Brake want to ban hands free phones

[Randy Winkman]

Devil2575 said:

Me too. I tried to talk on a handheld phone once, before it was illegal and I was completely unable to concentrate on the road. The hand holding the phone had nothing to do with it.

I see people every day that seem incapable of walking normally down a busy pavement while on the phone. And clearly holding the phone does nothing to stop their legs working.

[spaximus]

I was speaking with my boss today about this as a company who has been approached several times by Brake to donate, as we are in the transport industry.
I pointed out the history of Brake and how it has evolved from a good thing that helped to stop road hauliers getting away with no maintenance and killing people. However it is evolved into a car hating organisation that would have us back in the dark ages. They have used peoples misery to grow their empire and to shut down any objections by wheeling out bereaved parents to stop reasoned debate on road safety. They fund "research" and are shocked that they get the answer they wanted, funny that.
Every company who supports Brake I write to and tell them that my business will go elsewhere. If everyone got off there arse and did the same companies would think twice about this.

Interesting that the girl who was the spokesperson is now Deputy Chairperson, nice work if you want it bad enough.

[Backtobasics]

Tiresome organisation who don't care about facts unless it represents their madness. Luckily the country has to keep moving and whilst we are still in the sher in this country they wont get much traction.

[Blakewater]

Have you ever noticed how erratically and aggressively people drive after a traffic jam has cleared. The road is full of puce drivers tailgating and passing on whichever side they see fit because they're wound up about time wasted and being late for whatever pointless meeting they're going to.

I had to use my handsfree phone this morning because the bad weather caused me to get held up. Ringing ahead to say I was on my way but I'd be a little late meant I could calmly wait out the hold up. Stress and aggression are one of the biggest factors in distracting drivers and causing them to behave badly and making a quick phone call when in a traffic jam can eliminate a lot of that.

On the other hand, I was crossing a side road at the mouth of a junction the other day and was nearly run over buy a guy who was talking on a hand held phone and had no free hand to indicate. It was a new Mercedes Benz CLS, so setting up a hands free system would have been perfectly simple. Issues of distraction aside, not having enough hands available to control the car and indicate properly is dangerous.

[sparkyhx]

I sometimes wonder whether the people who say 'I can fully talk and drive no problem' are like those who said "I can drink and drive with no issues".

Time will only tell if it becomes as taboo

[r11co]

skyrover said:

odyssey2200 said:

Interesting

http://fakecharities.org/2009/03/charity-1093244/

why the hell are they receiving taxpayer money?

Because they aren't a charity. They are a way to influence public opinion without people noticing where the policies are coming from, because if they knew it came from a particular political party they would dismiss it out of hand.

[rambo19]

Make the current punishment harsher.

[oldnewbie]

The police are unable to stop the use of handheld phones, so how does anyone think it would be remotely possible to enforce a ban on the use of built in hands free systems?

[Engineer1]

oldnewbie said:

The police are unable to stop the use of handheld phones, so how does anyone think it would be remotely possible to enforce a ban on the use of built in hands free systems?

This, and how does a cop differentiate at a distance between someone singing along with the radio, or practicing some lines or simply mumbling to themselves all would or could look like talking to a hands free phone. The point that keeps being missed is people with no regard for the law will ignore it no matter what the rules say so ban handsfree and people will still use their phones. The issue will be that the quick call to say you are running late or five minutes away so be ready to get picked up or the where the fk are you the address I've been given doesn't exist that can reduce a drivers stress levels will be banned because some idiots try and fail to have technical calls while driving.

The whole thing could just as easily be solved by raising public awareness and making it acceptable for a driver to answer the phone with a I'm handsfree and that as such the driver will be paying attention to the road and if you want an in depth chat then the call needs re-scheduling.

[heebeegeetee]

spaximus said:

I was speaking with my boss today about this as a company who has been approached several times by Brake to donate, as we are in the transport industry.
I pointed out the history of Brake and how it has evolved from a good thing that helped to stop road hauliers getting away with no maintenance and killing people.

Eh?

Didn't it evolve from a mother whose daughter had been killed by a completely illegal (and serial) car driver? Said mother/organisation turned it into a battle against a completely different type of motorist (ie the everyday man and woman) and has turned every single road casualty into being a 'victim'.

