Hands-free phone ban for drivers 'should be considered'

[Bellend Sebastian]

1 hour ago, Fktf said:

I've delivered lectures on this topic - the findings they report in this article are accurate. Interestingly (if you like this stuff), having a conversation with passengers in the car doesn't create the same distraction - it is something about the artificial nature of conversations on phones.

As usual, the way this is reported in most places presents half a story and omits the bit that's significant, in that there's a mounting body of evidence that the use of hands free phones in cars carries measurable risks.

 

It's interesting because this committee of MPs haven't come up with this idea themselves - they'll have been given data that suggests this is a problem that should be addressed, so they 'put it out there' and everyone gets furious.

 

Even more interesting is that I got pissed the other night with a pair of data scientists, and one of them was saying he finds his work frustrating as he and his colleagues produce huge amounts of data on any number of things that make it look obvious that something should be done about (and what needs to be done is often pretty obvious too), and this gets passed to the relevant government department and never sees the light ever again.

 

This thread may explain this phenomenon

 

 

[SouthStandUpperTier]

Everyone should be given their own chauffeur driven people carrier like in The Apprentice. And everyone should be made to talk into their phone with it held flat infront of them, like in said show.

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, Steven said:

Trust me, I enjoy the thrill of all 355 horses under the bonnet! 

And several cows, sheep and pigs, after he veered off the road, into the cattle market.

[spacemunky]

Pretty sure I should be banned from ever singing along 

[Steven]

1 minute ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

And several cows, sheep and pigs, after he veered off the road into the cattle market.

Only dead ones in a supermarket. The car is real "Chelsea tractor". 

[Captain...]

1 hour ago, Fktf said:

You run experiments - usually in simulators. One group of drivers talk on the phone, one group of drivers talk to a passenger, one group just drives. You measure things like dangerous driving behaviours (e.g. lane deviations), get people to recall any hazards they spotted on the drive when they've finished. The people on the phone usually perform much worse than those talking to the passenger.

 

The issue isn't physically operating devices, it is that you pay attention to the conversation at the expense of paying attention to the road, and for someone reason talking on the phone seems to take up a lot more of our attention than talking to someone in the seat next to you - I'm not sure why, but the data show it quite clearly.

I guess that makes sense, I never use my phone in the car, not because it's unsafe but normally I travelling with the missus so I get her to do it. I think the difference with phones and having a conversation with someone in the car is they can also see the road conditions and my missus knows if it is getting congested or tricky then I'm just going to tune out of the conversation and concentrate on the road, she can keep on talking but I just stop listening. You can't really do that on the phone.

[Guest Fktf]

11 minutes ago, Captain... said:

I guess that makes sense, I never use my phone in the car, not because it's unsafe but normally I travelling with the missus so I get her to do it. I think the difference with phones and having a conversation with someone in the car is they can also see the road conditions and my missus knows if it is getting congested or tricky then I'm just going to tune out of the conversation and concentrate on the road, she can keep on talking but I just stop listening. You can't really do that on the phone.

I sometimes turn the radio off so I can see better! Like when going through a series of busy junctions that require lane changes (A5 at Cannock springs to mind). It's the same principle though - I don't want my attention divided.

[RoboFox]

6 hours ago, davieG said:

 

Joshua Harris, of road safety charity Brake, said research showed using a hands-free phone "can impair a driver in the same way as a hand-held device and so it makes sense that the law treats these acts equally".

"One moment's distraction from a phone can cause a lifetime of suffering so our advice to drivers is simple - when you're driving, make sure your phone is on silent and placed out of sight and out of reach," he said.

 

1 hour ago, Fktf said:

You run experiments - usually in simulators. One group of drivers talk on the phone, one group of drivers talk to a passenger, one group just drives. You measure things like dangerous driving behaviours (e.g. lane deviations), get people to recall any hazards they spotted on the drive when they've finished. The people on the phone usually perform much worse than those talking to the passenger.

 

The issue isn't physically operating devices, it is that you pay attention to the conversation at the expense of paying attention to the road, and for someone reason talking on the phone seems to take up a lot more of our attention than talking to someone in the seat next to you - I'm not sure why, but the data show it quite clearly.

 

Hi Josh. 

[yorkie1999]

3 hours ago, Finnegan said:

One of the most retarded things I've seen in ages. 

 

What about people driving around with a screaming kid having a tantrum in the back? 

Ejector seats

[Guest Fktf]

58 minutes ago, RoboFox said:

 

 

Hi Josh. 

Busted!

 

Nah, that isn't me, but the data do support what he says.

