Why isn't the message getting through, driving whilst using a mobile phone is dangerous

[hitony]

Strange isn't it i find car drivers to be the worst offenders (silver van holder myself)....and why are we just concentrating on mobile phones ...the number of times i have sat in the drive thru at the Macdonalds at shoreham and seen people in CARS driving out one handed munching on there big mac beggars belief

That really is truly SHOCKING!!!! .......................The Sweet Chilli Crispy Chicken Wrap meal is sooooooooooooo much better..........

 

[maltaseagull]

It's even worse here! Maltese use their hands a lot when they speak so they steer with their knees with one hand holding the phone and the other waving around gesticulating!

 

[hitony]

It's even worse here! Maltese use their hands a lot when they speak so they steer with their knees with one hand holding the phone and the other waving around gesticulating!

Ah.......but are they breaking the law?

 

[DumLum]

A lot of new vans come with Bluetooth built in, but it's not always the new van drivers that are the problem. This is a bug hear of mine, along with not wearing a seatbelt. Kids will have had to wear a seatbelt when they learnt, and took thir test, so is it now cool to drive without one..... Just like it was cool to smoke when I was younger

I see load loads of this.

To generalise, most of the people I see talking on the phone whilst driving are men - usually van drivers - whilst women seem to be texting / swiping their phones.

I would be in favour of similar penalties for those caught and prosecuted as for drink-driving. It is the only way to change behaviour.

What I find weird is that 90% of people I see holding and using a phone whilst driving are van drivers - ie people who drive as part of their job. I don't get why people who spend part of their working day driving, and often have to take or make calls at the same time, would not have hands free- it's not expensive.

Maybe making it compulsory to install some sort of hands free solution in all commercial vehicles would be a good measure?

I like the idea of making it compulsory to install hands free solutions in all cars/vans. However I have heard they may also be banned in the future.

I am a white van driver and hate seeing people on their mobiles whilst driving. To say 90% of the offenders are van drivers when they only make up 10% of vehicles on the road is nonsense.

My sweeping stat would be: 90% of offenders are young female drivers.

 

[The Fifth Column]

It needs sorting, prioritise.

The problem is that the police are prioritising! All the frontline cops I know are far too busy struggling to resource and attend just the emergency calls they get let alone all the lower level stuff so stopping someone on their mobile is way down the list when you can't even find officers available to attend someone getting their head kicked in or any number of other crimes in progress. Youve got the government to thank for that situation with their slashing of police budgets and officer numbers. In Sussex alone with officer numbers already slashed over the last few years you are looking at losing another 400 officers over the next 4-5 years and thats before you can even consider the next round of cuts with the government now suggesting further cuts of 25-40%! The fact is despite all the government spin, you cannot do more with less, you cant even do the same with less so dont expect any improvement on traffic offences being dealt with by police. In addition the police traffic departments are seen by many forces as expensive luxuries and all have seen huge cuts in budgets and numbers, there are some forces that dont even have a properly functioning traffic department any more. If you think its bad now then take a look at Sussex polices new local policing plan, many offences simply will no longer be investigated due to a lack of resources although they are not saying that is the reason why instead it is being dressed up as working smarter and being more efficient or some such corporate guff.

 

[spongy]

Or divert the resources used from the mobile speed camera units.

Speeding is just as bad as mobile phone use. And it means my missus will be out of a job so no thanks.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Speeding is just as bad as mobile phone use. And it means my missus will be out of a job so no thanks.

There's plenty of static cameras to deal with speeding and your missus would just transfer to catching those using mobiles.

 

[Diablo]

That really is truly SHOCKING!!!! .......................The Sweet Chilli Crispy Chicken Wrap meal is sooooooooooooo much better..........

Driverless cars are coming..Mobile phone..read the paper..eat fish and chips..couple of beers..drop off to sleep till get home.

 

[spongy]

There's plenty of static cameras to deal with speeding and your missus would just transfer to catching those using mobiles.

There really aren't. Not all are active at the same time. And once people know they're there then the numbers caught drops dramatically, take the one by Preston Park for example. Nearly all the speeders caught on that camera are out of towners and day trippers that aren't familiar with the road.

The mobile ones are best version, it's not knowing where they're going to be that proves them to be so successful. Everybody knows the speed limits. If they stuck to them then there wouldn't really be a need for them would there?

