View Full Version : Drivers and mobile phone use
When are people going to get the message that you can not drive a vehicle and use the phone at the same time, apart from being illegal it also detracts from your concentration !! I am sick of going out in car or bike and having these people pull out on me !! Yesterday i was almost taken out by a young mum with toddlers in the back yapping on the phone whilst approaching a roundabout, did she look to her right and see me on the roundabout ? nope , but she did when she was about 2 feet from my front tyre and braked hard !! think she got the message when she was confronted by a rather large irrate guy shouting madly and waving his arms in the air !!! [mad] she probably could not make out my rants due to crash helmet on, but she dropped the phone sharpish !!!
Has the recent change in the law made any difference...or not? :confused
Not from what i have seen !!!!
I am afraid I do not think that the change in the law has made any difference at all!
I regularly travel south and often see both car and lorry drivers using their mobiles!
Only when the fines get above four figures and the penalty points are above 8 will these idiots actually see the light....
Sadly most wont see the light until they injure or kill some one whilst gassing on the mobile !!!
Only when the fines get above four figures and the penalty points are above 8 will these idiots actually see the light....
Or when they think they're going to get caught, which most of them probably never are. Must be harder to catch people talking on phones, it's not as though speed cameras would be any good. Who's going to report them unless they kill someone?
Do mobile phone users even know? Or do they just not care? It's like the speed limit. There was an article in the Groat the other day stating that many drivers don't even know what the legal speed limit is up here. So when I'm muttering unspeakable things into my steering wheel while driving at the speed limit and seeing cars rush past me, I now have to think - poor things, they don't even know.
As for roundabouts - pleeeese! Could someone give lessons? They're bad enough normally with drivers not knowing how to approach them. The thought of someone doing it while talking on the phone is the stuff of nightmares.
I am afraid I do not think that the change in the law has made any difference at all!
I regularly travel south and often see both car and lorry drivers using their mobiles!
I am afraid it is as bad in Thurso as anywhere I have been. I am a regular walker around town at different times of the day. If I do not see two or three drivers using a mobile phone when I am out this is unusual - it is sometimes more.
Even more worrying is the number of drivers of cars and lorries who drive round a corner or through the traffic lights using their phone - this is also common.
If I see them why dont the police and is the local CCTV not clear enough?
I've seen loads of people still using mobiles whilst driving. Don't think the change in the law has made any difference whatsoever.
Personally I think that out here in the sticks when it's night time and you can see anyone coming from either direction for miles it doesn't matter so much, but even then I won't do it - even though the likelihood of there being any police about is pretty minimal.
Even before it was illegal I would only answer the phone if it was safe to do so, and only long enough to say 'call me back in x minutes, I'll find somewhere to pull over and take the call safely'. It's not hard for people to do that but they won't.
The only thing that catches them are usually unmarked police patrols or mobile (manned) speed cameras (e.g. young lady caught putting make up while driving).
Their lives are so hectic that they can't wait a hour to make a phone call, so instead they think they are such good drivers it will never happen to them...
I think the biggest problem is getting people to realise that it's not just holding a phone that's a problem, it's being on the phone at all.
When I drive any distance I make a point of having my bluetooth headset on and so there's nothing for a police officer to criticize as far as the law stands if I'm using it - as long as I drive with 'due care and attention'.
There's the rub.... I find my ability to concentrate on driving diminished significantly (perhaps in the region of actual driving the car getting only 60% of my attention) when I'm on the phone - even with the bluetooth headset.
It's driving whilst using a handheld mobile that is illegal, but using a phone at all, even with a handsfree device is still very dangerous and people have this 'it won't happen to me' cavalier attitude which is more than just a temptation to fate.
Perhaps the government could start a campaign of hatred against people who use mobiles whilst driving - publish figures and graphics about how it's pretty much always children, cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and innocent people rather than the selfish mobile user who gets killed, maimed or injured. It would benefit people to have a rethink about the offence. It's not just 'a bit naughty', it's the cause of innocent people getting killed. They might encourage people to 'rat' on people - such unsubstantiated reports would not be legal for prosecution but a tally can be kept and above a fixed number of reports about a person/vehicle driver a written caution sent, with a double penalty for those who have received such a caution if they are subsequently caught.