[FoxesDeb]

I'm not sure why anyone would object to this tbh. If the data shows it's dangerous we should stop. It's been my company policy for some time now, not just for staff but customers too. It took some getting used to, but anything that makes the roads safer for everyone gets the thumbs up from me. 

[LiberalFox]

Lot's of things are dangerous, doesn't mean we should ban them.

[pSinatra]

I actually agree with this, mainly because I hate being constantly 'available'.

 

- Why didn't you answer your phone?

 

- I was driving

 

- But you've got hands-free

 

- So fvcking what

[yorkie1999]

12 minutes ago, LiberalFox said:

Lot's of things are dangerous, doesn't mean we should ban them.

Or we could do what they do in most of europe, ban them, then carry on regardless cos there's no coppers to actually enforce the rules 

[FoxesDeb]

34 minutes ago, LiberalFox said:

Lot's of things are dangerous, doesn't mean we should ban them

Like what? What do thousands of people do every day that puts thousands of other completely innocent people at risk unnecessarily but deliberately? 

[Countryfox]

8 hours ago, davieG said:

 

Doesn't apply to me as i can't talk on the phone.

 

 

What do you do on it then Davie ?? ...    or shouldn't I ask ...     

[Countryfox]

5 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

What about people driving around with a screaming kid having a tantrum in the back? 

 

 

I just wouldn't let you in my car ..   

[ScouseFox]

25 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

Like what? What do thousands of people do every day that puts thousands of other completely innocent people at risk unnecessarily but deliberately? 

drive, full stop. so many things could go wrong and there are loads of pretty innocent crashes that endanger road users and none road users. so we should probably not drive. or leave the house. or anything. 

[FoxesDeb]

8 minutes ago, ScouseFox said:

drive, full stop. so many things could go wrong and there are loads of pretty innocent crashes that endanger road users and none road users. so we should probably not drive. or leave the house. or anything. 

I get that. But to me this is similar to when we all drank and drove before we knew better. Or when none of us wore seat belts, before we knew better. Most of us lived to laugh about it, but plenty died. Now both practices are banned, so there are fewer deaths. Driving in itself is a risk, one that most of us take every day. But why knowingly choose to increase the risk unnecessarily? 

Tbh I think you have to be a bit of a cvnt to be so selfish that making your hair appointment, or arranging for Bob the builder to fix your woodburner or whatever on the way home from work is more important than lives. 

Just wait until you are stopped, just like we all did until fairly recently. 

[davieG]

43 minutes ago, Countryfox said:

 

What do you do on it then Davie ?? ...    or shouldn't I ask ...     

Anything but talk. Actually anything but listening.

[Guest Fktf]

1 hour ago, FoxesDeb said:

I'm not sure why anyone would object to this tbh. If the data shows it's dangerous we should stop. It's been my company policy for some time now, not just for staff but customers too. It took some getting used to, but anything that makes the roads safer for everyone gets the thumbs up from me. 

What line of work are you in? (If you don't mind saying that is). I ask because I'm struggling to think of a company/sector that could, or would, ask that of customers.. 

[FoxesDeb]

Just now, Fktf said:

What line of work are you in? (If you don't mind saying that is). I ask because I'm struggling to think of a company/sector that could, or would, ask that of customers.. 

I work for a well known British energy company  It's been probably about 3 years now that employees have not been allowed to talk to each other, or take part in conference calls whilst driving. For at least 12 months now that has extended to customers, so if one of my customers calls me, even on hands free, I'm not allowed to talk to them. Tbf I get very little push back, most just pull over, or call back when they are stationary. 

[ScouseFox]

37 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

I get that. But to me this is similar to when we all drank and drove before we knew better. Or when none of us wore seat belts, before we knew better. Most of us lived to laugh about it, but plenty died. Now both practices are banned, so there are fewer deaths. Driving in itself is a risk, one that most of us take every day. But why knowingly choose to increase the risk unnecessarily? 

Tbh I think you have to be a bit of a cvnt to be so selfish that making your hair appointment, or arranging for Bob the builder to fix your woodburner or whatever on the way home from work is more important than lives. 

Just wait until you are stopped, just like we all did until fairly recently. 

i think having a 20 second conversation with my mate or my ma saying “on my way to yours, want anything from the shop?” whilst driving is a bit different to having 8 pints and trying to drive home. 

[Strokes]

Since the rise in popularity of mobile phones, drivers have noticeably become more distracted.

I do use my Bluetooth hands free as I’m constantly hassled by work passing on jobs etc. I’d welcome a ban. It would help me immeasurably. I’ll probably turn all mine off now it’s a proven distraction now anyway.

[Jattdogg]

Having a wank and receiving oral whilst driving is all game though right?