[Closed] Driving whilst on the phone.......

Not sure what's worse that ^ or people stopping and parking in the middle of the road for a chat.

Well, plenty of people don't do it, and plenty of people do get caught for it.

But I know what you're saying, loads of people still do it.

I can drive to work in my car (15 miles) and see maybe 3-4 doing it. Same journey in the work wagon, hardly ever see one.

Haha i havent encountered that one just yet....i'll be looking for it now though!

I know a cop. He told me mobile users and drivers crossing white lines always get pulled, unless he's on a rush job. He explains that he's been to fatals caused by both and asks the drivers not to. The 'attitude test' then applies.

people who use the phone when driving are tossers

(but I do possibly still hold the record for eating a Kentucky 2 piece, chips and portion of ribs whilst steering with yer knees)

well if its a liveried /branded company vehicle, phone their boss,

What I don't get is why people do it whilst negotiating hazards.

Before the legislation came in, I'd sometimes use the phone whilst driving. But I'd always go, "oops, hold on a second" and drop the phone in my lap to go round a roundabout or suchlike.

Whats the general consensus on hands free then? My company have a total ban on use when driving, this came on new years day and it's made my job a nightmare to be honest

You have the young girls who drive Minis....look like something off the only way is Essex, who cant seem to drive without texting or using the phone.

To be fair girls can be quite good at multitasking

[img] [/img]

Boils my piss. Selfish twunts.

[i]Whats the general consensus on hands free then? [/i]

Been hands free for years, basically since the early 90's - don't believe that its any worse than listen to the radio, and certainly no where as bad as your average old lady/chav/AL driver.

Waits to be shot down 🙂

Whats the general consensus on hands free then?

Been hands free for years, basically since the early 90's - don't believe that its any worse than listen to the radio, and certainly no where as bad as your average old lady/chav/AL driver.

Waits to be shot down

You see, I'd agree. When I came out of my time in 2000, i was given a van with hands free, and a mobile to go in the cradle. I don't know if it's years of doing it, without incident that's made me think it safe, of if it actually is safe. It's been a ball ache this year because we can't use it

Hands free has been "banned" at our company and I agree. Used to have a boss who always rang in on his way to work in a morning, wanted to know the ins and outs of any night shift problems and it was clear that he was not devoting any of his limited intellect to his driving.

Young girls facebooking on the motorway was a favorite when I was lorry driving. Smartphones and driving are and accident waiting to happen.

Check out oncoming driver's eyes - loads will be looking at their lap, where the phone is.

there's some published stuff suggestng that hands-free is pretty much as dangerous as hand-held - supposedly it's the concentration that's lost rather than ability to physically control the car

if you're a sensible person I think you can proably tune out the phone regardless of how you're using it but it depends on the call I think.

I don't use a phone in the car but I have to tell my youngest daughter to shut up sometimes as she talks a lot and somehow in a way that you have to concentrate quite hard on what she's on about. I've missed turnings and stuff due to her so now I stop her when she's going off on one.

Isn't one of the most annoying things, when a woman is trying to navigate her way out of a shop car park whilst trying to turn the wheel with one hand and on the phone with the other?

[i]there's some published stuff suggestng that hands-free is pretty much as dangerous as hand-held - supposedly it's the concentration that's lost rather than ability to physically control the car[/i]

tbh I'm still waiting for them to ban manual cars, its in the same vein. And I go back to the fact that there are an awful lot of drivers who really are just crap.

And its top fun when commuting on a motorbike that when you pass/filter and the driver is on a hand-phone, just sound the horn - half the time they panic and drop it, especially when you've a white bike and wear a 'bright' jacket 🙂

It makes no sense that people can still drive while smoking - surely holding a smouldering piece of vegetation can't be safe?

surely holding a smouldering piece of vegetation can't be safe?

In the days when I smoked I would always leave the cigarette in my mouth as I drove, I found it more practical and it made look well hard.

