Woman disqualified after driving at 20mph on the M1 motorway in Northamptonshire

• Watch the video from Northamptonshire Police

A woman has been disqualified from driving for a year after driving at 20mph on the M1 motorway.

Thap Quan, 48, from Brunel Way in Darlington was recorded on a National Highways dash-cam driving slowly in lane two of the northbound carriage of the M1 in August.The video showed other motorists having to swerve to avoid crashing into Quan's Mini near the Crick interchange in Northamptonshire.

Motorway matrix signs had to be activated to close lanes one and two and a highway officer pulled Quan over.

PC Mo Allsopp-Clarke of Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team said: "When the highways officer spoke to Quan, she admitted that she was trying to reset her sat nav while 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 while using her phone to ask someone how to operate the sat nav.

"The highways officer continued to follow Quan, who drove off at 35mph and moved back into lane two. She remained at this 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 drove round the roundabout, re-joining the M1 on the southbound carriageway.

The dash-cam footage captured Quan driving at slow speeds "which was a danger not only to her but to other motorists and could have very easily ended in tragic consequences", added PC Allsopp-Clarke.

Quan was issued with a notice of intended prosecution for dangerous driving and appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court.

Quan pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

She was also ordered to pay a £450 fine, £340 court costs and £34 victim surcharge.