Just about every day I see people driving using their mobile phone,some days numerous people.It appears to be coming more prevalent or am I just tuned into noticing it.
I have heard that useing a mobile whilst driving is possibly even more dangerous than drink driving.
It really pi**es me off especialy the people in very expensive Mercs,Range Rovers & Chelsea tractors,surely if you spend 50k plus on a motor you can afford the best hands free and with a lot of cars with built in bluetooth they still use the phone in hand!.
Also white van drivers.If you need to be in touch on the move for your business then invest in a car kit.
I have had various hands-free car kits for 10+ years that has always worked perfectly.
Why isn't there a massive campaign to put a stop to it.
There is NO EXCUSE for using your phone whilst driving!!!

 

Here Here

 

Nearly got run over by one today, traffic stopped for a red light and she just pulled out past the stationary traffic through the red lights - normally I would have been crossing, but I waited for some reason today

 

No excuse, ever.

 

Around my way if your not half cut, on the phone, the holder of a driving license, insurance or tax then you've got no place on the road.......Unless your a horse then you can go on the road all you like and **** all over the place.

 

Easy, first time £250 fine and one week ban, second time £500 and one month, third £1000 and one year. A slap on the wrist never works, people need a blow to the head from a blunt instrument before they'll pay any attention.

 

I have had some ideas to help stop this.
One is to have an advert that shows various people driving along whilst swigging out of Vodka,beer bottles etc.Then the same people driving whilst on the phone.
Also combine a poster campaign with a picture of someone driving whilst drinking from a Vodka bottle next to the a picture of the same person driving while on the phone. Underneath is the line....

WHICH IS MORE DANGEROUS?

Might help educate the idiots & shame the morons.

 

10yrs ago no-one cared if someone was driving whilst on the phone, then it was banned and people now are outraged. What difference does it make if someone is talking on hands-free or driving with one hand on the wheel and a phone to their ear, people also drive and eat, drive and smoke, or just drive with one hand anyway.......imo it is absolutely NOTHING like someone pissed behind the wheel.......it's the same as the smoking ban, if someone dares to light up in a public place they may as well be kicking a kitten, a few years ago it was normal. ......(btw i use a bluetooth headset and do get irritated when i see someone driving like a pr4t AND using the phone)

 

I see your point about smoking,especially outside & numerous other PC cr*p ideologys but I think its about the attention& distraction that it needs to talk on a mobile phone.Its the way our brains are wired & using the phone seriously impedes or uses the same brain functions that are needed to drive safely.(Only going on what I have read about tests on people using phones so have put on parachute a fully prepared to be shot down in flames)

 

True, when we speak remotely we tend to visualise, almost going into a day-dream state. A person slightly over the limit will possibly be paying more attention, with elevated adrenalin levels making them more alert due to them knowing they are chancing it. Tired drivers can be more of a danger than mild drink/drivers for this very reason. There isn't a single answer as each situation has different characteristics. The simple task of smoking for example may not especially hinder control of the vehicle, similar to maybe eating, but if you drop a biscuit it is merely annoying, whereas a lighted cigarette potentially causes panic and severe distraction. As for the pillocks whom toss their butts out of the window, why do you think smoking makes littering acceptable ? Emptying the ashtray or tossing out the packet would attract 6 hours a week for six months on a litter collecting chain-gang.

 

I usually agree with you, but chucking a butt out of the window, whilst not acceptable, is not in the same league as a drunk in charge of a vehicle.
Eating, smoking or whatever very rarely cause a damaged life or worse, death. Drink drivers do

 

Accidents happen for a great many reasons, DD being one. I'm not condoning it, nor trivialising the potential dangers, but it seems perfectly plausible that a driver whom suddenly panics as a lit cigarette drops in their lap would lose concentration on the act of driving, and in that moment, no matter how brief could cause an accident of unknown severity. A person only marginally over the limit may subsequently be very alert and aware, taking extra care in full knowledge of their situation. In fact, Police are known to be trained to spot over-cautious driving as a sign of potential drink-driving. I am in no way suggesting that littering, smoking, eating or whatever is worse, or even close to as severe an offence, but that anything which distracts us from the task of piloting our vehicles should be considered as potentially dangerous. The penalty I suggested for littering is nothing to what I would impose for DD, trust me, I am aware of the potential implications.

 

At the risk of burning in hell can I ask why it's any more dangerous than talking to somebody in the passenger seat?

 

When a person is directly in your company you tend to visualise less.

 

Plus you have to concentrate more when on the phone as if the signal deteriorates for a second your asking them to repeat what they said (then you hit a bump and drop the phone, bend down to pick it up and crash).