I think the biggest problem is getting people to realise that it's not just holding a phone that's a problem, it's being on the phone at all.
What about changing a cd, skippimg a track, turning the heating up/down, putting de-mister on? These all take your attention away from driving - they would all need to be ruled out - as would transporting children as they are also distracting. Its another of those cases where once you eliminate one thing, where do you stop? Personally, I would find answering bluetooth a lot less distracting than putting my de-mister on. Although, saying that, I don't drive often, so its not an issue for me. :)
Even just talking to your passengers is deemed distracting enough to put you in a higher risk of an accident.
But you would have a hard time preventing this.
Only time it makes any difference in the WesternIsles is when there are police about - then suddenly all the seatbelts are on, the mobiles go unanswered or calls not made until passed the police, then back on mobile to warn all their pals, seatbelts released and L plates taken off front windows!! So much for the law of the land.
When I first learned to drive a car I had to switch from several years on a motorbike - I found it hard work. I digested the police motorcyclist manual and adopted their approach to driving of looking ahead and watching out for/anticipating potential accidents and taking steps to stay safe. Having this motocyclist background I was only too painfully aware of how little car drivers notice at a fully conscious level anything else on the road that is smaller than they are.
Now that mobile phones have entered the equation the level of danger has increased.
I know for certain that I am an increased danger to other road users when fumbling for a cigarette or lighting it, and have been known to swerve when changing a CD.
In a nutshell the offense has always been to drive without due care and attention to other road users or potentially even dangerous driving. The subsequent offense regarding mobile phones is merely a fine-tuning of law to try to tackle a known danger.
When you are on a road, even when you are on foot you are a potential danger. Even dogs are classed as a danger and need to be kept 'under control'. A vehicle weighing in the region of a tonne and travelling at speed is a very efficient way of killing someone. Consequently the law says that we need to drive with due care and attention to other road users.
For the moment mobile phones are the most visible problem and the point in discussion and I'm sure many of us have been in dangerous situations involving someone driving a car whilst on the phone - possibly even ourselves. I don't think anyone would seriously expect an outcry about how uncalled for or unfair this tougher legislation is. I don't believe however that it gets across the most important point: we are supposed to concentrate on the road ahead when we are driving a vehicle, but I think the legislation is a single step in the right direction. I imagine that if the law continues to be flouted then more draconian legislation will follow.
maybe the police could set up a dedicated textline so folk out and about can take a foto (not when they are driving of course) via their phone, and send the pic of someone using their mobile when driving to this number and they can deal with it from then.
or somethin like that.
emb123, question for you..... did you find your car driving skills increased after sitting your motorbike test ? it puts a total different perspective on your driving... or at least i find that. You are more aware of hazards, road users etc being on the bike and transfering it over to the car.... i still find myself doing lifesavers before i pull out, overtake etc in the car !!! and am more aware of whats around me as if i were on the bike !
Jings00, just report them to the police, thats what we do down here, if there are at least two witnesses then they can prosecute, but mostly they go round and have a chat with the person !! its amazing what a chat can do
I found myself in a difficult position recently as a passenger in a friend's car on quite a long journey. Her phone rang and she said she was going to answer it as she thought there might be a problem at home. I didn't say anything as was wondering what to do and was actually very surprised as it seemed entirely out of character. Fortunately a lay-by appeared immediately, we stopped and she took the call there so no problem. But what if she had taken the call? What would you do?
I always let the phone ring, stop as soon as possible and then ring back. Nothing is so urgent it can't wait a few minutes. If your friends and family know you won't answer while driving they'll either leave a message or wait to hear from you. I simply don't see the need for it.
As for all the other distractions, I have a fairly old car and find it much easier to adjust controls on this than on more modern ones as they tend to be bigger and you can feel them without looking. Maybe it's time manufacturers considered safety before sophistication.
If I had a passenger I would get them to answer my phone, if I was on my own, I would stop as soon as possible - my phone would be in passenger footwell in my bag, so definitely not going to risk answering it :lol:
If I thought my friend, as driver of the car, was going to answer, I'd offer to answer it for them as it would be safer.
