Is this email okay?

[Matthew_T]

Can you please review and give your opinions on this email before I send it.

Dear Flintshire Bike School

On Wednesday 28th March at approximately 3pm, on the A548 (Wellington Road) heading towards Rhyl over the Blue Bridge from Kimnel Bay, I witnessed the driver of a White Ford Transit with the numberplate F85 ABC using his mobile phone.
I was on a pushbike and was filtering through traffic at the time. I also had a camera on my helmet running.

I was appalled that a driver of a motorbike training company would do something so dangerous as to use his mobile phone whilst driving.

I notified that driver that this was illegal and he understood that. I do however believe that he did not care as he was smiling whilst he was on his phone. Eventaully he did put it down, but only after I had pointed to the camera on my head.

I informed him that what he had done had been caught on my camera and possibly cameras of the council. I further informed him that his actions would be posted on Youtube.

The video can be found here:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxQzwKVPiPs


Furthermore, I hope that you can deal with this incident accordingly because as he was an employee of a motorcycle training company, he should know the laws of the road, and that driving whilst on the phone is illegal.

I look forward to hearing a reply from you.



Kind regards


Have I entered anything I shouldnt?

 

[Boris Bajic]

Confession time: In that sort of stop/start, frequently stationary traffic I've been known to take a quick call.

I know it is illegal, but I've done it. Not for a while, but that is more to do with situation than a moral stance.

I often drive over the posted speed limit. For both offences I deserve any penalty I receive.

I even take calls when cycling in some situations, although I won't text or dial. I also unwrap Mars bars in the saddle, which is almost suicidal.

Similarly, I eat fruit when driving, change stations, put CDs in, put my iPod on shuffle, look at the SatNav screen, drink from a bottle and similar.

The van man in your video was breaking the law. He is naughty. I do feel frustrated when I get passed closely at speed on a fast A-Road by someone nattering on a hand-held mobile, but the guy in your vid didn't really move the needle on my Give-A-F*ckometer.

Many others will be as cross about it as you clearly are, but many will see it as a fairly minor thing.

I wouldn't send the email and I wouldn't have taken a lofty and preaching tone with the guy. Many would. I wouldn't.

 

[Friz]

Aye. I'm starting to understand why van drivers run down cyclists.

 

[Matthew_T]

Many others will be as cross about it as you clearly are, but many will see it as a fairly minor thing.

So doing something which is illegal for a reason is minor? It has been proven that driving whilst on the phone decreases you consentration levels and increases the chance of having a crash because you do not have full control of the vehicle.

I wouldnt have minded much if he had been stationary in the vehicle whilst on the phone, but it was stop/start traffic. Therefore he would have had to driven at some point (like when I passed him).

 

[tyred]

It's illegal but there is a world of a difference between using a phone while driving down a busy route at 60/70mph, negotiating a busy roundabout or a crowded city street and what he was doing. I doubt the police would be that bothered in the circumstances.

 

[Matthew_T]

Okay fair enough, I wont send it.

 

[subaqua]

It's illegal but there is a world of a difference between using a phone while driving down a busy route at 60/70mph, negotiating a busy roundabout or a crowded city street and what he was doing. I doubt the police would be that bothered in the circumstances.

its illegal . full stop. its black and white. the law says you MUST NOT use a mobile while driving.

i could google the exact wording but i don't need to.

 

[calibanzwei]

its illegal . full stop. its black and white. the law says you MUST NOT use a mobile while driving.

This.

 

[srw]

It's also illegal to go through a red light, but I wouldn't send a letter to every Tom, Dick and Harry I saw doing it - in a car or on a bike.

 

[calibanzwei]

It's also illegal to go through a red light, but I wouldn't send a letter to every Tom, Dick and Harry I saw doing it - in a car or on a bike.

Got to catch them first

 

[oldfatfool]

I saw a classic a couple of days ago, the guy pulled over and stopped,and took his mobile out of his pocket and started talking,

Well done that man I thought, right up until the point he jammed the phone into his shoulder and pulled back out into traffic cutting the bloke behind up and not indicating.

 

[green1]

its illegal . full stop. its black and white. the law says you MUST NOT use a mobile while driving.

Err no its not. Its illegal to use one thats in your hand its okay if you use a hands free kit.

 

[Brandane]

Err no its not. Its illegal to use one thats in your hand its okay if you use a hands free kit.

And you can use a hand held phone to call the emergency services. Talking of which, when are you joining the Police, Matthew?

Exemptions

Calls can be made to 999 or 112 in a genuine emergency, provided stopping is unsafe or impractical.

 

[subaqua]

Brandane

in your quote " providing stopping is unsafe or impractical" Neither of which the vid seems to be showing .

as I said in my 1st post I could google the exact words. But I don't need to.

even the government approved bodies recommend not to use handsfree as it has a worse effect to driving just over the legal limit of alcohol
http://www.gizmag.com/mobile-phones...om-iam-institute-of-advanced-motorists/21678/

study carried out by transport research lab for IAM. so not a wishy washy outfit or one out to dig at drivers on behalf of cyclists.

maybe you think its a good idea to drive 40 tonnnes of lorry having a phone convo on handsfree. I think theres more on here and in the country that have the opposite view.

 

[MontyVeda]

Okay fair enough, I wont send it.

+1

I know you have the best of intentions but please don't turn into Gordon Brittas