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They should make it 3 points and a £200 fine.
If you are caught again within 12 months it doubles to 6 points and £400 fine , caught again within 12 months and its 12 points ( should be a driving ban ) and £800 fine.
I don't see why there should be any leniency tbh. It's possible to speed, to go through an amber light that you could have stopped at etc through a "moment of inattention". That's not saying those things are right, because you should always be paying attention when driving ( and I'd bet most of those things are done on purpose anyway). But...you can't accidentally pick up your phone and start typing a text message. It happens because of a conscious choice to do it, rather than a failure to observe/concentrate.
I do personally use the handsfree from time to time, which I don't consider more dangerous than talking to a passenger, in that I'll ignore them if something demands my attention on the road.
"Hands-free phones should be banned while driving, according to road safety campaigners, Brake.
Research suggests that using a mobile behind the wheel makes you four times more likely to be in a dangerous crash."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34082840
"A substantial body of research shows that using a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone while driving is a significant distraction, and substantially increases the risk of the driver crashing....Unfortunately, in RoSPA's view, this law does not ban the use of hands-free mobile phones. Although the government accepts the evidence that using a hands-free phone while driving distracts the driver and increases the risk of an accident, they do not think a hands-free ban would be enforceable. RoSPA disagrees."
http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/drivers/distraction/mobile-phones/
"AA Advice
There is worldwide evidence that using any sort of phone has a considerable effect on accident risk, so simply complying with the law does not make you a safe driver."
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/legal-advice/mobile-phones.html
"Hands-free car kit
Driving while using a handsfree cellular device is not safer than using a hand held cell phone, as concluded by case-crossover studies,[20][21] epidemiological,[1][2] simulation,[9] and meta-analysis.[11][12] The increased cognitive workload involved in holding a conversation, not the use of hands, causes the increased risk.[22][23][24] For example, a Carnegie Mellon University study found that merely listening to somebody speak on a phone caused a 37% drop in activity in the parietal lobe, where spatial tasks are managed.[25] The consistency of increased crash risk between hands-free and hand held cell phone use is at odds with legislation in many locations that prohibits hand held cell phone use but allows hands-free."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_and_driving_safety#Handsfree_device
etc, etc...
I last lived in the UK about 7 years ago and at that point using a phone while driving was a huge no-no. I'm really disappointed to read this now and find that talking or texting while driving is so common place. A step backwards I'm afraid.
I spotted a school bus driver on his last year, he went right through the school crossing patrol as they were trying to stop traffic ignoring them completely. I did something unusual for me as I was furious and tweeted the company, an hour later they asked for details. An hour after that I got a private message to say that he had been sacked.
It's easy to feel there's nothing you can do, but it is always worth putting in a polite complaint through the official channels. Not phone related, but I was on the receiving end of targeted aggressive driving and abuse from someone in a vehicle belonging to a major national organisation. I sent an email detailing exactly what happened to the employer, they received evidence from someone else, and the driver is going to a disciplinary tribunal.
Unfortunately, based on previous experience in similar situations, I suspect that I would have got very little interest from the police.
Let's hope he wasn't escaping someone with a baseball bat or racing away from a fire.
Driving while using a handsfree cellular device is not safer than using a hand held cell phone, as concluded by case-crossover studies,[20][21] epidemiological,[1][2] simulation,[9] and meta-analysis.[11][12]
Whilst I understand the point, all those studies are at least ten years old and only consider people [i]talking[/i] on the phone, not fiddling with a modern smartphone to send a text, respond to a Facebook comment, edit their latest selfie on Instagram, or play Angry Birds.
As most of the people seen are using smart phones, all of the phones I have had and family have gps fitted... If phone detects movement above walking pace no connection? also tried the emailing company due to crap driving from 'pro driver' never heardback. I used to quite enjoy driving but it is an obstacle course these days. its a 'kin PRIVELEDGE not a right, but then these people are also the ones who have to walk along with phone to the head or Texting annoys the F out of me as well.come the revolution they will be first 👿
all of the phones I have had and family have gps fitted... If phone detects movement above walking pace no connection?
That would mean no phones for car passengers, or joggers, or people on the bus/train/tram/taxi? And it would bugger up everyone that uses a phone as a sat nav or as a cycle computer or a run recorder.
And would require GPS to be running all the time which is a pretty decent drain on the battery.
[quote=matt_outandabout ]Our work has just instigated a no using company phones hands free when driving. Sackable offence.
Good. I'd not take a work call whilst driving - back in the day when it wasn't illegal to use a handheld phone and not seen as socially unacceptable I got the impression I was unusual in that I'd pull over before taking a call whilst working. Generally they're the sort of calls which require more attention than can be spared from driving.
[quote=jag61 ]As most of the people seen are using smart phones, all of the phones I have had and family have gps fitted... If phone detects movement above walking pace no connection?
So you can't use a phone whilst a passenger in a car, on a bus or on the train ("I'm on the train" - actually maybe that's not a bad idea 😉 )?
Our company travel policy is zero calls whilst driving including not using handsfree - I expect it was as much a cost saving to not have to pay for hands free kits for company cars 😕
I think a big factor in the slowing down of urban traffic is the use of phones - you can watch all the 'nodders' drifting along in traffic...
Zero phone use at work here as well...
