1st March - 6points for mobile phone use at the wheel

[agtlaw]

Maybe you'll notice one on your travels. This thread will still be here. Good luck.

[vonhosen]

agtlaw said:

Maybe you'll notice one on your travels. This thread will still be here. Good luck.

And every time you repeat yourself it doesn't alter the point,

[agtlaw]

Typical police. Did you get past constable level?

[vonhosen]

agtlaw said:

Typical police. Did you get past constable level?

Typical of you, because that's irrelevant too.

[agtlaw]

I bet you were in traffic. That's where all the 'best' ones are sent.

[vonhosen]

agtlaw said:

I bet you were in traffic. That's where all the 'best' ones are sent.

Irrelevant (deflecting) again.

[cmaguire]

Stupid nonsense like this further undermining any respect the Public have for the Police.
You would like to think that somebody with some common sense would have vetted that response before the idiot they have on their Facebook/Twitter account hit the send button.

[pingu393]

vonhosen said:

Road Traffic Act said:

Road - in relation to England and Wales, means any highway and any other road to which the public has access, and includes bridges over which a road passes

Amendment of the Road Vehicles Construction and Use Regulations 1986 said:

Mobile telephones

110.—(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a road if he is using—

(a)a hand-held mobile telephone; or

Am I thick?

Assuming vonhosen quoted the RTA correctly, if one piece of legislation defines "road", why is McDonald's Drive Through not a "road" for the purposes of RV(C&U)R?

[Housey]

I always have my phone in a cradle and would never EVER use it when driving.

With my electric shaver, bacon sandwich, coffee and knees on the steering wheel it's just too much effort. Also it's annoying as I always get a closer shave using the rear view mirror over the one in the sun visor and that really impacts rear visibility and can cause my butty to fall into my coffee between my legs and then the steering goes all over the place as coffee is often hot, amazingly. Thank god for S-Tronic or I'd be fked.

[vonhosen]

pingu393 said:

vonhosen said:

Road Traffic Act said:

Road - in relation to England and Wales, means any highway and any other road to which the public has access, and includes bridges over which a road passes

Amendment of the Road Vehicles Construction and Use Regulations 1986 said:

Mobile telephones

110.—(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a road if he is using—

(a)a hand-held mobile telephone; or

Am I thick?

Assuming vonhosen quoted the RTA correctly, if one piece of legislation defines "road", why is McDonald's Drive Through not a "road" for the purposes of RV(C&U)R?

The RTA doesn't clearly define 'road', it's just that ownership of it doesn't determine if it's a road or not. Incidentally it's not defined simply by access either.
Road isn't covered by a cast iron definition (but think of it essentially as a means of passage to a destination & how restricted it might be rather than just what it looks like), it will be dependent upon the facts of it's own case as to whether what is being alleged to be a road is actually a road. To get around the problems this caused some amendments were made to legislation (such as Sec 145 RTA relating to insurance) by adding 'or other public place' after road so that it cast a wider net. Those changes weren't made to 110 of RV(C&U) Regs, so it sill only applies to use on a road.

Edited by vonhosen on Sunday 12th March 10:01

[zarjaz1991]

The police will love the McDonalds idea if that proves to be correct.

They'll be mounting McDonalds Drive Thru roadblocks, nabbing people for paying for their food with a mobile phone. Oh they will absolutely love this one.

[cmaguire]

I suppose they'll also be monitoring all the Hand Car Washes in case someone is reckless enough to be making a call (handheld of course) whilst the Latvian is pressure washing their wheels.

The stupidity of modern Britain with its misinformed amendments to Law, and their subsequent opportunistic enforcement would be laughable but for the nuisance value.

[surveyor]

zarjaz1991 said:

The police will love the McDonalds idea if that proves to be correct.

They'll be mounting McDonalds Drive Thru roadblocks, nabbing people for paying for their food with a mobile phone. Oh they will absolutely love this one.

I wait for the dashcam video's of people in outrage as someone in front of them at Starbucks/McD's pays by phone....

[Davidonly]

cmaguire said:

Stupid nonsense like this further undermining any respect the Public have for the Police.
You would like to think that somebody with some common sense would have vetted that response before the idiot they have on their Facebook/Twitter account hit the send button.

yup

[Davidonly]

cmaguire said:

I suppose they'll also be monitoring all the Hand Car Washes in case someone is reckless enough to be making a call (handheld of course) whilst the Latvian is pressure washing their wheels.

The stupidity of modern Britain with its misinformed amendments to Law, and their subsequent opportunistic enforcement would be laughable but for the nuisance value.

and again, yup!

[croyde]

Plus if the cops start doing people at McDonalds, they will very quickly lose any respect and people will just flout the law.

[Fox-]

What is the situation with extended Motorway delays? - ie road closed for recovery, people foolishly get out and start walking around, that sort of thing. Are you legally parked in such a situation?

The whole 'parked' thing seems ambiguous, ie with that drive-thru thing above.

The only way to be sure is to just shut the phone away for your entire time in the car. Which I guess is the point.

Edited by Fox- on Sunday 12th March 12:12

[croyde]

Fox- said:

What is the situation with extended Motorway delays?

The whole 'parked' thing seems ambiguous, ie with that drive-thru thing above.

Edited by Fox- on Sunday 12th March 12:08

Despite my intense dislike of anyone using a phone whilst driving, I have found since this law kicked in at an higher gear, that stuck in stopped traffic I will fumble for my phone in my pocket to let people know I will be delayed. I stop myself.

In my old car, the answer is a £10 vent holder where I can even touch my phone with my hands still on the wheel. Leave it in loudspeaker mode and shout or use an earpiece whilst the phone is in the holder.

You can also tap out an email or text without actually holding the phone.

BUT didn't that lorry driver, who crashed and killed a whole family, have his phone in a holder. It's still a dangerous distraction along with trying to adjust the heating with a touch screen as I have in my newer car. Those are really a daft idea.

[SS2.]

croyde said:

BUT didn't that lorry driver, who crashed and killed a whole family, have his phone in a holder.

The Polish truck driver on the A34 ?

He had his phone is his hand and was scrolling through music tracks, AIUI.

[croyde]

SS2. said:

The Polish truck driver on the A34 ?

He had his phone is his hand and was scrolling through music tracks, AIUI.

Ah! Thanks for the correction.