I'm seeing less drivers on mobiles!

[downfader]

Just spurred to write this after reading something on another thread.

I did a count a few weeks back, sat by my window and watching traffic heading up my road in Southampton. It was 5.30pm and I got to about 40 cars and saw no one on a mobile. Thinking to myself perhaps this was due to locality I decided to stand and watch traffic elsewhere.

I went to Shirley Road and did a small 5 minute survey. Watched a higher frequency of cars and vehicles pass, 7.30am (a time when the rozzers are in bed?) and male and female drivers. I counted 1 driver on the mobile (a green transit van driven by a male). I estimate I saw a good 60+ vehicles pass me in those few minutes, this is for both directions outside what used to be woolworths leading up to Church Street.

Whilst it doesn't imply or suggest anything as a whole I hope this means a trend might be emerging. There was a time - even last year - when every third driver at certain times would be seen on a mobile as they drove.

 

[Arch]

It's no good, I can't stop myself...

"Fewer". Not "Less".

Good sign though, if it's a true trend (stats are tricky things, lot's of obs are needed for reliable data.)

 

[Adasta]

It's no good, I can't stop myself...

"Fewer". Not "Less".

Good sign though, if it's a true trend (stats are tricky things, lot's of obs are needed for reliable data.)

Arch, you beat me to it!

If we're being really pedantic: in this context, it's "sitting" not "sat"! Tense agreement.

 

[BSRU]

I'm seeing more people, earlier today I walked to the newsagents, about 100 metres from work, three cars plus a large lorry passed and all were on the phone, the lorry being the most disturbing one.

 

[Bicycle]

Certainly there are less of them.

A lot less.

Altogether it makes the roads fewer dangerous.

But what worries me most is this line, featured in a car advertisement:

"Fiat 500 Twin Air: Less emissions."

Less emissions? No.

Lower Emissions I would accept.

But "Less Emissions"?

No. No. No.

For several weeks in the pages of almost every daily 'paper, there it was.

Less Emissions?

I feel that I may be hijacking this thread.... My apologies.

But really....

 

[downfader]

It's no good, I can't stop myself...

"Fewer". Not "Less".

Good sign though, if it's a true trend (stats are tricky things, lot's of obs are needed for reliable data.)

Klever stuf wernt never mi strong point!

 

[Cardiac]

Arch, you beat me to it!

If we're being really pedantic: in this context, it's "sitting" not "sat"! Tense agreement.

Maybe - unless the OP meant "sat by my window and watching watched traffic".

Pedant..? Moi...? Surely not.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

As a counter trend, I see more and more people texting in heavy traffic. Maybe it's because it's cheaper than phone calls and drivers can keep the phone in a lower, less visible position to other cars - out of sight from police - but it's one of those things that seems particularly noticeable from a bike and it seems to be getting more common.

In stop-start traffic I tend to hang back until the driver is ''safely'' caged in between other stationary vehicles before filtering past. I'd rather be behind a driver who's not looking where they're going than in front of it...

 

[ianrauk]

In London I see more drivers on phones now then ever before.

 

[SportMonkey]

Certainly there are less of them.

A lot less.

Altogether it makes the roads fewer dangerous.

But what worries me most is this line, featured in a car advertisement:

"Fiat 500 Twin Air: Less emissions."

Less emissions? No.

Lower Emissions I would accept.

But "Less Emissions"?

No. No. No.

For several weeks in the pages of almost every daily 'paper, there it was.

Less Emissions?

I feel that I may be hijacking this thread.... My apologies.

But really....

The emissions aren't that low to be fair.

 

[vickster]

I thought they'd repealed the mobile law as well as the seatbelt laws...awful around here especially among certain *types* of driver Ah well, I guess it's a form of Natural Selection when they stick their brainless heads through the windscreen

 

[Davidc]

A bike collided with me this morning.

Its rider was on her mobile.

She fell off and I didn't. She's got a bent back wheel and I haven't.

I told her she was an idiot. She agreed and apologised.

 

[upsidedown]

I put in a freedom of information request a few weeks ago to see how many people in the West Midlands had been issued fixed penalty notices for using mobiles since the law was introduces in 2007.

2007 5941
2008 6780
2009 7900
2010 6655
2011 to date 2333

I'm no statistician but either the numbers are reducing, or the police are getting less bothered about it.

 

[SportMonkey]

I put in a freedom of information request a few weeks ago to see how many people in the West Midlands had been issued fixed penalty notices for using mobiles since the law was introduces in 2007.

2007 5941
2008 6780
2009 7900
2010 6655
2011 to date 2333

I'm no statistician but either the numbers are reducing, or the police are getting less bothered about it.

Or more people are caught in the later months of the year?

Or there are less police?

Or people are driving with ear phones in, a personal hate of mine.

 

[d87heaven]

Certainly there are less of them.

.............."Fiat 500 Twin Air: Less emissions."

Less emissions? No.

Lower Emissions I would accept.

....................

Spotted an idiot driving one with Glyn Hopkin advertising all over it who nearly sideswiped me whilst I was driving yesterday. The fact he was on brazenly on the phone and had a jacket hanging up obscuring the passenger window makes my blood boil. If he couldn't see a frickin great van what chance a ped or cyclist? What a great employee he must be.