Although to avoid the smoke entering my eyes and stinging them I would have almost close them until I could just peer at the road ahead through tiny slits in my almost closed eyelids, which wasn't so practical - although it did make me look even harder.

if you crash and/kill/maim/hurt someone and you were on the phone, cops will be able to ascertain if you were on the phone at the time. can measure distance to distance etc, and use your mobile supplier info given the right circumstances.

Does my head in, always make a point of having a go when I can. One example, woman at a busy island (with lights) in Nottingham, me and a friend waiting (on bikes) and this woman is sat gassing away, so I shout full blast "WHAT YOU DOING?" "OI" a foot away from her car. Shat herself, dropped the phone. Didn't even look at me..

Anyone who drives on the phone deserves to crash into a ravine. HATE IT

surely holding a smouldering piece of vegetation can't be safe?

there's some published stuff suggestng that hands-free is pretty much as dangerous as hand-held - supposedly it's the concentration that's lost rather than ability to physically control the car

I'd be interested to hear how they suggest passengers, particularly children, come up score-wise on that test though - and there's no way they'd ban that. That said, I daily see people driving around in rush hour traffic with no control of their car, swerving about and paying no attention because they're on the phone.

I'll admit I've had a CU80 for this and I'm fine with admitting I shouldn't have been doing it and it was a bit daft, though (as with many a criminal!) I think my actions were not putting anyone at risk when I was pulled - VERY late at night on large but empty junction I momentarily picked up the phone when the lights stopped me to listen to directions from someone who was telling me where to be, I hadn't been having a conversation, they were on speaker phone and I'd waited until I came to a stop to pick up the phone to hear it better and then put it back down again when the lights changed. No other traffic on the road, at all, no pedestrian walkways near where I was, no pedestrians around for maybe 800 yards in any direction and a cop car sat down a dark side road with his lights off spotted me and pulled me.

When you look at the potential for damage caused by that infringement and then realise that there are millions of people driving along with a lit burny sticks, waffling to their kids in the back or changing the stereo, it's a farce that I get points and they get nothing unless they crash.

Cuz I see women trying to turn the steering wheel with a fag between their fingers and it definitely looks a lot harder to manoeuvre - not to mention if you knock the cherry onto the floor!!!

I wish I'd rung the AA when I saw one of their instructors (in a liveried driving school car) on his mobile driving up to a roundabout with zebra crossing in my local high street...

Not a lot of hope really when you see that kind of stuff...

There's a frightening statistic; something along the lines of a high percentage of phones found in car crashes had 'activity' on them seconds before the crash time (call/message received).

What gets me is people PULLING OUT of a parking space, truck-spinning the wheel, while on the phone! You were just parked dickh£ad - at.east finish the call!

DrP

What gets me is people PULLING OUT of a parking space, truck-spinning the wheel, while on the phone! You were just parked dickh£ad - at.east finish the call!

it definitely looks a lot harder to manoeuvre - not to mention if you knock the cherry onto the floor!!!

On the floor is fine. Between your legs is more problematic, as you try to stand whilst groping frantically on the seat with one hand, the other one on the steering wheel, and as you attempt to keep the vehicle correctly positioned on the road. It's takes quite a bit of skill really.

Indeed DrP, not really much excuse in any situation but madness if you're in a parking spot already.

That said, it's started a lovely new craze of parking in a stupid place just to take a call and not be driving. This week I've seen:

On a roundabout, twice
In a slip road off a NSL dual carriageway
on a blind country road bend
across a side road, because pulling in completely would have been too tricky and required turning around to continue the journey.

Madness.

Talking on a phone, hands free or not, is absolutely not the same thing as smoking a fag, changing gear or even talking to a passenger.

The key difference is that you can't see the person you're talking to on the phone and they can't see you, which means you lose all the non-verbal communication that would be present with someone in the car. It's also why it's harder to hold a conversation with someone in the back seat compared to someone in the front seat - which is why children in the back can be a serious distraction.

I read the research on talking using hands free being just as dangerous as not as well. It looked pretty sound and is based on the degree of concentration needed to hold the conversation in the absence of NVC.

