…To stop people Using their Mobiles while Driving?

On My ride home last night I observed at least 4 people (with in a 15 mile commute) using their mobile and driving.

It just seems like Driving and phoning isn’t really taken seriously as an offense by a growing number of drivers (and I’m not just talking cars here.

I keep intending to get new a Helmet Cam for the commute as it seems to be getting marginally dicier each time, but that’s more for providing some evidence after an incident has taken place, nobs on phones up the risk of an incident so prevention / deterrence would be better…

Unless of course helmet cam or any other private individuals persoanlly gathered footage (Dash Cam, CCTV, etc) was considered strong enough evidence for 3 points and a fine…

But I’ve not read about that sort of thing actually happening, Road rage assault and proper accident cases in the UK have apparently involved helmet / dash cam footage as evidence, but what about the more “minor” offense of driving while using a phone, where an offense is observed but not pursued as nobody got hurt (this time).

Do the police have any guidelines for this sort of thing? can they take privately shot footage and a statement to the CPS and secure a conviction? Has anyone tried? has anyone attempted to streamline the process (as with speed camera) so that effectively the public gather and submit the evidence, the Rozzers receive revenue and a conviction to add to the stats for very little leg work, and the DVLA can apply the points thus deterring a repeat of the offense… or is this all a bit wishful?

I’m not bothered about youtube naming and shaming, it clearly has little / no effect…

Thoughts?

I’ve similar issues with people using Random capital letters. It’s a Pet hate of mine and it needs to Stop.

My personal confirmation bias tells me that Tipper Truck drivers are especially bad for this. Three or four times in the past few weeks I’ve seen them cut red lights or blast across a junction without looking whilst on the blower.

I’m currently working on the assumption that they’re not paying attention so so will wait until they pass no matter how obviously it’s my right of way.

Thoughts?

You should spend more time looking where you’re going.

What annoys me more is watching tracksuited scrotes riding their stolen rockhoppers along no-handed, while texting their mates. Before casually putting the stolen iphone back in their pocket and pulling a wheelie the length of the road.

Yet none of them ever get squished by a bus! EVER!

That’s because they usually ride on the pavement.

Enforcement.

The penalties for use would have to be higher – including a ban from driving even/especially if your livelihood depends on it. I add that as it seems professional drivers are the most frequent offenders.You’d then need to actually police it. Of course, that might mean diverting resources from other crimes but given how many folk are killed on the roads each year, a little extra traffic policing might not be a bad idea – especially as they would catch other miscreants too.

What annoys me more is watching tracksuited scrotes riding their stolen rockhoppers along no-handed

this

i cant do it at all…how come they can?

<ride it like you stole it> </ride it like you stole it>

Unfortunately only education from a young age can make people aware.

I’m still amazed that the school curriculum contains nothing about driving.

I was learning about STI’s and the dangers of unprotected sex when I was 12/13, yet most people are around 16 when they first have any.

The same about drugs & alcohol too. Despite never taking any MDMA in my life, when I was 14 I had more knowledge of the drug than the dangers of driving.

So why not educate about the dangers of driving too? Despite not doing any until you are 17.

It’s such important part of day to day life I find it bemusing there is nothing at schools or any education bar the quick 6 months of 2 hour lessons you have when you’re 17.

A world of educated drivers would solve a lot of issues.

two in vehicle cameras linked to web – one pointing road ahead & one to driver, help stop them wriggling out of convictions would at least be a start, can’t be far off now they have the reduced insurance black boxes for younger drivers.

oh & play them the interview with the firemen who did an extraction from a car smashed into the back of a lorry only to find a mobile with frantic wife on the other end in the foot well – she phoned hubby & heard it all, driver didn’t make it to the hospital

Bum dildo gun

Girls in their brand new on finance and will never own cars for me

I think a long ban from Mobile phone ownership would be a far more effective deterrent

Shout at them

“GET OFF THE PHONE”

“YOU ARE ON CAMERA”,

or pointa nd shout hes on the phone and just knocked a lady over, that usually shames them

etc etc,Works well if they drive a comapny vehicle, and all company vehicle should display the owners details, like all PSV, s do by law, Left hand side nest to passenger door.

Shout at them

“GET OFF THE PHONE”

“YOU ARE ON CAMERA”,

or pointa nd shout hes on the phone and just knocked a lady over, that usually shames them

etc etc,Works well if they drive a comapny vehicle, and all company vehicle should display the owners details, like all PSV, s do by law, Left hand side nest to passenger door.

Of course, that might mean diverting resources from other crimes but given how many folk are killed on the roads each year, a little extra traffic policing might not be a bad idea

I agree.

~550 murders in the UK in 2012 versus ~1800 road deaths, would seem to make sense to shift some resources to tackling that imbalance. That’s very simplistic of course!

tmb467 – exactly!!! If I even attempted that, I’d be underneath the wheels of a truck in milliseconds!

