Distracted Driving

[Recycle]

Isn't it time that using a hand held device behind the wheel is in law treated the same as drunk driving? The evidence suggests that it is at least as dangerous and we see the evidence all the time, not just on the roads. Just to illustrate a point, Omar Gonzalez, the intruder who made it into the White House, one of the most guarded residences in the world, did so because the dog handler who was guarding that patch was, guess what, talking on his mobile phone.

 

[the_mikey]

It's not just mobile phones, much of the mobile service industry are wrestling with PDAs, tablets, other gadgets designed to track and inform the workforce and require incessant attention, these things are worse than just a mobile phone but are never receiving any kind of condemnation from the media or the police, it's almost like it's OK because it's used for business

 

[summerdays]

Isn't it from the point of view of the courts/police?

Edit: though you can report someone for drink driving whereas I don't think you can for mobile use (or not outside London anyway).

The problem is that it isn't by the public in general who would see drive driving as far more unacceptable than using a mobile. I'm really trying to instil in my children that they should not be in a car with a driver using a phone, and that includes them when they start to drive.

 

[Recycle]

Isn't it from the point of view of the courts/police?

There is a fixed penalty fine of £100 and 3 points on your licence whereas drunk driving will result in a court case pending the result of a blood test. IMO use of any hand held device behind the wheel should result in a court appearance.

Unlike drunk driving where the drivers are blood tested after a serious crash, there isn't hard data showing the relationship between crashes and mobile use because there isn't an equivalent of the blood test. Privacy makes this tricky but should't the drivers mobile phone/social media logs be subpoenaed after any serious crash?

 

[0lonerider]

the council here just put a massive lcd tv screen showin adds selling mobilephones laptops tvs ect!
its fixed to a bridge over the central motorway in the citycentre!
oh a car crashed as they showed the new screen on the news as they filmed a interview with a counciler as he asked if it distacted drivers.

 

[Recycle]

the council here just put a massive lcd tv screen showin adds selling mobilephones laptops tvs ect!
its fixed to a bridge over the central motorway in the citycentre!
oh a car crashed as they showed the new screen on the news as they filmed a interview with a counciler as he asked if it distacted drivers.

There is the absurdity of some new cars coming out with built in "hands free" social media apps to complement the satnav. Car manufacturers miss the point. making it hands free doesn't make it safe, it just threads a loophole in the law.

 

[Mugshot]

Car manufacturers miss the point.

No they don't.

it just threads a loophole in the law.

This.

 

[Recycle]

This.

You're probably right, which makes me wonder just how many of our industry leaders are sociopaths.

 

[Spinney]

You're probably right, which makes me wonder just how many of our industry leaders are sociopaths.

No, they've just got their priorities right. Money is far more important than people's safety, naturally. How could anyone possibly think otherwise?

 

[Mrs M]

Had to take the cattle float (bus) to work recently. As we sat in very slow moving traffic heading into the city I was stunned by the amount of drivers I saw who were tapping away on their phones, etc, must be addicted!?

 

[chewa]

I can't understand why some people feel the need to be contactable all the time. I have hands free built into the car, all workable from the steering wheel, but rarely use it. I appreciate the peace if I'm in the car (or on a train or plane!)

Cars with built in social apps etc, just encourage folk to take their attention away from the road and I can't see that they are a great idea. Having said that, does the garmin 1000 not link to a phone? When I'm on my bike I don't want to be contactable. I love cycling because it takes me away from anything stressful.

 

[Mike_P]

I wish people would be uncontactable when driving, a typical call to some one on hands free gets a response that they are driving, can I wait while they pullover....(some time later)... what is it i'm calling about......oh, the files in the office...they will ring me back.Still at least the phone company have benefited financially. The "problem" is increasing with cars bluetoothing mobiles as a safety feature, the car will ring the emergency services if I have crashed. Great that, lets see it does not switch on the GPS on the phone and the car does not have a satnav so how on earth are the emergency services going to exactly know where the crash is, all they will know its somewhere in the vicinity of a particular phone mast.

 

[Archie_tect]

[QUOTE 3379744, member: 9609"]This is just to bizarre for words, a fast section of road that demands the greatest of concentration.

[/QUOTE]
Drove down there last week but must've been looking at the cars around me, because I didn't notice that big sign overhead!!

 

[Markymark]

Listened to a podcast (so it must be true!) that the deaths due to people using phones at the wheel are outweighed by the saving of lives as people are able to use the phones to call for emergency services quicker. Not necessarily in the same incidents, but people having phones around them has caused more accidents but saved more lives.

I think all that is needed is making using phones 6 points and £1,000 fine. Get caught a 2nd time and its a 5 year ban.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Keep the phones, just ban the cars.