Think about it like this; if you suddenly stopped talking for 10 seconds while on the phone to someone it would seem pretty odd and they would probably hang up or think there was a problem. If that person was in the car with you and could see that there was a tricky junction to negotiate then you wouldn't need to explain the problem.

People on their phones while driving boils my p--s as well and I tend to get pretty interventionist about it. I routinely hold people up at lights, get out of the car to remonstrate and generally be a fascist about it, especially people in supermarket car parks.

And I couldn't give a flying f--k what anyone says - I will keep doing it because the next person they kill could be my child or theirs.

The key difference is that you can't see the person you're talking to on the phone and they can't see you, which means you lose all the non-verbal communication that would be present with someone in the car. It's also why it's harder to hold a conversation with someone in the back seat compared to someone in the front seat - which is why children in the back can be a serious distraction.

I don't find it any harder to have a conversation with anyone in the rear or the front, when I can see them or not? It's vocal conversation, not gestures and facial movements - it's not like youre flirting in a noisy pub. Smoking is, in my experience, as much of a danger as holding a phone - I've seen the exact same stupid concentration and control issues with both first hand. I also don't get the distraction idea when on hands free, as if someone going silent for 10 seconds means the conversation has ended. When I hit the hands free answer button I say "hi, I'm driving" - so anyone talking to me knows I may go silent while chatting if I need to concentrate specifically. Everyone I know who uses hands free does the same thing, people do have some common sense. IT's not like everyone panics and starts saying "hello, hello, are you still there?" when you go silent.

People on their phones while driving boils my p--s as well and I tend to get pretty interventionist about it. I routinely hold people up at lights, get out of the car to remonstrate and generally be a fascist about it, especially people in supermarket car parks.

And I couldn't give a flying f--k what anyone says - I will keep doing it because the next person they kill could be my child or theirs.

That's just a bit daft and internet hero-y of you though, you're going to achieve nothing but angering the people you've confronted and the other drivers in the area. Surely you're not daft enough to think your intervention will alter people's actions? That's like trying to stop people from speeding by whining at them at the lights.

Surely you're not daft enough to think your intervention will alter people's actions?

While I'm stationary at the green light and don't move until they're off the phone, at that point, I am changing their behaviour and making the roads a little safer.

And really, I don't need to be an internet hero - I can more than handle myself and most situations thanks.

I don't find it any harder to have a conversation with anyone in the rear or the front, when I can see them or not?

Whatever..... the research is pretty soild and it's empirical so if you want to burry your head in the sand that's fine by me.

Geetee I agree with what your saying and your right phones should my be used but getting out to people will get you locked up buddy

but getting out to people will get you locked up buddy

I've done it a few times and honestly, each time the person has actually been very apologetic.

I can be very diplomatic, non threatening and persuasive. I tend to embelish the truth a little but it works and it makes people reflect 😀

geetee1972 - Member

I routinely hold people up at lights, get out of the car to remonstrate and generally be a fascist about it, especially people in supermarket car parks.

And I couldn't give a flying f--k what anyone says - I will keep doing it because the next person they kill could be my child or theirs.

You do realise that some people carry guns and knives on them whilst driving around don't you ?

Although of course I don't know whether or not you also do.

But I hardly think that's it's an issue worth having a blood bath over.

You do realise that some people carry guns and knives on them whilst driving around don't you ?

Yeah, but not where I live 😀

You're right, its not worth a blood bath over.

Back to the OP

Surely if you are seeing all that you're not concentrating on the road either?

Yeah, but not where I live

I'm glad you feel sure about that.

Last monday at 10pm my friends up the road from me (a couple) had an armed robbery at their home. Three geezers with hand guns and a machete beat the crap out of them, put a gun to his head, stole their money and jewellery, and then beat them up some more (just because they could) before driving off.

I dread to think what would have happened to anyone who might have wanted to give them a lecture on their driving skills.

Whatever..... the research is pretty soild and it's empirical so if you want to burry your head in the sand that's fine by me.

