Mobile phones and driving.

[Hivemaker.]

Good to see the government are tightening up on these criminals that use hand held mobile phones while driving, more points on licenses and higher fines, automatic ban if a new driver... should be 12 months min automatic ban for all of the criminals caught using these things while driving.

https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law

 

[Millet]

Good to see the government are tightening up on these criminals that use hand held mobile phones while driving, more points on licenses and higher fines, automatic ban if a new driver... should be 12 months min automatic ban for all of the criminals caught using these things while driving.

https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law

I totally 100% agree also anyone caught tail gating should get the same as they risk a serious accident just the same.

 

[theeggman]

Good to see the government are tightening up on these criminals that use hand held mobile phones while driving, more points on licenses and higher fines, automatic ban if a new driver... should be 12 months min automatic ban for all of the criminals caught using these things while driving.

https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law

100%. If we remember to take the fartsphone we lob it into the shelf in the roof, when we reach out destination rarely we look at it. I think we are the of same generation Pete where we can survive for 20 mins. without contact. People should use 'handsfree' for calls but now everything is text so you HAVE to see the screen to read it regardless of what you are doing. Our thoughts are, if guilty a 5 year ban and retest, it should stop a lot of the morons.

 

[beebopper]

I totally 100% agree also anyone caught tail gating should get the same as they risk a serious accident just the same.

Middle-lane drivers too.

 

[denise washington]

if they did that in out town we would have no policemen or are they allowed to use them when driving

 

[Millet]

if they did that in out town we would have no policemen or are they allowed to use them when driving

Motor way's Cities/towns and built up areas Pet, not urban villages..

 

[pargyle]

...... but now everything is text so you HAVE to see the screen to read it regardless of what you are doing. Our thoughts are, if guilty a 5 year ban and retest, it should stop a lot of the morons.

Trouble is that there is a generation that is so totally addicted to social media that phone deprivation causes such withdrawal symptons that they cease to function. I don't think any amount of fines or threats will stop it .. It's like drink driving it has to become socially unacceptable to the point where peer to peer pressure stops it ... I'm afraid we are still a way away from that with under 30's and mobile phone use at present ...

I'm equally averse to people smoking in their cars and eating three course meals and drinking hot drinks whilst they are driving - As a reformed smoker I can remember more than one occasion when either lighting a cigarette or dropping a lighted one has had some interesting consequences for my driving ! Not to mention a styrofoam cup of hot coffee collapsing into my lap on one occasion ....

 

[madasafish]

Trouble is that there is a generation that is so totally addicted to social media that phone deprivation causes such withdrawal symptons that they cease to function. I don't think any amount of fines or threats will stop it .. It's like drink driving it has to become socially unacceptable to the point where peer to peer pressure stops it ... I'm afraid we are still a way away from that with under 30's and mobile phone use at present ...

I'm equally averse to people smoking in their cars and eating three course meals and drinking hot drinks whilst they are driving - As a reformed smoker I can remember more than one occasion when either lighting a cigarette or dropping a lighted one has had some interesting consequences for my driving ! Not to mention a styrofoam cup of hot coffee collapsing into my lap on one occasion ....

Totally disagree..about not stopping it.

Confiscate phones of those caught and destroy SIM cards..The resulting carnage to peoples' lives - and jobs (many will not be backed up) would influence a number to stop..

 

[REDWOOD]

Taking this a step further perhaps we should ban putting on makeup, eating, drinking, smoking and even listening to the radio as distractions whilst driving. Dogs running about in the car, driving with only one hand on the wheel, driving with under inflated tyres, not proceeding at a normal speed are other things that can cause death


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[REDWOOD]

It seems the law has become a bit laps on these things over the last few years


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[user 6228]

Doesn't matter whether hand held or hands free. You are good as driving drunk talking on one whilst driving.

 

[REDWOOD]

As the story goes somebody got done for using it as a satnav device


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[Hivemaker.]

I don't think any amount of fines or threats will stop it .. I'm afraid we are still a way away from that with under 30's and mobile phone use at present ...

