Monday 24th September 2007

Phoney war on chatting motorists

Intended prosecutions would clog up the system

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A FORMER police traffic expert has branded plans to prosecute all motorists caught using mobile phones for dangerous driving as unworkable.

But with more drivers than ever being caught, Director of Public Prosecutions Ken McDonald says they should all automatically be charged with dangerous driving, which carries a maximum two year jail sentence.

Drivers caught in the Thames Valley Police area can now currently avoid even the standard £60 fine and three penalty points, by attending a road safety workshop which demonstrates the consequences.

The 'Call Divert' workshop is the first of its kind in the country.

Coordinator Malcolm Collis, a retired Thames Valley traffic officer with 30 years' police experience, said the prosecutions would ‘clog up’ the legal system.

And that, despite the changes to the law in February this year, when penalty points were added to the punishment, more than 3,100 drivers in the Thames Valley have been caught on the phone in the last six months.

Half of them have attended, or will attend, the Call Divert workshop, 460 people have turned it down and paid up, and the remainder are in the preliminary stages of being offered a place.

[drewcole81]

I still can't beleive the amount of idiots who think they can drive, change gear and talk on THE PHONE at the same time... they should have a '3 strike and your out' scheme... take peoples licences away from them and make them do a re-test a year later.

Edited by drewcole81 on Monday 24th September 12:50

[Marki]

drewcole81 said:

I still can't beleive the amount of idiots who think they can drive, change gear and talk at the same time... they should have a '3 strike and your out' scheme... take peoples licences away from them and make them do a re-test a year later.

You never talk to your passengers then

[NormanD]

drewcole81 said:

I still can't beleive the amount of idiots who think they can drive, change gear and talk at the same time... they should have a '3 strike and your out' scheme... take peoples licences away from them and make them do a re-test a year later.

Should be the same for those who SMOKE and drive.

[drewcole81]

Missed a word out Marki, sorry. But no I dont, I like to keep my passenger seat free for the laptop when I drive!

Edited by drewcole81 on Monday 24th September 12:53

[Marki]

drewcole81 said:

Missed a word out Marki, sorry. But no I dont, I like to keep my passenger seat free for the laptop when I drive!

Edited by drewcole81 on Monday 24th September 12:53

[D_Mike]

using a hand held mobile is dangerous because it removes one of your hands from the task of driving the vehicle. This is as well as the concentration it requires to hold a conversation on the phone.

a phone conversation is more distracting than talking to a passenger beside you, as someone in the car can see when you need to concentrate and will shut up or wait for a reply. somebody on a phone will not have this ability.

[fatboy b]

Drove to Italy a few weeks ago for a holiday, and it seems the French, German & Italian drivers are big users of phones without hands-free while on the move.

[Munter]

FishFace said:

Using a phone isn't dangerous per se. What the hell is the DPP on about?

Hang on there. Didn't the recent report say we needed a longer term study to see if using a mobile phone was dangerous. You know brain tumers might take 10 years or more to show up....

[cirian75]

My phone stays in my pocket while driving, you can ring all you want, I aint answering.

[D_Mike]

Guam said:

NormanD said:

drewcole81 said:

I still can't beleive the amount of idiots who think they can drive, change gear and talk at the same time... they should have a '3 strike and your out' scheme... take peoples licences away from them and make them do a re-test a year later.

Should be the same for those who SMOKE and drive.

Oh Get a life Millions of people have smoked and driven for decades!!!

Done it myself on and off for 30 years or so and not killed anyone!!

Cheers

smoking is totally different as:

1. you can change gear with the cigarette in your hand (it doesn't need to be help against your head).

2. you can hold the cigarette in your mouth

3. the cigarette doesnt require attention. except for putting it out and that is equivalant to fiddling with the radio...

(I am not a smoker, its just the two situations aren't comparable)

[Munter]

Guam said:

NormanD said:

drewcole81 said:

I still can't beleive the amount of idiots who think they can drive, change gear and talk at the same time... they should have a '3 strike and your out' scheme... take peoples licences away from them and make them do a re-test a year later.

Should be the same for those who SMOKE and drive.

Oh Get a life Millions of people have smoked and driven for decades!!!

Done it myself on and off for 30 years or so and not killed anyone!!

