Daggers Posted 26 February 2007 Posted 26 February 2007 On the eve of new legislation allowing the doubling of fines and a three point addition to your licence, will someone please explain to me how talking on a hands-free in the car is any worse than talking to a passenger? Personally, I think it should be shit drivers that are banned...not the devices that I have used in cars without managing to kill anyone or have any accidents whatsoever. How many dumb****s have I followed where the two people in the front of the car spend more time looking at each other than I have ever looked at my wife? The roads are full of morons - it isn't the mobile phone that is the problem, it's the dickhead using it. Make driving tests harder - make people re-take driving tests more frequently...let me continue to have a sandwich, change a CD or take a hands-free call. Grr.
cisono Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 On the eve of new legislation allowing the doubling of fines and a three point addition to your licence, will someone please explain to me how talking on a hands-free in the car is any worse than talking to a passenger? Personally, I think it should be shit drivers that are banned...not the devices that I have used in cars without managing to kill anyone or have any accidents whatsoever. How many dumb****s have I followed where the two people in the front of the car spend more time looking at each other than I have ever looked at my wife? The roads are full of morons - it isn't the mobile phone that is the problem, it's the dickhead using it. Make driving tests harder - make people re-take driving tests more frequently...let me continue to have a sandwich, change a CD or take a hands-free call. Grr. It is against the government's policy to prevent us from having passengers. (Also not very green)
Daggers Posted 27 February 2007 Author Posted 27 February 2007 Drivers face new phone penalties Motorists who use hand-held mobile phones while driving will now face tougher penalties. The maximum fixed penalty fine has doubled to £60, and three points can be added to offenders' licences. Motorists will also be prosecuted for using a hands-free phone if they are not in control of their vehicle. Transport minister Dr Stephen Ladyman said those who flouted the law were "selfishly" endangering others
Dr The Singh Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 On the eve of new legislation allowing the doubling of fines and a three point addition to your licence, will someone please explain to me how talking on a hands-free in the car is any worse than talking to a passenger? Personally, I think it should be shit drivers that are banned...not the devices that I have used in cars without managing to kill anyone or have any accidents whatsoever. How many dumb****s have I followed where the two people in the front of the car spend more time looking at each other than I have ever looked at my wife? The roads are full of morons - it isn't the mobile phone that is the problem, it's the dickhead using it. Make driving tests harder - make people re-take driving tests more frequently...let me continue to have a sandwich, change a CD or take a hands-free call. Grr. Grrrr, I nearly got killed by a bus today, the bloody driver didn't even bother to look and just pulled out!! A bluetooth device these days costs around £20, people are just lazy!!
Zingari Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 i don't think the the penalties are meant to be applied to " hands free " ; its people using hand held and texting that are being targeted the hands free element only comes in if they are found to be not in control of the vehicle I think; but how that is proved I dunno. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6399407.stm
davieG Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 Motorists will also be prosecuted for using a hands-free phone if they are not in control of their vehicle. Surely the key point is "if they are not in control of their vehicle" and that would apply to any driver with or without a hands free phone, it would also, except in extreme situations be very difficult to prove.
Suffolk_fox Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 But you can still set fire to something in your car, put it in your mouth and unleash a cocktail of poisonous substances into your bloodstream........
stez Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 i think it was on central news east (serving the east midlands for 25 years © ) last night when they had some bod on who tried to do the alphabet while driving to show how much concentration should be taken up by driving. the difference between talking on a phone or hands free and to a passenger is that a passenger can also see what you having to negotiate while you're on the road a disembodied voice in a mobile device can't, and can't shut up while you negotiate an obstacle (nagging, passenger seat driving, wives excluded) and like davieG said, you can be stopped and charged for anything (eating, talking, smoking, messing with the wireless etc) if it's causing you to drive in a dangerous manner
Suffolk_fox Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 i think it was on central news east (serving the east midlands for 25 years © ) last night when they had some bod on who tried to do the alphabet while driving to show how much concentration should be taken up by driving. the difference between talking on a phone or hands free and to a passenger is that a passenger can also see what you having to negotiate while you're on the road a disembodied voice in a mobile device can't, and can't shut up while you negotiate an obstacle (nagging, passenger seat driving, wives excluded) and like davieG said, you can be stopped and charged for anything (eating, talking, smoking, messing with the wireless etc) if it's causing you to drive in a dangerous manner When was the last time you saw a motorist pulled over for smoking?
stez Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 When was the last time you saw a motorist pulled over for smoking? i tend not to look, i'm concetrating on the road. but i guess if a crash or summat was caused by someone panicking because they'd dropped a fag in their lap that would be enough........to be fair to me the law has only just been made harsher
Geo V Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 On the eve of new legislation allowing the doubling of fines and a three point addition to your licence, will someone please explain to me how talking on a hands-free in the car is any worse than talking to a passenger? Personally, I think it should be shit drivers that are banned...not the devices that I have used in cars without managing to kill anyone or have any accidents whatsoever. How many dumb****s have I followed where the two people in the front of the car spend more time looking at each other than I have ever looked at my wife? The roads are full of morons - it isn't the mobile phone that is the problem, it's the dickhead using it. Make driving tests harder - make people re-take driving tests more frequently...let me continue to have a sandwich, change a CD or take a hands-free call. Grr. To me. its more dangerous cranking up the volume on the system than a bloody phone conversation. In the event you have one ear out of commision with the hands free, the other one helps out on external noises like someone screaming or slamming the breaks or even police/ambulance sirens. On the odd occasion I turn my music up really high in the car I can admit that it shuts out all exterior noise and must be so much more dangerous. With the moronic boy racers driving around with the music on full blast whether its 8am or midnight, they must be considered more dangerous than people having a low sound phone conversation?? As for the "dickheads using it" as you put it, I couldnt agree more. They are more idiotic down here in London than anywhere I have lived. How some people are allowed behind a steeringwheel is beyond me.
