
The case has drawn significant public attention, in part because it highlights how an everyday behavior—briefly engaging with a phone—can have irreversible consequences. Road safety organizations have reiterated that distraction, even for seconds, significantly increases the risk of fatal collisions at motorway speeds.
Since the UK expanded its ban on mobile phone use while driving in 2022, penalties have included fines, penalty points, and potential imprisonment when serious harm occurs. Despite this, enforcement agencies report that distracted driving remains widespread.
Experts in traffic safety stress that these incidents are rarely the result of recklessness alone, but of overconfidence—drivers believing they can manage both attention and speed simultaneously. Evidence consistently shows otherwise.
Respecting the Human Cost
Authorities and advocacy groups have urged restraint in public commentary, particularly regarding speculation about personal relationships or motives. The focus, they stress, should remain on the victims and on preventing future loss of life.
The family of those killed has requested privacy. Community members have organized memorials near the crash site, and road safety charities have renewed calls for education, technology safeguards, and cultural change around phone use in vehicles.
A Caution Without Sensation
This case is not about a single individual’s private life. It is about the consequences of distraction at high speed and the responsibility shared by all drivers.
Investigations are ongoing, and no verdict has been reached. What remains undisputed is the outcome: lives lost in seconds, and families permanently altered.
Road safety officials continue to emphasize a simple principle—one that requires no interpretation or debate:
No call, message, or notification is worth a life.