Mobile Phone Use In Car - Law Change
Discussion
I thought there must be a current topic running for this, but could not find one.
If I understand correctly, we are now not allowed to touch a mobile phone for any reason when driving. Using a phone with steering wheel controls, OK.
However, say the phone is mirrored to the car's built in touch screen.
Is it lawful to operate the car's touch screen for texts, emails, web browsing etc.?
If so, surely distracting madness.
I am alright Jack said:
Is your phone in a purpose built holder?
My understanding is if the phone is mounted in a purpose built holder it becomes no different to any other controls in your vehicle.
My understanding is if the phone is mounted in a purpose built holder it becomes no different to any other controls in your vehicle.
It looks as though I will be missing out the touchscreen step with car controls, jumping from physical controls to talking to the car.
So yes, at present I have a non-smartphone, which fits in a built-in cradle (uses the car's microphone and speakers). Only need to press call receive and call end buttons on the phone.
I had originally thought that was permitted, but even before the current law changes, I stopped touching the 'phone when driving, after hearing that even that was not allowed. Am sure using the steering wheel buttons was permitted, but the buttons are not compatible with my cradle.
Jon39 said:
I am alright Jack said:
Is your phone in a purpose built holder?
My understanding is if the phone is mounted in a purpose built holder it becomes no different to any other controls in your vehicle.
My understanding is if the phone is mounted in a purpose built holder it becomes no different to any other controls in your vehicle.
It looks as though I will be missing out the touchscreen step with car controls, jumping from physical controls to talking to the car.
So yes, at present I have a non-smartphone, which fits in a built-in cradle (uses the car's microphone and speakers). Only need to press call receive and call end buttons on the phone.
I had originally thought that was permitted, but even before the current law changes, I stopped touching the 'phone when driving, after hearing that even that was not allowed. Am sure using the steering wheel buttons was permitted, but the buttons are not compatible with my cradle.
Can’t you just switch off your mobile, when you get in the car? Simple. Mrs DG is terrible for this, I know when I’m not in the car, she will be taking calls and texting, while driving.
How do I know this, when I’m in the car, if the phone receives an alert, all concentration is gone. When affordable mobile came out I would regularly take voice calls while driving, seeing it as no different to talking to a passenger.
However, times have changed, most interaction is by text, Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook. I’m sure that there is conclusive evidence that talking on a mobile reduces concentration.
But new social media platforms, take this to a whole new level, How the hell can you text and drive. Try making a coffee, while texting and putting your socks on.
How do I know this, when I’m in the car, if the phone receives an alert, all concentration is gone. When affordable mobile came out I would regularly take voice calls while driving, seeing it as no different to talking to a passenger.
However, times have changed, most interaction is by text, Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook. I’m sure that there is conclusive evidence that talking on a mobile reduces concentration.
But new social media platforms, take this to a whole new level, How the hell can you text and drive. Try making a coffee, while texting and putting your socks on.
Thank you all.
So, when in a built-in cradle, pressing the call answer, then call end buttons is legally allowed.
It is certainly distracting even just for voice use, because the buttons are so small. Usually my passenger does it, but I was unsure about the legal position.
I had decided, that if in doubt don't, because phone records can of course be investigated should something dreadful happen.
What still puzzles me is, NO to certain tasks with mobile phones, but YES to going through many touchscreen menus on the car dashboard, to adjust the audio settings, or heating etc.
Have the motor manufacturers convinced the legislators, that their touchscreens are definitely not distracting ?
Edited by Jon39 on Sunday 30th January 15:51
Jon39 said:
Thank you all.
So, when in a built-in cradle, pressing the call answer, then call end buttons is legally allowed.
It is certainly distracting, because the buttons are so small. Usually my passenger does it, but I was unsure about the legal position.
I had decided, that if in doubt don't, because phone records can of course be investigated should something dreadful happen.
What still puzzles me is, NO to certain tasks with mobile phones, but YES to going through many touchscreen menus on the car dashboard, to adjust the audio settings, or heating etc.
Have the motor manufacturers convinced the legislators, that their touchscreens are definitely not distracting ?
Apart from the specific offence of using a mobile phone while driving, there is also the offence of driving without due care and attention.
Anyone driving a car built after 2010 is most likely guilty of that one IMHO.
I found that even receiving a business call renders me incapable of recalling what had happened on the road in front of me during the call, so I no longer do it.