I know a Copper. Unless he’s in a Rush he always pulls up Drivers for Mobile use. Explains he’s been to Fatals caused by just That, then the Attitude Test applies. He has the Same Approach to crossing Double Lines too.

If they Fail the Attitude Test it’s down to the Courts to Act. That, I think, is where the Problem Lies.

With Extra Caps to keep Pebble Beach occupied.

Enforcement.

The penalties for use would have to be higher – including a ban from driving even/especially if your livelihood depends on it. I add that as it seems professional drivers are the most frequent offenders.You’d then need to actually police it. Of course, that might mean diverting resources from other crimes but given how many folk are killed on the roads each year, a little extra traffic policing might not be a bad idea – especially as they would catch other miscreants too.

I don’t think the issue is that the penalty is disproportionate, it’s simply that detection is relatively difficult and infrequent for the police to manage, that people effectively feel secure enough from prosecution to commit the offense in near certanty that they will not see any consequences… Open up the options by which evidence can be gathered and used making detection and prosecution more likely and generally accepted behavior should change (in theory).

You should spend more time looking where you’re going.

I do, it’s normally towards the side of a Hilux the driver of which has pulled out on me having obscured his own field of vision with his left arm while he Yaps to his missus about what’s for tea when he get home (in 15 minutes)…

What annoys me more is watching tracksuited scrotes riding their stolen rockhoppers along no-handed, while texting their mates. Before casually putting the stolen iphone back in their pocket and pulling a wheelie the length of the road.

Agreed – the law applies to ALL road users equally…

I’ve similar issues with people using Random capital letters. It’s a Pet hate of mine and it needs to Stop.

People like me only Exist to Give peDants own lives a little meaning, glad to help…

Of course, that might mean diverting resources from other crimes but given how many folk are killed on the roads each year, a little extra traffic policing might not be a bad idea

I agree.

~550 murders in the UK in 2012 versus ~1800 road deaths, would seem to make sense to shift some resources to tackling that imbalance. That’s very simplistic of course!

But only 56 cyclists so far.

http://icycleliverpool.co.uk/2013/05/21/cyclist-fatalities-2013/

We seem to have plenty of cameras filming all sorts of things on the roads and around town etc, why can’t they be employed to catch phone users?

Will try and find a link to an article I read ages ago about the level of distraction a conversation caused to the user of a mobile is far higher than in car conversations/music etc because your mind has to recreate the person you are conversing with, which takes up more processing power…or somesuch.

Off to find the ref.

TBH I actually feel a petition coming on (Never having done one before) Re: accepted use of publicly gathered footage to prosecute individuals for mobile phone use, while operating a vehicle on public roads…

I’d suggest publicly gathered footage would have to meet certain minimum criteria to even be considered, has this been defined by anyone?

My proposal would be as follows:

Conditions for gathering footage:

Footage may be gathered from any vehicle meeting if the following conditions are met:

Vehicle mounted Camera(s) must be a “Passive” rolling camera with a fixed mounting, i.e. left recording without the vehicle operator having to intervene or interrupt safe operation of their own vehicle.

The best way to demonstrate this would be for the footage submitted to include at least 30 seconds before and after the offense was observed to demonstrate that it was rolling footage, and that the observer did not themselves start faffing with an electronic device…

The observing vehicle operator must not have attempted to communicate or distract the alleged offender when observing them, merely observe and record. (Avoids escalation into a road rage incident)

Any submitted footage must come with a written / typed account of the event, including date, time, location and what the observer believed they witnessed.

Technical conditions:

Minimum resolution – 720 x 680 pixels? (Most cameras would exceed that now)

Minimum frame rate – 25 FPS? (Most cameras would exceed that now)

Footage must be in colour (worth stating for clarity)

Footage must be a continuous sequence, starting no less than 30 second before, and terminating no less than 30 seconds, after the offense was observed, other than trimming to meet this requirement the footage may not be edited or modified or compressed in any other way.

Footage must show at least 1 second (minimum 25 frames) where the alleged offender’s face and their use of a hand held device can be clearly seen

Footage must include at least 1 second (minimum 25 frames) from which the alleged offender’s vehicle make, model, colour, any trade names or logos and any registration can be clearly identified.

All of this is intended to save Police time and Effort, while increasing their detection figures for this crime and aides in prevention of RTAs… bunging helmet-cam footage on youtube doesn’t really achieve that…

Recent one day Police exercise near us pulled over a ridiculous number of folks for using mobiles, plus seat belts (whoTF forgets to put on a seat belt nowadays?) plus numerous other “minor” offences

Can’t help thinking that regular blitz’ like this would pay for themselves in fines.

When commuting by bike recently I went to pull out on to the main road to our village and the woman in the car next to me was on her phone as she was about to pull out into traffic. I made the universal “Call me” sign and she laughed at me, thinking I was joking or flirting, I guess.