Fire me a link? Sounds like the truth being embelished to me... The other issue is all the research I've seen assumes the driver doesn't adjust their behaviour (such as speed) when being tested (much like the warwick research that just measured response time and made an assumption based on a fixed speed).

I'm not out to disprove it, it's just that in the interests of fairness I find most of the "tests" performed are critically flawed or not really representative of real life situations.

FWIW stopping at a green light isn't changing anyones behavious, it's just peeing them off. You can hope it makes them think but if you think it's going to affect them for more than the rest of the day I think you're the one burying your head, and risking worse.

I once got out of my car to check why someone was flashing me frantically, when I couldn't see what the problem was (Assumed lights out) I walked back towards them to ask what was up looking perfectly amicable. The woman literally nearly ran me down trying to get away from me - she clipped my feet as I dived out the way.

And really, I don't need to be an internet hero - I can more than handle myself and most situations thanks.

Geetee, earlier:

[img] [/img]

For me the car and weekends are mobile free times.

I do like the 'Tesco Shuffle' though, trying to use mobile and put the seatbelt on at the same time when leaving a parking space. Obviously a billisecond is too long to wait.

Coffeeking - so not only do you not need to use your headlights but you can drive safely using a phone - you really are a wonder.

Its amazing how one person can be such an incredible driver that they know better than the DVLA and the researchers

A substantial body of research shows that using a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone while driving is a significant distraction, and substantially increases the risk of the driver crashing.

Drivers who use a mobile phone, whether hand-held or hands-free:

are much less aware of what’s happening on the road around them
fail to see road signs
fail to maintain proper lane position and steady speed
are more likely to 'tailgate' the vehicle in front
react more slowly, take longer to brake and longer to stop
are more likely to enter unsafe gaps in traffic
feel more stressed and frustrated.

They are also four times more likely to crash, injuring or killing themselves and other people.

Using a hands-free phone while driving does not significantly reduce the risks because the problems are caused mainly by the mental distraction and divided attention of taking part in a phone conversation at the same time as driving.

http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/adviceandinformation/driving/mobilephoneswhiledriving/factsheet.aspx

Thanks TJ

Really Zokes there's no need to be so rude and disparaging. I am not 6ft 4', I'm only 6ft and I'm not a power lifter but I did spend 15 years training with a gentleman who also used to teach CQC Speztnas, FSB, SAS and Mossad so I learnt a few tricks. Mostly I learnt to be humble but confident.

I'm only 6ft

Short arse 😉

Oh dear.... from phones to part time secret agent in two tiny steps...

Good News! I'm off for a ride. Play nicely now 🙂

are much less aware of what’s happening on the road around them
fail to see road signs
fail to maintain proper lane position and steady speed
are more likely to 'tailgate' the vehicle in front
react more slowly, take longer to brake and longer to stop
are more likely to enter unsafe gaps in traffic
feel more stressed and frustrated.

Sounds like my mother in law. God knows what would happen if she answered the phone as well.

You'd get grief for doing something wrong?

I hate driving in traffic when you can see the person in the mirror behind is clearly texting and not concentrating. I have yet to get out of the car and remonstrate (following EL's line of thought) but always leave a much bigger gap in front just in case I have to react.

If only these people realised that mobiles are not only dangerous when driving but also the tobacco of our generation....exists swiftly for a ride 😉

Crawling through tow centre traffic on Friday there was an Asian chap in a blinged 5 series with a phone to each ear!

Really Zokes there's no need to be so rude and disparaging.

Sorry - I guess you probably use contacts instead of those glasses these days 😉

IMHO 3 points and a £60 fine are not enough of a consequence. I'd be looking at short-term bans of say a month for the first offence escalating through 3 and 6 before the final 12. I would also look at confiscation of the phone and number too, again for the same period as the ban.

