Penalties for using a mobile phone when driving to double

[Bellend Sebastian]

A good thing, for sure, but as RAC man says, you've got to get caught and that's a big part of the problem.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37389800

 

As a modern twat I am of course glued to my phone to the detriment of actual interpersonal relationships, but I wouldn't dream of texting/looking at social media/pornhub/playing clash of clans while driving and I'm incredulous that people do this. Will it help?

 

The story of that bloke that got caught 8 times or something and persuaded the magistrate to let him keep his license weeks before he killed a cyclist is one of the bleakest tales I've heard in a long time

[yorkie1999]

About time, but what is the difference between texting on a mobile and writing in a destination/ watching the screen on a sat nav or browsing through your song list on your cars media centre. Too many distractions.

[urban.spaceman]

Like a lot of people I expect I'm guilty of glimpsing at my phone but I stop short of texting or actually using it. A friend of mine in Cape Town back in April was walking with me and some mates to a beach in Kalk Bay - Andrew got a phone call so lagged behind; told us he was going for some lunch anyway. We found the beach and chilled out for a bit, wondering if he'd lost us - actually what had happened was just after we'd found the beach, he was 100 metres behind us, still on his phone. There was a bit of a traffic jam down the road and some idiot driver looked up too late from his phone, decided the best course of action was not to crash into the car in front, but to swerve onto the pavement, hitting Andrew with such force that the paramedics found him about 3 metres away from the pavement in the middle of the road. He had such bad injuries that he was airlifted to hospital but was declared brain dead almost immediately. He died a few days later - only 31 and with a wife and son. He was a really awesome guy (and would rave about how well Leicester were doing) taken decades too soon.

 

After that I've not touched my phone in the car. It's just not worth running the risk.

[Wymsey]

But what if any incoming call or text was a personal emergency?

[Buce]

11 minutes ago, Wymeswold fox said:

But what if any incoming call or text was a personal emergency?

 

You pull over and park.

[Facecloth]

11 minutes ago, Wymeswold fox said:

But what if any incoming call or text was a personal emergency?

 

Then you pull over and take it like you would any call or text.  You don't know it's an emergency until you answer anyway.

[EastAnglianFox]

Still not enough of a deterrent for those who cannot put their phone away for a car journey. An immediate 6 month ban if caught would do the trick.

 

Whenever I'm a passenger and go past a driver who's on the phone, ill pretend to start videoing them on mine, they know they are doing wrong as they soon chuck it down and give me the middle finger

 

 

 

[pSinatra]

It needs to be enforced.  We all see people using their mobiles when they shouldn't but the only time I ever hear it being mentioned is as evidence when prosecuting someone for a death.

 

That's terrible Urban Spaceman & I wonder exactly how important the mobile phone call was that the driver was taking that he would risk the lives of everyone around him.  A friend of mine in the very early days of mobiles (before it was illegal to use one whilst driving I think) was cleared up at a bus stop by someone using their mobile.  Fortunately, he wasn't killed but both his legs were shattered, he's got metal pins & screws throughout his body & he had to have his spleen removed.  He walks with a limp & he still suffers from pain 20 years later (particularly in cold/damp weather).

 

No phone call is that important - never mind twitter/facebook & all that other social media shit.  I can't think of a single call that is so important that it would need to be taken when driving, that can't wait until it's safe to do so.  I see people on their mobiles when driving several times a day & usually in cars that would have built in bluetooth, so really they don't have any excuse.  They're in their bubble, safe & balls to anyone else.

[GaelicFox]

Load of bollox this,  phones still only cause a small fraction of all crashes 

 

speed  and stupid driving causes most 

 

minimum sentance of 15 years for death by dangerous driving 

 

12 points means an automatic 12 month licence suspension ... No excuses 

 

and any driver under 21 gets a 6 month ban for any speeding or phone offence 

 

if they repeat again within 6 months is a 12 month ban 

 

all under 21's banned from driving between 11pm and 5am 

 

all under 21's banned from carrying more than one passenger 

 

penalties for breaching these 12 month driving bans 

 

and GPS tracking and monitoring fitted to every car by insurance companies ! 

 

 

 

this will reduce casualties and accidents dramatically !!! 

 

 

[Larry_LCFC]

Good. Frightening amount of idiots haven't got the message and continue to use their phones. Deserve everything they get.

[Webbo]

Don't see how increasing the penalties will make any difference. People do this because they think they won't be caught, they don't even consider the punishment.

[Beliall]

Should just fit cars with signal blocking technology so it's impossible to use mobile devices inside.