She wouldn't be transferred to another department. It would just be closed down and bye-bye. Sussex police is already merging the safer road partnership with Surrey to help with costs. It's a long slippery slope.

 

[Matrix10]

You can always report anyone committing an offence
https://webcontact.sussex.police.uk/ASDPRS/

 

[ofco8]

Not once but twice over the last couple of days I have nearly hit other drivers because they where using their mobile phone.

Going across the roundabout van pulls right out in front of me. One hand on steering wheel, other with mobile. The bloke didn't even see me.

Yesterday at the crossroads thought the bloke was going straight across and at the last minute decides to turn left, no indicator because he didn't have a spare hand, too interested in chatting on his mobile.

When is the message going to get through, driving whilst using a mobile phone is dangerous. Why do people still do this, why do they still put other motorists, pedestrians and cyclists in danger and where are the Police?

Wish the law was changed to make driving whilst using a mobile an instant ban for say 2-3 months.

Haven't read all the posts but will say THIS. Those drivers are a menace to everyone, including themselves.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Personally I think that driving with a mobile stuck to your ear or texting, and not concentrating on driving is worse than speeding 10 mph over the limit. Local police have taken a pragmatic attitude to the 20 mph speed limits, and I think this is working because generally cars are going slower around town.
I would prefer they took some of the mobile speed cameras out and focussed on spotting/filming and prosecuting those using mobiles (whether texting or calling). It is easy for an individual to exceed the speed limit from time to time and points may be appropriate, but a personal decision to use your mobile whilst driving is indefensible.
.

 

[Doc Lynam]

In Paris the other day i watched a motorcyclist riding and texting! Now that takes balls!

 

[severnside gull]

Strange isn't it i find car drivers to be the worst offenders (silver van holder myself)....and why are we just concentrating on mobile phones ...the number of times i have sat in the drive thru at the Macdonalds at shoreham and seen people in CARS driving out one handed munching on there big mac beggars belief

Quite right about the silly-burger car drivers.

 

[portslade seagull]

Can we add smoking to this list as well as some woman was so engrossed in her fag she pulled out of a junction one handed almost t-boning me and then has the audacity to moan at me

 

[Westdene Seagull]

There really aren't. Not all are active at the same time. And once people know they're there then the numbers caught drops dramatically, take the one by Preston Park for example. Nearly all the speeders caught on that camera are out of towners and day trippers that aren't familiar with the road.

The mobile ones are best version, it's not knowing where they're going to be that proves them to be so successful. Everybody knows the speed limits. If they stuck to them then there wouldn't really be a need for them would there?

She wouldn't be transferred to another department. It would just be closed down and bye-bye. Sussex police is already merging the safer road partnership with Surrey to help with costs. It's a long slippery slope.

But they publish where they are going to be and on what date so if you put a little effort you can know the unknown.

As for merging, good. I've thought for a long time it's wasteful for each and every police force to replicate much of what each other is doing. Economies of scale and all that. The quicker they merge functions within these police forces the better.

 

[perseus]

A specialist lawyer in the motor industry told Metro News that driving with flip-flops on is not absolutely forbidden according to French law, but that it could be open to interpretation as they could be considered as something that could impede the driver.

In France the article R412-6 says that drivers must always be in a position to carry out all manoeuvres without delay and that the driver’s mobility and field of vision must not be reduced by any objects they are holding.

This has meant that fines have been handed out to people caught eating sandwiches, smoking or even putting make-up on.

In March 2014 a court in Corsica effectively ruled that it was forbidden to drive in high heels.

http://www.thelocal.fr/20150713/frenchwoman-fined-90-for-driving-in-flip-flops

 

[Zukey Seagull]

the company i work for have a rule in place, we are not allowed to use hands free devices. so we have to pull over and make phone calls. works well. i drive a van and hate seeing people with mobiles up to their ears or texting, i had a lady go into the back of me at traffic lights because she was texting and i watched as she went into the back of me but i could not drive away because the light was red and a car was in front of me, no damage done though, which was lucky.

 

[maltaseagull]

Ah.......but are they breaking the law?

Yes, but very few get caught.

 

[Murray 17]

In Paris the other day i watched a motorcyclist riding and texting! Now that takes balls!

Cyclists are very good at that too. But that's another thread...