I was behind a young girl who was texting while driving up the A605. She crossed over the white line several times and I beep my horn at one point as she was just not paying any attention. A bit further up the road she started playing with her phone again, a lorry was coming the other direction I started to slow up and honked my horn and the lorry driver slammed his brakes on honking his horn as she crossed the centre line and she just managed to swerve back over at the last minute just missing the lorry.

An ex work colleagues brother ended up in a wheel chair after a lorry hit him while he was on his bike. The lorry driver admitted in court he reached over for his mobile 🙁

The Swedish view seems correct...
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/04/12/sweden_not_banning_mobiles_in_cars/

(crazy Swedes!)

I would also look at confiscation of the phone and number too, again for the same period as the ban.

I think this would be the better thing - that really will make people think. Loss of work's number = loss of customers = loss of job. Loss of own number = loss of social life.

They would just go out and buy a new mobile.

They would just go out and buy a new mobile

And have to go through the palava of changing numbers. Don't know about you but if I had to change my number there would be quite a bit of collateral work as a result.

Your no.s aren't backed up?

Boils my pi$$ too. The amount of people on the phone seems to be getting worse and where they choose to do it gets stupider.

One of these days I am going to write down the reg and company of company vehicles and contact them. The law on not smoking in company vehicles seems to be forgotten now too.

I agree with handsfree being pretty much as bad as holding the phone. Talking to people in the car can be distracting but they are there with you which lowers the concentration needed as they can repeat/speak louder in response to noises around you, shut up if needed (hopefully) and are a lot clearer than someone on a speaker. I also agree with a lot of companies banning handsfree as well - just let people who REALLY need it use it and give them the best you can get. The reason they ban it is legal though - if the person kills someone when on the handsfree the bosses could get in trouble so they are really mainly protecting their own backs.

What really winds me up is people that pull away in car parks either on the phone or smoking and trying to navigate tight corners with a phone or cigarette in one hand. Why not finish what you are doing and then drive off? Idiots.

Shoot the people who drive whilst on their phone i say!

I just ****ing hate driving, I have about 100 calls a day and when I'm out and about in the van between sites it's just constantly ringing, I get to site the spend 10 freeking minutes catching up before I even get out of the van. I don't condone the use of phones in the car but when your job is split between driving and speaking to people it's a nightmare. Life was so much easier before bloody mobile phones, used to get given a phone card from work and was asked to call in once or twice a week. Maybe I should just take my mums example and only switch the thing on when I want to call someone.

Isn't it something like using your phone while driving is equivalent to being over drink drive limit a few times? In terms of concentration I believe.

So I question why it doesn't carry the same penalty - maybe people would get it into their thick skulls it's dangerous.

It's not even one of those selfish acts that really, it doesn't affect anyone else. If they veer onto the other side of the road and wipe out my family because they couldn't wait 10 minutes to text their boyfriend, that's a bit wrong.

Also a lot of people think it's acceptable to text when in a queue of traffic. Why? For me this is when concentration is needed the most, probably, lots of stopping and starting...

I just **** hate driving, I have about 100 calls a day and when I'm out and about in the van between sites it's just constantly ringing, I get to site the spend 10 freeking minutes catching up before I even get out of the van. I don't condone the use of phones in the car but when your job is split between driving and speaking to people it's a nightmare. Life was so much easier before bloody mobile phones, used to get given a phone card from work and was asked to call in once or twice a week. Maybe I should just take my mums example and only switch the thing on when I want to call someone.

Sorry but have you not heard of handsfree?

I once followed someone through a tunnel, could see she was texting as her head kept bobbing down. Came through other side of tunnel and there was a queue just as it split to three lanes. I pulled up and gave her some abuse through the window. She dropped the phone pretty sharpish then. Silly cow.

how is conversing on the phone different to chatting in the car/bickering kids/loud music?

Your no.s aren't backed up?

Yours might be, but all your mates / colleagues / clients have your old number. You'd be paying for two contracts etc...