Tony

 

A friend of mine was riding her motorbike on a hot day with her visor up to let some cool air in when the bloke in the car in front tossed his lit *** butt out of the window. It went straight into her helmet and caused her to have to stop very quickly whilst on a dual carriageway. Not ideal

 

I sat at a roundabout the other day watching one drive right around, no indicators on, and mobile phone to the ear, i almost felt like pulling out a bit just to put the ****s up him.

 

Hear hear!

I understand that if you suddenly drive towards them it makes them drop the phone as they grab the wheel. Its a bit of a conversation killer!

Les

 

The person in the pasenger seat is also party to what's going on around you on the road/pedestrians, so they are less likely to say something at an inoppurtune moment.

Even hands free phoning is not very good as has already been said, you visualise when the person isn't there, your brain reacts differently to a conversation when someone isn't physically there.

I only use hands free, but only if I have to, as I can feel it distracting me.

Activities you undertake in the car like changing the CD etc. are different because you are in control of when you do it, unlike someone dropping something in to a conversation when you could be coming up on a school crossing at 08:50 that needs your full attention!

Smoking has the greatest 'on-site' ability to distract as a burning match/cigarette/cigarette lighter dropped into your lap causes a reaction you don't necessarity have control over.

Geezer

 

The thing that i think is worse than drink driving is displaying the child/baby on board sign in the back window and driving over the speed limit. Annoys the hell out of me!

 

it is actually part of the driving test here in Bradford to drive with no seatbelt, fog lights on, on yr mobile phone, seat reclined to horizontal.

You must also be able to lap the city center at least 10 times a day with yr "bangin" toonz.

insurance of course here is fully optional.

 

I think people have polarised in their opinions over time as mobiles have become common, some people just carry on and those who dont get more anti, especially as there have been a few high profile accidents with people phoning and texting, also a greater number of people have had them and realise that you cant hold a phone to your ears and effectively pilot a 2 tonne metal box at speed.

Mobiles have got more complicated and have more functions other than making a call so fannying about with some uber complex latest phone isnt really possible whilst concentrating, to me it just says f*ck you, I will do what I want, saw a young lad in a 1 series negotating getting out of a busy junction with a phone clamped to his ear, nearly caused an accident, thing is he had been parked up but decided to continue still on the phone. I had a girl in a Mini pull out on me when on the bike because she was so engrossed in her conversation.

I agree with the fines/stepped ban for repeat offenders, even speeding isnt as cut and dried as its easy to wander a few mph over when going from a higher to a lower limit but dialing or answering a mobile takes a concious decision to do.

 

Good one!

Les

 

Yes that is really bad, and selfish. Happened to me once too. I let the driver have it in spades at the next stop-verbally that is. They tend to back off when you are wearing a lid!

Les

 

lol, that'd do it Les!

I had a good one last year when I still had the scoob.
Was driving along, minding my own business enjoying the sun, cruising at about 30mph in a residential area and suddenly there is some dopey bint in a 3 series BMW with massive gucci sunglasses etc. orange tan and general lack of sense, stuck to my rear bumper whilst she's on the phone with one hand and checking herself in the mirror at the same time.

It's one of my pet hates and it is a dangerous distraction, so I did my duty and hoped for there to be a cop-car in the queue of traffic travelling the opposite direction, as I was feeling like being a bit of a cnt, for a change
Eventually, whilst said bint was obliviously chatting away, I pulled up along side a police van and politely asked that they tell the woman stuck to my bumper to get off her damned phone.

Was so funny watching her freak out, flounder around and drop her mobile whilst two coppers (who had seen this) had a few words with her.

I know it was petty but it was satisfying as I constantly see this from the beemer, mercedes and audi bunch, but the real offenders are the young lasses (and lads!) in BMW Mini's who always seem to be on the phone or doing their hair or both!

 

I was nearly banned from a forum for pointing this truth out, and its known association with some ethnic groups. I even provided news articles to substantiate the claim, but apparently you cannot point out any wrong doing if it is by a person of ethnic origin as that would be racist

 

i did this 4-5 times on sunday, and they weren't even on their phones. And then when they look in disgust i yell "use your f**king indicators". Gets right on my t*ts that does.

As for the phone part of this thread, when at work on site and i end up talking on the phone by the time i've finished and hang up i've walked to another part and no where near where i want to be without even realising

 

Yep, bang on, Mini Drivers do have a tendency to be dim bimbos or ****** haired/beanie capped fannies, the all have Iphones and will be gibbering away into them almost all the time.

 

How dare you be rude about Mini drivers J4CKO!

Les

 

i think the old bill should carry mobile crushers then when caught phones should crushed on the spot,and a £500 fine