Driving and using hand held phones

[hans kraay fan club]

Worth noting that a) a lot of people don't have these facilities and b) using handsfree is just as dangerous as holding it.
I think they need to ban phoning altogether.

I mean, that is simply not true.

I try not to take any calls driving, but in the event I do, answering a call with a press of the appropriate button on the steering wheel, then holding a conversation, is really little different to talking to somebody in the back of the car.

that's wildly different from having to look at your phone handset to see who is calling, finding the button on the phone to answer it, then holding a conversation with it pressed to your ear, and only one hand available to control the car.

 

[maltaseagull]

Agree with people above, the majority I see using phones are young women and van drivers.
I'd love to be paid to drive around all day pulling people for using phones and revoking licences.
There's absolutely no reason for me to ever pick my phone up while driving, it's connected to my car via Bluetooth, controls are either on the steering wheel or on a touchscreen.
That video is horrific, the speed alone is shocking but factor in the lack of attention due to the phone and of course it's an accident waiting to happen. She should've been sent down for longer.

I am concerned about the modern technology in cars as touch screens can surely be a distraction?
My phone stays in my pocket in the car. If a call or text comes in, I wait until I am parked before responding.

What p**ses me off is people pulling out of a car park or parking space while on a mobile.
Finish the frigging call and THEN drive off!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

My car doesn't have a touchscreen as standard, I've bought a third party screen, wired it up so I can have access to sat nav, music etc. if anyone calls me I decline the call, I never take a call when I'm driving as it's way too distracting, sometimes even sat nav can take your attention away from driving for too long so I try not to use it unless really necessary.

Again, its all about using your common sense, isn't it? I'd argue that following a good sat-nav is far safer than looking at a map on your lap, or driving around without knowing where you are going - resulting in late lane changes, etc. Obviously PROGRAMMING the sat-nav / otherwise messing with it, whilst driving is another story.

 

[Notters]

I mean, that is simply not true.

I try not to take any calls driving, but in the event I do, answering a call with a press of the appropriate button on the steering wheel, then holding a conversation, is really little different to talking to somebody in the back of the car.

that's wildly different from having to look at your phone handset to see who is calling, finding the button on the phone to answer it, then holding a conversation with it pressed to your ear, and only one hand available to control the car.

I thought it was very common knowledge now that it's entirely different to talking to someone in the back of the car.
The person in the back of the car can react to the situation your in and pause. They're also not going to be difficult to hear, or lose their signal.

Hands-free phone tech is dangerous - so why do car firms still promote it?

Using a hands free phone while driving is as dangerous as holding a phone - and yet they're marketed as a desirable extra. Dr Gemma Briggs wonders why.

www.open.edu

https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/policy-engagement/files/2019/01/Talking-on-the-phone-while-driving-supplementary-doc.pdf

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I thought it was very common knowledge now that it's entirely different to talking to someone in the back of the car.
The person in the back of the car can react to the situation your in and pause. They're also not going to be difficult to hear, or lose their signal.

Hands-free phone tech is dangerous - so why do car firms still promote it?

Using a hands free phone while driving is as dangerous as holding a phone - and yet they're marketed as a desirable extra. Dr Gemma Briggs wonders why.

www.open.edu

https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/policy-engagement/files/2019/01/Talking-on-the-phone-while-driving-supplementary-doc.pdf

Its an interesting study, and I accept the premise - that ALL phone calls are distracting to varying degrees - thus I tend to avoid. I still don't accept the statement that a hands-free call is 'as dangerous' as a call taken on a handset held to the ear. Its completely self-evident, surely, that the latter would have all of the exact same distractions of the call itself, PLUS meaning one hand off the wheel, and further distractions of fiddling with the phone.

I rather question the study's conclusions about a back seat passenger being less distracting, than a person on the other end of a call 'because they'll be aware of traffic, etc and pause the conversation accordingly'. That kind of assumes that the passenger is paying any attention to the road, is presumably a driver themselves understanding of hazards, and is not a six year old child throwing a tantrum or fighting with his sibling, etc.

 

[Triggaaar]

(MOD EDIT please note video in Tweet shows the nano second before impact and could be upsetting)

When will people learn

She was all over the place and laughing about it before she went through the red light.

Jesus

 

[Triggaaar]

That video above. The speed she was flying along at while dicking about with her mobile phone. Ludicrous.

As for her being a “****”.

She probably isn’t. And that’s the scary thing. Perfectly nice, normal, people use their phones while driving. It’s so, so, common.

I agree that normal nice people also use their phones. What she was doing did seem a bit extreme though. 78 on a road like that is a bad start, and to then jump a red while on the phone is more than a bit careless. It's almost inevitable you're going to kill someone when driving like that.

 

[The Clamp]

I agree that normal nice people also use their phones. What she was doing did seem a bit extreme though. 78 on a road like that is a bad start, and to then jump a red while on the phone is more than a bit careless. It's almost inevitable you're going to kill someone when driving like that.

Yes. Very good points.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Bring in Cycling "you can tell that to the magistrate' Mikey!

 

[CheeseRolls]

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/202...river-and-maimed-his-own-son-in-head-on-crash

No mobile phone here, but some crazy risks. 12 year sentence and 14 year driving ban probably won't hurt as much as realising what he has done to his own son! The other driver through no fault of his own lost his life.

 

[jessiejames]

I believe the rozzers have exemptions for use of mobile or other device but are still rendered liable to the same said offences if they are involved in an accident etc.

Heavy haulage drivers have exemptions on the use of communication devices. For example wide loads where u need a convoy.

If you are caught on a phone whilst driving it should be an automatic driving ban of 1 year and heavy fine.
If i am caught in my truck, its instant dismissal.

The standard of driving in this country is terrible, the more drivers banned the better and safer the roads will be.

I would also ban pedestrians using phones whilst walking along the road.

 

[METALMICKY]

I would also ban pedestrians using phones whilst walking along the road.

Don't forget now with that wonderful change in the Highway Code that on a phone or not, they can just step into the road if you are turning into a side road and they have zero responsibility to check before crossing. Of course you should be vigilant but that was madness.