Then I took my dark glasses off and explained through her open window that if she ever gave my son a lift to Cubs in her car again whilst using the phone then I would pop round and shove her iPhone where the reception wasn’t that great. 😈

She hasn’t actually spoken to me again since, funnily enough….

Can’t help thinking that regular blitz’ like this would pay for themselves in fines.

I think you’d find people complained about drivers being victimised, a la speed cameras… about 50% of drivers who give me a scare, are on their phone, and utterly oblivious to the scare/proximity to my car etc.

But every driver will tell you it is dangerous, they just need to be made to understand that it applies to them as well.

To be fair, the old drink/drive adverts managed to get the message across, maybe some shock tactic adverts will help.

Very sensible point about driving education made up there though – given that hopefully more kids will drive than catch STDs….

~550 murders in the UK in 2012 versus ~1800 road deaths, would seem to make sense to shift some resources to tackling that imbalance. That’s very simplistic of course!

Murder people who use mobile phones whilst driving.

This one was pretty harsh, from a 30 minute short film, which was not happy viewing.

Nasty viewing warning

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0LCmStIw9E[/video]

Thoughts?

If you want to enforce the law, join the police service. 🙂

Found it. After reading this i now turn off my mobile whenever I’m driving.
click
Its the white paper link.

There was some town in America (I think…) where the mayor’s daughter got knocked down by a driver who was texting/talking on the mobile. There’s now a local law in force whereby if the police observe a driver on the phone and have irrefutable video proof of it, they can stop the car and simply smash the phone at the side of the road. SIM card, SD card, the works.

If the driver is caught again within 6 months, the car gets impounded for a month.

Can’t find the news link to it now, sure it was America.

That’d work though. Simple, easy to implement, no costs involved with courts etc.

Seeing as channel 4 can make documentaries showing gypsies in full hd breaking about 500 laws an episode – I don’t think they’ll be convicting people on the basis of some grainy vigilante Go-Pro footage anytime soon.

I think the biggest problem is people at work in their vehicles. If your employer requires you to drive a vehicle- they should fit it with hands free by law. Ditto self employed people.

It makes me laugh when a trucker spends £300 on his cb radio rig yet won’t buy a Parrot for £80. 🙂

TBH I think touch screens in cars are as big a worry.

Cup holders ! or more specifically the drinking of hot or cold beverage whilst driving is potentially more distracting than talking on a phone…… *discuss*
EDIT
Sandwich !

Pie !

Cup holders ! or more specifically the drinking of hot or cold beverage whilst driving is potentially more distracting than talking on a phone…… *discuss*

they have done some pretty damning tests on phoning whilst driving & even with handsfree it seems to take a worrying amount of concentration away from the driving bit, don’t believe drinking has the same effect unless you are talking about boiling a kettle & making the beverage whilst you drive too

I’m not really interested in the relative merits of fiddling with a Costa Vs a Nokia. Driving and using a mobile is against the law because it is unsafe, it has been illegal for some time, and yet I still see drivers doing it every day, I would even say it’s on the rise (anecdotally of course).

To my mind the most fundamental issue is simply one of adequate detection, the means for which is already in existence, camera’s mounted on vehicles.

There’s a fella who commutes the opposite way to me almost every day on a M/C with a prominently mounted Go-pro on his noggin, I bet he catches a fair few phone pricks on camera each time, the trouble is what then? Clearly nothing is done with that footage at present, some of it gets on YouTube but it’s basically evidence of an offence that simply isn’t followed up, or else there would be far fewer people using phones as the odds that every other car/van/motorcycle/bicycle would catch and shop you costing money and points, which would be a genuinely effective deterrent.

Currently most people who have some sort of vehicle camera do so as a means of proving who is at fault when an accident occurs, what if it were used to serve as a deterrent and actually make the roads safer.

If you want to enforce the law, join the police service.

I have to say the standard STW response spectrum doesn’t surprise, but it certainly saddens me. I’d have thought as cyclist are amongst the more vulnerable road users such ideas might be considered on their merits, but clearly not.

Anyway thanks for the input…

all of it is a distraction.

The laws have been there for years to deal with it, if you are not in proper control then it is an offence. Regardless of if it’s a phone, radio, changing CD, drinking coffee or opening crisps.

The fact is the police are off dealing with other crimes, generally if you watch people around police cars they tend to drop stuff etc.

I think fitting cameras to every car would start to get in the way of rights to a private life, more CCTV? they can’t watch and check all they currently have. Plain clothed police in sting operations?

It’s not the most enforceable law going round, personally I’d rather just see bad driving dealt with, more people have no concept of stopping distance than I have seen using phones.

Instant ban will be a deterrent IMHO.

Really, it about what you get for doubling the speed limit but people do. If it’s not enforced then it’s not a deterrent. I could cover 1000 miles in the NW motorways and A roads without seeing a copper anywhere.