Cheers

When I was a kid one of the local taxi drivers got in trouble for lighting a fag while driving. It was "driving without due care" I think. Big story in the papers, man hounded out of town. (He took the only horse as well)

And just because you've done something for a long time doesn't make it OK. "I've been flashing women in the park for 50 years and never hurt anybody so it must be ok...."

[V7TTE]

Whatever happened to on the spot fines? Seems like an ideal use of them to me...

[plasticpig]

D_Mike said:

using a hand held mobile is dangerous because it removes one of your hands from the task of driving the vehicle. This is as well as the concentration it requires to hold a conversation on the phone.

a phone conversation is more distracting than talking to a passenger beside you, as someone in the car can see when you need to concentrate and will shut up or wait for a reply. somebody on a phone will not have this ability.

Yet it is legal to use a two way radio handset while driving. No one has been able to explain why they should be exempt.

[tigger1]

D_Mike said:

using a hand held mobile is dangerous because it removes one of your hands from the task of driving the vehicle. This is as well as the concentration it requires to hold a conversation on the phone.

I often drive with only one hand on the wheel - what's the problem? I wouldn't mind better that most of us do.

Concentration to have a conversation? Do you fall over when you walk and chew gum?

(I don't use my phone when driving, it's not worth the bother, but I used to - and can't say it caused ANY problems, if you're as careful as you normally would be)

[DoctorFan]

tigger1 said:

D_Mike said:

using a hand held mobile is dangerous because it removes one of your hands from the task of driving the vehicle. This is as well as the concentration it requires to hold a conversation on the phone.

I often drive with only one hand on the wheel - what's the problem? I wouldn't mind better that most of us do.

Concentration to have a conversation? Do you fall over when you walk and chew gum?

(I don't use my phone when driving, it's not worth the bother, but I used to - and can't say it caused ANY problems, if you're as careful as you normally would be)

Doesn't matter how careful you are. Watching these moronic individuals with the phone stuck to their head whilst negotiating a round about and having to '50p' the turns because they have both their hands occupied with talking and changing gear is just comical and downright dangerous. I've no sympathy with people who get penalised for this offence. Its your fault. Get off the phone. Call them back when you've finished driving.

[jmorgan]

You can usually spot the ones on the blower on the move. Lane changes, swerving, speed varying and when I manage to get the speed to pass very carefully they put the phone down, wake up and speed off leaving me in the middle or outside lane with no one to pass and traffic starting to undertake me.

[plasticpig]

FishFace said:

plasticpig said:

D_Mike said:

using a hand held mobile is dangerous because it removes one of your hands from the task of driving the vehicle. This is as well as the concentration it requires to hold a conversation on the phone.

a phone conversation is more distracting than talking to a passenger beside you, as someone in the car can see when you need to concentrate and will shut up or wait for a reply. somebody on a phone will not have this ability.

Yet it is legal to use a two way radio handset while driving. No one has been able to explain why they should be exempt.

Ok. But it isnt any less or more dangerous than using a mobile phone. I have used two way radio sets while driving and it isnt any diffrent to holding a mobile phone to your ear.
Because the emergency services need to use them.

[Mr2Mike]

Guam said:

[
Oh Get a life Millions of people have smoked and driven for decades!!!
Done it myself on and off for 30 years or so and not killed anyone!!

I'm willing to bet that millions of people have used a mobile phone in a car for years and not killed anyone. Doesn't mean it's a clever idea to do so.

[I WISH]

So you drive with one hand on the wheel ..... what do you change gear with ... your mouth?

Oh ...and by the way ... cigarettes need to be lit ... and what happens when you drop a lit cigarette on your lap .........and the SMELL ...ugh!! Who'd buy a car off a smoker?

NO conversation is THAT important ...... and anyway ... why not just buy a hands free kit?

[cptsideways]

No doubt someone will come along & say whats wrong with steering with yer knees, being on the phone with your right hand & rolling one up with your left hand.


I'm sure its been done many a time, gotta say I quite enjoy steering with my knees its very relaxing on big long sraight roads.

Some people can multistask, others definately can't & they should be banned from doing so. I'm for a test that checks your multitasking capabilities.





OK just winding you all up

Edited by cptsideways on Monday 24th September 15:10