Far more pain than 60 quid and 3 points IMO

. Driving performance under the influence of alcohol was significantly worse than normal driving, yet better than driving while using a phone.

http://www.trl.co.uk/online_store/reports_publications/trl_reports/cat_road_user_safety/report_how_dangerous_is_driving_with_a_mobile_phone?_benchmarking_the_impairment_to_alcohol.htm

[i]Isn't it something like using your phone while driving is equivalent to being over drink drive limit a few times? In terms of concentration I believe[/i]

Wouldn't know, never driven when over the limit - have you, or are you just guessing and/or making up facts?

Crawling through tow centre traffic on Friday there was an Asian chap in a blinged 5 series with a phone to each ear!

Drove past an Asian woman with a hands free kit the other day. She had the phone tucked into her headscarf.

I won't use the phone when in the car, except to check a text (and therefore stop my phone bleeping all the time) if I'm stopped at traffic lights.

One of my friends (who perhaps isn't the best driver anyway), doesn't seem to care and will happily text while driving. If he does it when I'm in the car with him I tell him not too, and I make my objections known if he ever texts me while he's driving (and it's obvious he has done so - i.e. "I'll be there in 15 minutes, I'm just getting off the motorway").

To me whether or not other things are just as bad, and yes lots of things are, using a phone is illegal and the other things aren't. I won't do lots of the other things either because I like to consider myself reasonably safe but driving whilst using a phone is illegal and therefore whether or not you "can" do it shouldn't make a difference.

Isn't it [b]something like[/b] using your phone while driving is [b]equivalent to being over drink drive limit a few times?[/b] In terms of concentration I believe

No, it's not.

It's nothing like that.

then again

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1885775.stm

http://www.directline.com/about_us/news_27022009.htm

equivalent to being over drink drive limit [b]a few times[/b]

Not according to either of those articles no..

One of my work colleagues is an appalling driver. speeds all the time and tailgates whilst using her phone.

The laws of averages caught up with her last week though when she got 6 points within 3 days. 47 in a 30 followed later by getting done for using her phone whilst speeding on the motorway.

Only the fact it wasn't traffic that stopped her on the motorway let her escape without another speeding charge as well.

Strangely, as yet, her driving hasn't changed. I predict a ban in the next couple of years.

Obviously 3 pts isn't enough of a deterrent. Maybe 6 pts meaning drivers caught once would be one step away from a ban would work.

there's some published stuff suggestng that hands-free is pretty much as dangerous as hand-held - supposedly it's the concentration that's lost rather than ability to physically control the car

tbh I'm still waiting for them to ban manual cars, its in the same vein. And I go back to the fact that there are an awful lot of drivers who really are just crap.

Different thing, it the concentration of holding a conversation with someone who is not with you

I'd be interested to hear how they suggest passengers, particularly children, come up score-wise on that test though - and there's no way they'd ban that.

A distraction (especially kid) but apparently its the way we interact with people on the phone is very different to if they are in the car and the way the people on the other end of the phone talk to the driver is different.

It is concluded that driving behaviour is impaired more during a phone conversation than by having a blood alcohol level at the UK legal limit (80mg / 100ml).

Wouldn't know, never driven when over the limit - have you, or are you just guessing and/or making up facts?

Neither, I just use my eyes and read something......

[quote=faz083]Isn't it something like using your phone while driving is [b]equivalent to being over drink drive limit a few times?[/b]

[quote=A Study]It is concluded that driving behaviour is impaired more during a phone conversation than by having a blood alcohol level [b]at the UK legal limit[/b] (80mg / 100ml).

[quote=faz083]....I just use my eyes and read something......

.
So did you deliberately Embelish what the study actually concluded then ?

Or did you go looking for it to back a statement you had already made, and that was the closest thing you could find maybe.

So did you deliberately Embelish what the study actually concluded then ?

Or did you go looking for it to back a statement you had already made, and that was the closest thing you could find maybe.

It doesn't really matter does it. The executive summary clearly shows that driving performance is significantly imparied while trying to have a mobile phone conversation; in fact it's worse than being at the legal limit.

Ah ok.

So not like being "a few times" over the legal limit then.

Glad we cleared that up..

[img] [/img]