Get caught twice using your mobile phone while driving

[Piemaster]

If you're caught using your mobile phone whilst driving, they should seize the phone and crush/sell it. Get caught a second time and they should do the same with the car. The only way to change behaviour is hit the selfish bas*ards in the pocket.

3 month ban, 6 points and vehicle and phone seized. That would make a huge difference, the 6 points bollocks won't make a jot of difference.

I've liked the seize the phone idea for awhile, something immediate and preferably enforceable in the same way a FPN is - by the Police at the roadside. Short bans could work better than the points totting up too for things like speeding offences, just swap 'points' for '# months ban' the more you get caught, the longer the bans get.

 

[the_mikey]

I wonder where this puts car 'user interfaces' that use touchscreens rather than knobs and switches for some of the vehicle functions?

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I wonder where this puts car 'user interfaces' that use touchscreens rather than knobs and switches for some of the vehicle functions?

That's an interesting one. Some cars' touch screens don't work if the car is moving (my wife's for example), some do (I presume because it may be the passenger using it (sil's for example)). So the technology is there, just a reluctance to use it.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

How's that relevant?

I presume because there's little difference between driving along whilst inputting your destination into the Sat Nav and texting.

 

[steve50]

[QUOTE 4512333, member: 9609"]I was watching something on TV a few nights ago and the programme was sponsored by SEAT so inbetween every segment there was an advert for the car, the adverts seemed to be highlighting some screen on the dash that was all prepared for Skype - does this mean you can drive along having a skype call ?[/QUOTE]
I would hope the screen would be disabled the moment the car is put into gear or it should be imo.

 

[DaveReading]

I would hope the screen would be disabled the moment the car is put into gear or it should be imo.

Supposedly it uses large on-screen buttons and voice activation:

http://www.seat.co.uk/new-cars/connectivity-technology/android-auto.html

but the prospect of people driving around while Skypeing is still pretty scary.

 

[steve50]

Staying in contact with your friends on the move has never been easier. Make a free call or enjoy free messaging services and video chats. Communicate to the whole world for free with ICQ Messenger.

NO! Whoever it was that thought it would be a good idea to enable video chat whilst driving a car needs to take a long hard look at themselves, are they for real!!!
http://www.highwaycode.info/rule/148
Safe driving and riding needs concentration. Avoid distractions when driving or riding such as

 

[the_mikey]

How's that relevant?

Given many car UI's are very smartphone-like and often carrying similar or the same apps and features you'd have on a smartphone, the only difference is that it's a part of the car rather than a phone, but much the same functionality...

 

[benb]

Yesterday I saw at least 6 people on the phone. It's an epidemic. Drivers know the chance of being caught is virtually nil, and they can break the law with impunity.
Without additional resources for enforcement, this legislation is a useless figleaf.

 

[Roadhump]

A friend of mine has just bought a brand new Range Rover which has a TV fitted into the dashboard that can be watched by all occupants including the driver. When the vehicle is on motion, however, the picture goes off so in effect, it is like listening to the radio. When the vehicle stops, e.g. at traffic lights, the picture comes back on. Even though this is no doubt intended as a safety / legal compliance feature, it seems wrong to me that a driver can watch TV when their vehicle is stationary; surely there is a risk of their attention at times being drawn too much to the TV resulting in them not puling away quickly enough, which could result in an otherwise avoidable hazard.

 

[steve50]

A friend of mine has just bought a brand new Range Rover which has a TV fitted into the dashboard that can be watched by all occupants including the driver. When the vehicle is on motion, however, the picture goes off so in effect, it is like listening to the radio. When the vehicle stops, e.g. at traffic lights, the picture comes back on. Even though this is no doubt intended as a safety / legal compliance feature, it seems wrong to me that a driver can watch TV when their vehicle is stationary; surely there is a risk of their attention at times being drawn too much to the TV resulting in them not puling away quickly enough, which could result in an otherwise avoidable hazard.

I agree, I think the tv should only work with the ignition key in "accessories" position and once the key is turned to start the engine the screen should go blank and remain blank until the engine is turned off again. I would suggest if car manufacturers want to incorporate passenger friendly television into their vehicles they should position the tv screens so they cannot be viewed by the driver.