Why isn't the message getting through, driving whilst using a mobile phone is dangerous

[wellquickwoody]

Which is fine and you're entitled to your opinion but there clearly is a difference between thinking hard and a casual call. Any driver could kill someone, are you saying all drivers are selfish including yourself presumably?

To a degree we are all selfish as yes, any of us could kill someone. But any driver using a mobile without a hands fee kit is clearly placing their convenience above the safety of others to an unacceptable degree.

Still intrigued by what an 'unreal' vehicle is mind?

 

[Diablo]

It's pretty obvious that policing the hand held use of mobile phones is not easy, so how would no use at all be policed / enforced properly?

not easy but you can spot people alone in car having conversation..and technically it is possible somewhat like speed cameras to have something to detect when mobiles are being used.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I think that having a hands free phone conversation effects concentration, but it's the fact that someone holding a phone to their ear is driving constantly with one hand. In my experience, this is why phone users don't indicate, swerve lanes and take their hands off the wheel completely to change gear.

If you had some sort of disability that meant you only had one hand available to drive you would need significant changes to the car and it would probably rule out all manual cars.

 

[hitony]

What about if i was to be listening to say....pop master (quiz on music) on the radio in the car. Wouldn't that have the same (legal) effect.

Not digging you out for your reply, just wondering how far it should go.

I think there are a million and one examples of what could a driver be doing to distract their attention away from the road, many have been given already (eating, kids etc etc) non of which can really be enforced, most of which will probably never be individually enforced, but I guess most come under the heading of "Driving with undue care & attention"? I'm sure our resident Police officer can underline that one though.

 

[Diablo]

What about if i was to be listening to say....pop master (quiz on music) on the radio in the car. Wouldn't that have the same (legal) effect.

Not digging you out for your reply, just wondering how far it should go.

Radio etc of course is a distraction as are passengers and therefore could be the cause of accident. But it is all a matter of degree and where to draw the line..

 

[jfs]

not easy but you can spot people alone in car having conversation..and technically it is possible somewhat like speed cameras to have something to detect when mobiles are being used.

I can't really believe that should be a priority. In my view, the police should concentrate on people "driving like a ****". They won't catch as many people as they do just nicking drivers doing 90 on the A27, or using a mobile in a traffic jam, or not wearing a seatbelt or any number of other trivial offences, but it'll make the roads safer and will restore public confidence in the police.

 

[Stat Brother]

Daily Echo clocks 32 drivers in two hours using mobile phones at the wheel

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/115...ed__Drivers_using_mobile_phones_at_the_wheel/

 

[Murray 17]

I don't think using a phone in the car is very serious (I have hands free anyway but when the legislation first came in I would use my phone). It's not illegal in most countries! Also, the research that led to it being outlawed here was flawed. Drivers were asked to solve riddles on the phone while their driving was assessed in a simulator. This is far from the more usual case where a driver is just calling the mrs to says they'll be late home from work and in a real vehicle you are more aware of what's going on and will end a call if traffic situation requires a high level of concentration.

When I first read this I thought you were on the wind up, but reading your subsequent comments I see you are actually serious.

So how can turning the steering wheel and changing gear with the same hand not be dangerous? Unless of course you advocate craning your neck to hold the phone?

Unbelievable, and an example of how some members of society have the attitude of, "as long as the law doesn't stop me from going about my daily business the way I want to, then it's ok".

 

[Creaky]

It's pretty obvious that policing the hand held use of mobile phones is not easy, so how would no use at all be policed / enforced properly?

I agree it would be difficult to enforce but not that much more difficult than enforcing the drink driving laws. As I understand it the police are currently able to check with phone companies whether or not a driver was using their mobile at the time of an accident - on that basis I'm sure it would not be technically impossible to introduce a quick method of checking for phone usage.

The dink driving laws have in general been successful due to a change in attitude by the majority of people backed up by enforcement of the law when possible. If a driver is stopped by the police following an accident or because of their standard of driving then in most cases an 'alcohol' check will be carried out. Until recently a check for drug driving has not been as common as for that of drink driving - this has not been because drug driving is any less dangerous but because there has not been a quick and easy method of testing. As test methods improve I would expect to see greater enforcement.