What is wrong with just turning the flippin' phone off before we get in the car? We do it for other people's benefit in a cinema for pity's sake. We should just remove the temptation/distraction![evil]
We've both been nearly ploughed into because of folk on the phone. I know it will be easy to forget to do this and I do try to do it when I think on.
301 drivers in my area have found out the hard way. During March, that many were prosecuted by my local force for using a phone while driving.
306 were done during the same month in 2006.....
oldmarine
27-Apr-07, 05:12
Has the recent change in the law made any difference...or not? :confused
How close does law enforcement monitor the violators? That can make a lot of difference.
oldmarine
27-Apr-07, 05:15
301 drivers in my area have found out the hard way. During March, that many were prosecuted by my local force for using a phone while driving.
306 were done during the same month in 2006.....
That should help make a large impact.
It made an impact on their wallets ;)
Not saying it is a good result, my point being the fact that almost the same number were caught this year after the introduction of the new fines, as were caught during the same period last year. It shows that the current higher fines and penalty points do not make a good enough deterrent. People seem to think they'll get away with it.
People still fail to wear seatbelts 24 years after it became law - if it takes that long for the message to sink home on some, the use of a phone while driving could take as long...
There is no excuse for using a phone while driving. Cheap (even free) handsfree kits are available almost everywhere. Most new phones can be got with a BT headset, even thrown in if you haggle over a new phone contract. You can buy them for as little as £20 - why does the risk of a £60 fine and three penalty points on your licence seem worth taking?
Penalty points can mean higher insurance costs and if you're daft enough to plead not guilty and you go to court you risk a £1,000 fine.
Even an employer can be prosecuted if they 'require' employees to make or receive mobile calls while driving.
If the fines and the penalty points were raised even more then people might think twice about using their phones in the car/truck/van. I'd be quite happy to see a £1,000 fine and 6 or 8 penalty points for this offence - then it might start to sink in....
emb123, question for you..... did you find your car driving skills increased after sitting your motorbike test ? it puts a total different perspective on your driving... or at least i find that. You are more aware of hazards, road users etc being on the bike and transfering it over to the car.... i still find myself doing lifesavers before i pull out, overtake etc in the car !!! and am more aware of whats around me as if i were on the bike !
Hi Solus - sorry for the delay - been effectively offline for a couple of days. I took my bike test years before I ever drove a car. For a good year or so I was nervous of driving the big sluggish thing that was wrapped all around me and so unresponsive. I got used to it in the end and the sense of vulnerability that kept me alive when I rode the bike gradually waned such that nowadays I'm even in danger of falling asleep when driving a car.
That said, I still haven't completely lost the tendency to lean as I'm going round bends :)
I believe that I'm a bit more alert to dangers than many car drivers through my background as a biker, but I wonder now whether that's just a bit of arrogance on my part as it has been a long while since I've been on a bike.
I think the biggest problem is getting people to realise that it's not just holding a phone that's a problem, it's being on the phone at all.
When I drive any distance I make a point of having my bluetooth headset on and so there's nothing for a police officer to criticize as far as the law stands if I'm using it - as long as I drive with 'due care and attention'.
There's the rub.... I find my ability to concentrate on driving diminished significantly (perhaps in the region of actual driving the car getting only 60% of my attention) when I'm on the phone - even with the bluetooth headset.
It's driving whilst using a handheld mobile that is illegal, but using a phone at all, even with a handsfree device is still very dangerous and people have this 'it won't happen to me' cavalier attitude which is more than just a temptation to fate.
Perhaps the government could start a campaign of hatred against people who use mobiles whilst driving - publish figures and graphics about how it's pretty much always children, cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and innocent people rather than the selfish mobile user who gets killed, maimed or injured. It would benefit people to have a rethink about the offence. It's not just 'a bit naughty', it's the cause of innocent people getting killed. They might encourage people to 'rat' on people - such unsubstantiated reports would not be legal for prosecution but a tally can be kept and above a fixed number of reports about a person/vehicle driver a written caution sent, with a double penalty for those who have received such a caution if they are subsequently caught.
This is the point i don't get, it's still legal to use handsfree kits and u loose just as much concentration. They should just ban mobile use while driving completely if thats the case. Personnally i just answer mine.
As I mention previously, then you won't be allowed to talk to your passengers...
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