MC Prussian Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 "Why are mobile phones SO evil in cars?" Because they just don't know how to drive.
lookwhaticando Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 "Why are mobile phones SO evil in cars?" Because they just don't know how to drive. Give it 10 years and your phone will flush your toilet, brush your teeth, wipe your arse and indeed drive your car for you. <--/ Visionary. -->
Daggers Posted 27 February 2007 Author Posted 27 February 2007 When was the last time you saw a motorist pulled over for smoking? I'm prepared to bet this owner has had more than their fair share of tugs
Suffolk_fox Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 I'm prepared to bet this owner has had more than their fair share of tugs Oh, I think people who do that behind the wheel should definitely be stopped by the police......
Jon the Hat Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 As for the "dickheads using it" as you put it, I couldnt agree more. They are more idiotic down here in London than anywhere I have lived. How some people are allowed behind a steeringwheel is beyond me. You haven't lived in Paris then
MC Prussian Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 You haven't lived in Paris then Or the beautiful Canadian province of Québec. Do not attempt to pull a stunt with your car there, because they'll remember it bloody well: (French-speaking people will understand the joke)
Suffolk_fox Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 Any French speakers care to share this with me? Edited: Ah yes, very good. I love Google/wiki
lookwhaticando Posted 27 February 2007 Posted 27 February 2007 Or the beautiful Canadian province of Québec. Do not attempt to pull a stunt with your car there, because they'll remember it bloody well: (French-speaking people will understand the joke) Actually... in Quebec it's best not to do anything with a car... not even drive it. I live 5 minutes away from the province, and the some drivers in Greater Gatineau are a danger to themselves and others... some real idiotic drivers over there. Mind you, there's quite a few dumbasses behind the wheel this side of the border too, so perhaps it's a national problem.
Nationwider Posted 28 February 2007 Posted 28 February 2007 On the subject of cities full of psychopathic drivers, I give you Barcelona. Driving from Sants station to Girona knocked years off my life in stress. More on topic, loud sound systems can definitely knock your concentration whilst driving, in my experience. More so with music than with talk-radio. When I drive to work, I can guarantee I will see at least one person (usually more) using a handset whilst driving - on the short (but very fast and full) stretch of the A19 I use. It gets right on me thru'penny bits.
Jon the Hat Posted 28 February 2007 Posted 28 February 2007 This is just one more in a long line of pointless unenforceable legislation from a government more concerned with being SEEN to be doing something than actually doing it. The number of people who get caught will be so insignificant to be pointless. And who cares about £60? What this needs is the same as every other activity which causes accidents. If you actually HAVE an accident when talking on your phone, you should be severely punished in line with the severity of the injury / damage you cause someone else. If you don't cause an accident, then you shouldn't. Simple. No need for numerous laws for numerous different causes, all in response to populist media campaigns. Just come down like a ton of bricks on those who actually cause damage. The law is there. Use it.
Zingari Posted 28 February 2007 Posted 28 February 2007 This is just one more in a long line of pointless unenforceable legislation from a government more concerned with being SEEN to be doing something than actually doing it. The number of people who get caught will be so insignificant to be pointless. And who cares about £60? What this needs is the same as every other activity which causes accidents. If you actually HAVE an accident when talking on your phone, you should be severely punished in line with the severity of the injury / damage you cause someone else. If you don't cause an accident, then you shouldn't. Simple. No need for numerous laws for numerous different causes, all in response to populist media campaigns. Just come down like a ton of bricks on those who actually cause damage. The law is there. Use it. not saying i disagree with you but you could put the same argument for drink driving ie only prosecute if an accident is proved to be caused by the drink driver
Jon the Hat Posted 28 February 2007 Posted 28 February 2007 not saying i disagree with you but you could put the same argument for drink driving ie only prosecute if an accident is proved to be caused by the drink driver It is different though, because when you are drunk you can't stop being drunk to concentrate, and you have broken the law by getting behind the wheel in the first place. Also it can be proven that you are over the limit with independent testing, and there is actually evidence which proves it slows your reactions universally. Mobile phones on the other hand have not been proven any more distracting than smoking, listening to the radio or a host of other activities whcih are a bad idea when you are driving, and which most people do.
davieG Posted 28 February 2007 Posted 28 February 2007 not saying i disagree with you but you could put the same argument for drink driving ie only prosecute if an accident is proved to be caused by the drink driver Also how about attempted murder, try to shoot someone if you miss well you haven't done any harm have you?
Jon the Hat Posted 28 February 2007 Posted 28 February 2007 Also how about attempted murder, try to shoot someone if you miss well you haven't done any harm have you? That is different again. You would only be charged with attempted murder if your intention was to kill someone. Do you answer a mobile phone with the intention of causign a crash? Either way, the point is you know if you kill someone with a gun you will go to prison. The same is not true with a car, so that is the problem.
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