Similarly with the use of hands free mobile phones - if a simple method of checking were found then enforcement could be improved but a lack of such a method does not mean that legislation to make such use illegal shouldn't be introduced. Just because the enforcement of drug driving was difficult didn't mean that the laws making it illegal weren't sensible.

 

[hitony]

not easy but you can spot people alone in car having conversation..and technically it is possible somewhat like speed cameras to have something to detect when mobiles are being used.

My response will just seem like I'm putting up an argument against your's, which I promise you I'm not.........but a person supposedly talking will be turned into......"I was singing along to the music" as for the technical involvment, I would not have a clue, but what I do think is if any mobile phone company literally build in a device to catch you breaking the law, those phone sales will drop like crazy, I do understand phones do have some tracking devices already built in, but if say a phone informed others what speed etc etc, is more what I mean (I might add my knowledge of what phones can do is very poor!!)

 

[jfs]

When I first read this I thought you were on the wind up, but reading your subsequent comments I see you are actually serious.

So how can turning the steering wheel and changing gear with the same hand not be dangerous? Unless of course you advocate craning your neck to hold the phone?

Unbelievable, and an example of how some members of society have the attitude of, "as long as the law doesn't stop me from going about my daily business the way I want to, then it's ok".

If you are asking me personally, I drive an auto and anyway have a hands free. If you mean in general, most people who get nicked for using a phone are caught in traffic jams (this is anecdotal, I don't think figures are published, but seems quite likely). And in driving situations where it's safe to hold a conversation, you're unlikely to be making many gear changes.

 

[hitony]

I think there are a million and one examples of what could a driver be doing to distract their attention away from the road, many have been given already (eating, kids etc etc) non of which can really be enforced, most of which will probably never be individually enforced, but I guess most come under the heading of "Driving with undue care & attention"? I'm sure our resident Police officer can underline that one though.

Just re-read my post above, I guess EATING KIDS whilst driving could be a tad dangerous!!

 

[WATFORD zero]

And in driving situations where it's safe to hold a conversation, you're unlikely to be making many gear changes.

What's your view on being a little bit pissed if you know the drive is undemanding (just a little bit)

 

[Diablo]

....."I was singing along to the music" [/QUO

simple to check whether phone being used.

 

[Diablo]

What's your view on being a little bit pissed if you know the drive is undemanding (just a little bit)

legaly Ok if under limit..where limit should be set another isue..

 

[Notters]

Using handsfree has been shown to be equally dangerous and needs to banned as well, along with smoking.

 

[hitony]

....."I was singing along to the music" [/QUO

simple to check whether phone being used.

Yes, even I, with my limited technical knowledge, understand that it is easy to check, but in reality the man hours not only for the police but the telephone companies will be massive won't they? remembering that all call details that are physically logged to a phone can be deleted in seconds, easily deleted before stopping when pulled over, also, do the police have the authority at the moment to pull you over, then just go into your phone, just on a random check / suspect of talking on a phone? (data protection etc)

 

[goldstone68]

Maybe car manufacturers could fit the new cars with a device, that when the ignition is switched on it can block the phone signal unless you use a hands free kit like blue tooth.

 

[Baldseagull]

As a works van driver, I can suggest that one of the reasons you may see more van drivers doing this is the volume of road noise within a van. I have a hands free, but unless I am going fairly slowly, it is difficult to hear and be heard due to road noise.
I usually don't take the call if I am driving, but will call my voicemail soon after as the call may be related to what I am doing, could be a customer has cancelled or another change in the plans and the two hour drive ahead of me is a waste of time, and I will confess, that if I am on the motorway, I will be driving and not using the hands free.

 

[fat old seagull]

Yes but if the police were to sit incognito in one place for 10 minutes they would catch literally dozens of mobile users, in fact they would be swamped. We need more cameras but not necessarily speed ones.

I do agree with you, but it's not really the Old Bill to blame.... it's politicians, or at least the government. Far to few police, with far too much to do. Crime has become so diverse now with Cybercrime, fraud, traffic, daily murders, it's not as it was in the days of Dixon of Dock Green where there was little more to do than catch the local burglar.
That said I do agree that those caught should be banned, for say 3 months, second offence a year and so on. This of course will mean elevated insurance premiums, all adding hopefully to a meaningful deterrent.