(Handset, hands free, tablet, GPS, MP3 player etc)
Taken seriously by all, and plenty of indications that it's disciplinary / sackable. Would certainly result in client action if a staff member took a client call whilst driving
Let's hope he wasn't escaping someone with a baseball bat or racing away from a fire.
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Countzero in no humour shocker.
Research shows that taking a handsfree call is as bad as being over the drink drive limit, presumably texting is much worse because you're not even looking at the road: http://www.brake.org.uk/rsw/15-facts-a-resources/facts/1131-distractionfacts
I have challenged many a driver using their phone. The majority have put them down (although I'm sure will continue later). Even stopped traffic until one guy finished his call - he declined my initial request after swerving towards me whilst I was riding. Never have I been threatened; only had the odd boy racer screech away
To add to the comments made about hands free being dangerous, I was on a speed awareness course recently and it was suggested that if you were on a hands free and you were involved in an accident that injured or killed someone, if they could prove you were on a phone call at the time you would be in pretty hot water.
Which made me think as when I bought my car the bluetooth was presented as a safety feature.
They did also say the same might apply to eating and drinking 🙁
No imagination required - I called the police after being side swiped on the motorway. Yes I could have stopped on the hard shoulder, but stopping on the hard shoulder isn't generally considered to be the safest thing to do.
And phoning from a moving vehicle is?
pat12To add to the comments made about hands free being dangerous, I was on a speed awareness course recently and it was suggested that if you were on a hands free and you were involved in an accident that injured or killed someone, if they could prove you were on a phone call at the time you would be in pretty hot water.
Which made me think as when I bought my car the bluetooth was presented as a safety feature.
They did also say the same might apply to eating and drinking
Or lighting a faaaaaag.
That would mean no phones for car passengers, or joggers, or people on the bus/train/tram/taxi? And it would bugger up everyone that uses a phone as a sat nav or as a cycle computer or a run recorder.
A bit of inconvenience that might well save lives.
I do sometimes wonder what we'd do if cars were invented today. You wouldn't generally operate industrial machinery in a factory, or hold a loaded gun on a firing range while on the phone, or chatting to the guy next to you, or eating a sandwich, or fiddling with the radio, or doing your makeup, or trying to sort out the kids on the back seat, yet somehow it's all fairly acceptable in cars, which kill far more people each year.
A [i]"[b]bit[/b] of inconvenience"[/i]? 😯
Phones being effectively useless to everyone moving faster than walking pace seems like a chuffin massive inconvenience to me!
And if we are prepared to accept chuffin massive inconveniences to save lives then I can think of some equally ridiculous ones that would certainly save lives (e.g. limit all engines to 30mph, mandatory helmets and neck braces for all roads users, five point seatbelts as standard on all vehicles, pedestrians only permitted to cross at pedestrian crossings).
Sorry, I was making a more general point about the tendency in this country to view anything that might inconvenience drivers as a problem, while ignoring things like car accidents being the leading cause of death for 5-19 year olds in this country.
Slightly irrelevant, seeing as it's never going to happen, but the best way I can think of preventing phone use while driving would be making cars that block out mobile signal with some sort of faraday cage, on a bus you could just do it round the drivers cabin, so the passengers could still use phones.
Handsfree has been shown to be just as distracting, so don't even use that these days.
+1. I'm quite militant about this as well and refuse to speak to colleagues or join meetings when they are driving and speaking at the same time. I've been knocked off my bike three times - all of these were as a result of drivers pissing about with their phones and not looking at the road / lights.
The police need a massive kick in the a55 though - in our neck of the woods they apparently have endless time to amble through local parks in threes and fours but no time / inclination to deal with the significant number of drivers who are more interested in calling / texting / tweeting than paying attention to the road. They also make no attempts to enforce the green ASLs / boxes for cyclists and often stop their own vehicles in the middle of them.
I think we need an Australian style law - no phone in arms reach of the driver and no devices stuck on the windscreen and / or that impedes the view of the road for the driver. Having driven behind a car where the driver was making a facetime video call while driving (with the phone on a suction cup straight ahead of him halfway up the windscreen) I'd also like to see immediate car seizures and automatic loss of driving licenses for this sort of stupidity.
A Faraday cage needs to be a mesh with holes - over all the windows. I wonder how that would affect safety?
When I first got a mobile (one of the old style button ones) in the early 00's I tried to text whilst driving. Never again, nearly came off the road, utterly, utterly lethal.
Ok granted modern touchscreen mobiles with predictive text make it easier, but there is NO WAY you concentrate even remotely texting whilst driving.
Being confronted with some daft sod yapping on their mobile driving on the wrong side of the road coming towards me was a bit scary too.
I tried to text whilst driving. Never again, nearly came off the road, utterly, utterly lethal.
Never again, nearly came off the road, utterly, utterly lethal.
In other news. Water is wet.
When I first got a mobile (one of the old style button ones) in the early 00's I tried to text whilst driving. Never again, nearly came off the road, utterly, utterly lethal.
Ok granted modern touchscreen mobiles with predictive text make it easier, but there is NO WAY you concentrate even remotely texting whilst driving.
Texting with old phones with proper buttons was actually easier (not whilst driving I may add). Once you got a feel for where the number buttons were and how many times to press them for each letter it was easy to text without looking at your phone.
As most of the people seen are using smart phones, all of the phones I have had and family have gps fitted... If phone detects movement above walking pace no connection?
Wont someone think of the Stravaaaa!