 

 

 

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, GaelicFox said:

Load of bollox this,  phones still only cause a small fraction of all crashes 

 

speed  and stupid driving causes most 

 

minimum sentance of 15 years for death by dangerous driving 

 

12 points means an automatic 12 month licence suspension ... No excuses 

 

and any driver under 21 gets a 6 month ban for any speeding or phone offence 

 

if they repeat again within 6 months is a 12 month ban 

 

all under 21's banned from driving between 11pm and 5am 

 

all under 21's banned from carrying more than one passenger 

 

penalties for breaching these 12 month driving bans 

 

and GPS tracking and monitoring fitted to every car by insurance companies ! 

 

 

 

this will reduce casualties and accidents dramatically !!! 

 

 

You might want to try getting the last word of each sentence to rhyme and add more punctuation to create a rhythm. Otherwise, not a bad poem.

[GaelicFox]

4 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

You might want to try getting the last word of each sentence to rhyme and add more punctuation to create a rhythm. Otherwise, not a bad poem.

[Facecloth]

I was thinking about this the other day when they were talking about it on tv, and was wondering if it's so widespread because it's easy to try. Most people wouldn't even think of driving drunk and aren't often in a position to even be tempted to do so, but we all drive with our phones, it rings whilst you're driving and the thought goes through your head that you'll just see who it is. That's why I think it'll be so hard to stamp out, not only is it hard to police but it's now a mindset amongst many that are confident to drive whilst on the phone. They've slipped into a bad habit and it'll be hard to get them out of it, especially if they see people are rarely punished, no matter how severe you make the punishment.

[urban.spaceman]

36 minutes ago, Beliall said:

Should just fit cars with signal blocking technology so it's impossible to use mobile devices inside.

 

 

 

 

Despite what I said above I don't think that's a good idea - passengers still have right use their phones while drivers still need theirs in an emergency 

[Vacamion]

 

 

Most at modern cars have Bluetooth with hands free voice activated use.

 

It's easy to sync the phone to the car, then I can call people from the car without my hands leaving the wheel.  

 

I try not to use it too much and defo not if there are any tricky driving conditions, but if you are stop / starting in 1st gear in heavy traffic or on the open road with the cruise control on, I really don't see the harm.

 

 

 

 

[Strokes]

Yeah I have a parrot hands free and it's brilliant because I always get work calls whilst driving. I have been done for using my phone whilst driving before, which is why I bought the hands free. I think the suggested penalty is about right and an unmarked police car operation would catch thousands, whilst getting the message out that this is unacceptable.

[grth2004]

Apparently you can still get convicted for using hands free , I was told this on a safety course , it's a grey area but if your in an accident and using hands free they will use it against you 

[reynard]

16 hours ago, Vacamion said:

 

 

Most at modern cars have Bluetooth with hands free voice activated use.

 

It's easy to sync the phone to the car, then I can call people from the car without my hands leaving the wheel.  

 

I try not to use it too much and defo not if there are any tricky driving conditions, but if you are stop / starting in 1st gear in heavy traffic or on the open road with the cruise control on, I really don't see the harm.

 

 

 

 

Pretty much agree with this. However, I used to do this but found if engaged in a hands free conversation I really couldn't recall the drive and have now just consigned the phone to the glove compartment when I drive. Find I'm concentrating much better now.  I do think even hands free there is something about a phone call whilst driving which is just inherently dangerous.

[purpleronnie]

Bad enough having to dodge people in the street who stare at their phone as they walk.  So i'm all for increased fines for selfish drivers who risk their own and more importantly other peoples lives. 

[DB11]

6 hours ago, grth2004 said:

Apparently you can still get convicted for using hands free , I was told this on a safety course , it's a grey area but if your in an accident and using hands free they will use it against you 

Only for driving without due care and attention if your attention was diverted as a result of the handsfree call. But you could say that for anything, dealing with kids in the back playing up for example. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

When that woman was convicted for the accident that killed those two Polish kids, the fact she was talking on her hands free just prior to it was used in the case against her.

 

Obviously talking on a hands free isn't illegal in itself, but the research suggests it's a big impairment to driving ability so it's not going to look good even if an accident's not your fault

[grth2004]

25 minutes ago, DB11 said:

Only for driving without due care and attention if your attention was diverted as a result of the handsfree call. But you could say that for anything, dealing with kids in the back playing up for example. 

I know what your saying and I agree with you but the info I had was from the police who said they can prosecute for using hands free. Like you say it does seem ridiculous but that's the way it's going.

[DB11]

18 minutes ago, grth2004 said:

I know what your saying and I agree with you but the info I had was from the police who said they can prosecute for using hands free. Like you say it does seem ridiculous but that's the way it's going.

Yeah, and I'm saying they can prosecute you for using hands free. The offence is driving without due care and attention.