Life imprisonment with hard labor would be quite a strong deterrent.

The vast majority of the criminals I see using these phones while driving look to be way over 30 years old.

 

[Teemore]

I was almost a road statistic one morning recently- a young driver was too busy looking at her mobile phone to notice that the lights were against her and drove through a red light. I was two thirds of the way across a pedestrian crossing (three lanes of traffic) when she shot through. One of the drivers who did stop for the red light sounded their horn but I am not sure the driver was even aware they had driven through a red light or how close she was to hitting me. Things like that set your adrenalin going!
Lately, the local police seem to have had no interest in stopping people using mobile phones whilst driving. Saw two officers walk over a pedestrian crossing and they managed not to see the young lady with her phone stuck to her ear whilst sitting in her car waiting for the crossing to clear.....

 

[B+.]

I was almost a road statistic one morning recently- a young driver was too busy looking at her mobile phone to notice that the lights were against her and drove through a red light.

I completely agree with you Teemore. This is one of my pet hates too. I don't know why the police aren't more active on this. We have laws like this for a very good reason and we should expect them to be upheld.
I notice the same sort of behavior with other crimes too though. Its almost like they are merely recording the crime than doing anything about it. They expect you to be insured against theft etc and just give you a crime number. Its a lot more serious if you are hurt though.
Surely, we want our police to confront crime rather than simply record it?

 

[Swarm]

LOL What a load of fuss. They were quite happy to let these devices become more second nature than breathing, after all, look what these smart phones can do for you . Not age related, plenty of duffers on the damned things as well.
But my point is did they honestly think, all those years ago when mobiles came out, that nobody would use one while driving?
And why punish new drivers more? I see drivers of all ages using them so one law, one punishment AFAIC.
As for all the other nonsense spouted about distraction, all I can do is laugh. Where would we be if unable to open the windows, adjust the heater/blower, operate the indicators, operate the gearstick, turn the wipers on, turn on the lights ...etc??
I guess the driver should be enclosed inside a sealed cabin so the kids don't ask questions? What a bloody joke.
Different story when tapping digits, texting and not looking at the road, totally different.
I also find it amusing that police officers are above this law. Biggest offenders half the time.

 

[Teemore]

I guess its the old story - "Its all ok until someone gets hurt..."

From the escapades of some drivers with "R" plates (1 year restriction to new drivers in NI) I really wonder what they have been taught in preparation for their driving tests and in preparation for taking sole responsibility of a motor vehicle. New drivers do continue to learn as they go on, myself included, and I didn't have the distraction of a mobile phone when i was learning to drive.
I have a bluetooth connection in my car and I use it on occasion - normally to say something like "I'm just around the corner" or " I'll be 20 minutes late" or my preferred, "I'm in the car, can i phone you back when I am stopped?". it is even easier to simply ignore the damned thing. My phone spends most of its time on silent and generally gets forgotten about at weekends.
As noted earlier, the problem is "addiction" to phones/social media. It is worrying to see just how much some people's anxiety levels and general state of distraction increases when they haven't got/cannot use their mobile phones....

 

[oliver90owner]

Some need to know the law. Any new driver (with a full license of less than two years) getting 6 penalty points means an automatic ban. Over two years and it is12 points. I actually learned to drive when hand/arm signals were still required to be known, and when nearly all vehicles had a gear lever. Most don't even know that they should engage neutral and apply the handbrake when stationary.

 

[user 6228]

Motorbiking down the motorway, you soon learn to spot the signs in the car in front : jerky weaving crossing the lane boundaries, not moving smoothly to traffic speed (too fast or too slow) head tilted to one side (hand free or not).

 

[Swarm]

Some need to know the law. Any new driver (with a full license of less than two years) getting 6 penalty points means an automatic ban. Over two years and it is12 points.

Precisely my point. The law applied, discriminates against new drivers. I'm driving daily and can honestly say I see far less younger drivers (more likely to be new drivers) using these things. Worst I've seen was a bus driver, approaching a junction, with a bus full of passengers and she was texting.
Automatic 12 month ban for anyone would be a good starting point.