Maybe I cannot multi-task, but ask any woman who says she can if she can reverse and map-read at the same time, and you will find that they can't either.
Anyone driving a car built after 2010 is most likely guilty of that one IMHO.
I found that even receiving a business call renders me incapable of recalling what had happened on the road in front of me during the call, so I no longer do it.
Maybe I cannot multi-task, but ask any woman who says she can if she can reverse and map-read at the same time, and you will find that they can't either.
Quite phoning the police to say there is a step ladder in lane 2 of the motorway is so irresponsible.
My understanding is that the law has been changed to harden up holding a mobile device, if it is solidly fixed to the vehicle and you are using sat nav on google maps and it says change to a quicker route then you can touch yes.
You cant pick it up to film an accident and say it is a camera.
My understanding is that the law has been changed to harden up holding a mobile device, if it is solidly fixed to the vehicle and you are using sat nav on google maps and it says change to a quicker route then you can touch yes.
You cant pick it up to film an accident and say it is a camera.
Dixy said:
Quite phoning the police to say there is a step ladder in lane 2 of the motorway is so irresponsible.
.
Weird comment considering calling 999 in the event of an emergency when impractical or unsafe to stop is an exclusion. So either there is a hard shoulder you can move onto or you can make the call. .
Dixy said:
My understanding is that the law has been changed to harden up holding a mobile device, if it is solidly fixed to the vehicle and you are using sat nav on google maps and it says change to a quicker route then you can touch yes.
You cant pick it up to film an accident and say it is a camera.
Your understanding is incorrect. After The Barreto ruling (in which the High Court found that a man who used his mobile phone to film an accident hadn't broken the law, at least not the law on mobile phone use) the government announced that it intended to change the law to ban any use of a hand held mobile device. However it still hasn't published any legislation which would do this, still less enacted it. Unless and until it does, the law remains the same as it has been since 2003.You cant pick it up to film an accident and say it is a camera.
Aretnap said:
Dixy said:
My understanding is that the law has been changed to harden up holding a mobile device, if it is solidly fixed to the vehicle and you are using sat nav on google maps and it says change to a quicker route then you can touch yes.
You cant pick it up to film an accident and say it is a camera.
Your understanding is incorrect. After The Barreto ruling (in which the High Court found that a man who used his mobile phone to film an accident hadn't broken the law, at least not the law on mobile phone use) the government announced that it intended to change the law to ban any use of a hand held mobile device. However it still hasn't published any legislation which would do this, still less enacted it. Unless and until it does, the law remains the same as it has been since 2003.You cant pick it up to film an accident and say it is a camera.
Someone I know asked me at the weekend if I was aware that the mobile phone law had changed, "you can't use it while you're sat in traffic anymore". So, there's still confusion out there. There ought to just be a blanket ban on it, for any purpose save for emergency calls.
NGee said:
daqinggregg said:
Can’t you just switch off your mobile, when you get in the car?
Exactly this. Can someone explain why anyone would ever want to use a phone while driving?It's all beyond me!
such as audio media and sat nav
Dave Hedgehog said:
NGee said:
daqinggregg said:
Can’t you just switch off your mobile, when you get in the car?
Exactly this. Can someone explain why anyone would ever want to use a phone while driving?It's all beyond me!
such as audio media and sat nav
One could argue that interacting with modern car touchscreens is equivalent, and potentially equally or even more distracting in its own right, which I would agree with, but that's not what is being discussed.
Fiddling with your phone in your lap or picking it up off the passenger seat, interacting with it and then throwing it back over is more distracting imo and should be criminalised imo.
I was once given a verbal warning for not answering an urgent call on my mobile. Only after I was given the warning was I allowed to speak. That's when I said - yes, I was aware my phone was ringing, but at 70mph on the M60 when it was raining, would it have been appropriate to answer it? Boss didn't retract the warning so I reported him to HR, where my warning was cancelled and he was given one for not following correct procedure, and for suggesting that I should have put myself and others in danger for the sake of a phone call.
The call, by the way, was only about cancelling a meeting I was due tot attend much later that day.
Nowadays, I even find the centre display distracting, and I've never managed to work out how the voice controls work. So I simply don't make or answer calls till it's safe (by which I mean that I'm stationary)
The call, by the way, was only about cancelling a meeting I was due tot attend much later that day.
Nowadays, I even find the centre display distracting, and I've never managed to work out how the voice controls work. So I simply don't make or answer calls till it's safe (by which I mean that I'm stationary)
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