[Janesy B]

Back in the 70's people would drive home after a few and no one would think anything of it, now drink driving is really frowned upon because of a zero tolerance policy. Same should apply to people using handheld phones when driving, ban them for a month on the first offence and keep increasing the months if they keep getting caught.

[Engineer1]

Janesy B said:

Back in the 70's people would drive home after a few and no one would think anything of it, now drink driving is really frowned upon because of a zero tolerance policy. Same should apply to people using handheld phones when driving, ban them for a month on the first offence and keep increasing the months if they keep getting caught.

Great - how about execution?

The thing is unless there is a good chance of being caught and punished the rules will be ignored. Speeding enforcement works because a camera at the side of the road can do it, drink driving worked because Traffic cops were around to breathalyse people. Driving while on the phone either hand held or handsfree is very difficult to detect, am I singing along to the radio or holding a conversation? Am I scratching my ear or resting my head or on the phone?

[UrbanLegend]

steve singh said:

+1

.....when i take a call in the car on the motorway i reduce my speed and increase the gap to the next car where possible to give me more thinking time.

Good man, if only everyone were as sensible!

I keep seeing cars that have stopped at the start of the dual carriageway slip road (presumably at the start so they can re-enter the dual carriageway rather than continue up the slip road). Why are they sitting there?

On the fecking phone!

And no, they are not broken down.

The worst offender I've encountered so far was a while back.

Someone had stopped on the bend of a NSL road in the dark and pouring rain.
I was driving the opposite way but turned around as I presumed they must be in trouble (broken down or collapsed).

I pulled up a safe distance behind with my sides and hazards on to shield their car from being hit and then ran along to see if I could help.

I got to the car and couldn't see in too well and the driver was turned in towards the passenger seat. It looked as if they were not well; so I tapped gently on the window and got little response (a slight head turn). I tapped again and the window opened 1cm; the person turned around fully this time who turned out to be a woman and said "I'm on the phone, ps off" and closed the window again.

So, part of me thinks that it is a stupid suggestion to ban hands free use too but will there be more people like I've just described who'll stop in stupid places to answer the phone?

[Devil2575]

spaximus said:

They fund "research" and are shocked that they get the answer they wanted, funny that.

Just because an organisation funds research does not mean that the research is flawed. Regardless of your views on Brake, you should judge the research on it's own merits.

[Vipers]

There are too many "OMG if I don't answer the phone, the world as we know will come to an end", get a fecking grip on life people.

No, don't ban phones, just shoot idiots at birth.

[UrbanLegend]

Devil2575 said:

spaximus said:

They fund "research" and are shocked that they get the answer they wanted, funny that.

Just because an organisation funds research does not mean that the research is flawed. Regardless of your views on Brake, you should judge the research on it's own merits.

Exactly.

Without this approach, we would not have any pharmaceuticals.

[Vipers]

Good job the government has stated they have no intention to ban hands free phones.

Sorted.

[Engineer1]

UrbanLegend said:

Devil2575 said:

spaximus said:

They fund "research" and are shocked that they get the answer they wanted, funny that.

Just because an organisation funds research does not mean that the research is flawed. Regardless of your views on Brake, you should judge the research on it's own merits.

Exactly.

Without this approach, we would not have any pharmaceuticals.

But funding the research means you can cherry pick the results and spin the press release I heard a recent story about research stating eating bacon everyday increases your cancer risk by 20% - from fk all to naff all, similarly if 10% of the population have a gene that protects them from the effects of X that isn't a story but spinning it as 90% have a gene that predisposes them to the effects of X is a story.

[GTIR]

Can we ban mirrors on cars?

By the time you've checked all three mirrors you'd have traveled what say 300 yds on the motorway?

That's so dangerous!

[motco]

im said:

Less ban passengers, more ban conversation (or talking) as whether its coming over your shoulder from the back seat or in front of you from your parrot its surely just as distracting.

The important difference between a passenger in your car talking to you, and a person on the other end of a telephone call, is that the latter cannot see what's going on around the vehicle whereas a passenger can and will understand that at times the driver will naturally suspend the conversation while he/she deals with the situation requiring 100% concentration. Both situations are distracting, but the 'phone call doubly so compared the in-car situation.