Reporting mobile use while driving

[Arjimlad]

https://www.avonandsomerset.police....injured-on-avon-and-somerset-roads-last-year/

Avon & Somerset police put this out today.

“The vast majority of serious collisions we attend involve behaviours that are entirely preventable. When people choose to speed, drive carelessly or recklessly, use their phone at the wheel or get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs, they are taking a risk not just with their own life, but with the lives of others.”

"Alongside other forces nationally, Avon and Somerset Police also encourages the public to play an active role in promoting road safety by submitting JourneyCam footage of potential traffic offences including use of a mobile device at the wheel, dangerous overtaking or failure to wear a seatbelt."

However, they haven't staffed their reporting portal well enough. Whilst close passes and other offences with a 14-day statutory time limit are dealt with in time, phone cases are left on the back burner for three months, after which the footage drops off their system and reporters are being asked to re-upload it. They will only send out warning letters after this lengthy delay, as they consider that it's too late to prosecute without risk of it being deemed an abuse of process.

Bristol Cycling Campaign is taking up this resourcing issue with A&S.

 

[simongt]

“The vast majority of serious collisions we attend involve behaviours that are entirely preventable. When people choose to speed, drive carelessly or recklessly, use their phone at the wheel or get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs, they are taking a risk not just with their own life, but with the lives of others.”

All voluntary irresponsibility. A mandatory one year for any of these ban might focus their concentration.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Mobile phone use really annoys me

When I first had a mobile my ex always wanted me to have it switched on so I was available (yes - she was a "problem")

she got very very annoyed when she rang me on the way home and found that I had heard it ring and pulled off the main road and parked somewhere
hence taking longer to get home

even when I got a thing where I could use it hands-free - i.e an ear piece and a cheap mount - I refused to use it when driving because I just could not concentrate in the same way

In my opinion it would be fine by me to make it compulsory for a device to be in all cars that blocked mobile signals

although I reckon many people would complain like crazy

 

[Webbo2]

Round here it seems to be compulsory to be using the phone while driving your tractor. But given rarity of police who when they are about are usually scraping motor cyclists off the road. I suspect its unlikely they are ever going to get pulled

 

[Alex321]

In my opinion it would be fine by me to make it compulsory for a device to be in all cars that blocked mobile signals

although I reckon many people would complain like crazy

And reasonably so.

Drivers should not generally be using their phone while driving, but thee is no reason passengers shouldn't.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

And reasonably so.

Drivers should not generally be using their phone while driving, but thee is no reason passengers shouldn't.

Good point
but that would not be the only thing people would complain about`!

 

[DRM]

And reasonably so.

Drivers should not generally be using their phone while driving, but thee is no reason passengers shouldn't.

Also many people may be using Google/Apple maps or Waze, as a sat nav, as well as streaming music, setting it going before driving away, one good thing with Google maps is find a business that your looking for, and it directs you to the gate

 

[Electric_Andy]

there shouldn't really be an excuse or indeed a reason to use your mobile when driving now. even my Google Pixel 7, released in 2022, can be set up with Google Assistant. I can tell it to play anything, or phone someone, or read any (unread) messages out loud. without ever having to touch the phone. I don't actually do that, as I think if it's urgent then the person can ring me