Brake want to ban hands free phones
Discussion
Not read everything, but the only reason this can possibly news is that it comes from Manchester and the BBC have upped sticks to Manchester. Notice how all there "experts" are from Manchester? Nothing against the Mancs at all but it's lacklustre approach to the BBC breakfast news that has stopped me watching it.
If they were in London, their researchers would have had far more bits of news to chase and this Brake bit would never had made it.
If they were in London, their researchers would have had far more bits of news to chase and this Brake bit would never had made it.
just maybe (Brake! sponsored research aside) there is a positive side to having instant communication ability in virtually every vehicle?Evoluzione said:
What would be the point? Talking on handhelds is banned, it doesn't stop many people.
This!It is a by product of the speed camera that took over policing our roads. Now we are shifting back in the right direction but no where near fast enough as a camera will never replace a properly trained police constable.
I feel like one of a handful at most posters who would just say "Hang on a sec" to someone on the other end of a hands free call.
Seriously - does no-one else here have the gumption to tell someone to shut up whilst you concentrate on a motorway junction or whatever then resume the conversation once the manouvering is done and any traffic thinned out?
Children certainly don't shut up when asked to - unless you're a total moron you just shut the noise out when you need to focus on something. Telling an adult to hang on the line for a moment has never, ever been a problem.
I sometimes wonder how some people are still alive if they can allow someone talking to them to command their attention. You must just chop your fingers off if preparing dinner and the wife says something to you. I hope nobody here works in air traffic control or any other critical occupation where juggling priorities is an essential skill.
Seriously - does no-one else here have the gumption to tell someone to shut up whilst you concentrate on a motorway junction or whatever then resume the conversation once the manouvering is done and any traffic thinned out?
Children certainly don't shut up when asked to - unless you're a total moron you just shut the noise out when you need to focus on something. Telling an adult to hang on the line for a moment has never, ever been a problem.
I sometimes wonder how some people are still alive if they can allow someone talking to them to command their attention. You must just chop your fingers off if preparing dinner and the wife says something to you. I hope nobody here works in air traffic control or any other critical occupation where juggling priorities is an essential skill.
Unless driving incredibly quickly, I don't find phone calls particularly distracting if at all.
However I do find text messages annoying, and people who persist in texting me whilst knowing that I am driving really does annoy me. I do a hell of a lot of travel and have noticed young drivers ,17-25, predominantly girls are always illuminated by facebook as I pass them on the motorway. Texting, tweeting and facebooking is far more dangerous than actually speaking.
I have glanced at facebook as driving a couple of times and it is a huge distraction.
Brake sound like a complete bunch of chodes.
However I do find text messages annoying, and people who persist in texting me whilst knowing that I am driving really does annoy me. I do a hell of a lot of travel and have noticed young drivers ,17-25, predominantly girls are always illuminated by facebook as I pass them on the motorway. Texting, tweeting and facebooking is far more dangerous than actually speaking.
I have glanced at facebook as driving a couple of times and it is a huge distraction.
Brake sound like a complete bunch of chodes.
Rawwr said:
I agree with it.
So do I. This one one of my gripes with the stupid hands free regulations when they came in. It wasn't the physically holding a phone that was the problem, it was the dumb arses who couldn't drive and chat at the same time.I almost never take calls in the car, there's nothing that can't wait until I complete my journey.
This is because the few times I have answered the phone I am aware that I'm not concentrating fully on the road ahead and therefore prefer not too.
Passengers are fine, because they're just as keen as you to shut up for a few seconds and avoid accidents when approaching junctions, roundabouts, etc...
This is also the reason most other in-car distractions are not an issue, eating, smoking, changing the stereo, etc..., people will usually time these to coincide with a quiet road ahead.
Perhaps Brake need some more education in the facts that it is not just car drivers that are a problem for road safety.
People crossing the road at inappropriate places, cyclists jumping red lights and using the pavement whenever they feel like it, people using mp3 players whilst walking and stepping out into the road without checking.
It's just that Brake see the car driver as an easy target, just as the government do.
Perhaps if it was accepted that roads are dangerous, and risk cannot be removed completely, and therefore there are always going to be injuries and deaths on the road, then we can move on sensibly, rather than trying to ban everything and anything that perhaps could, in some circumstances, when combined with other circumstances, cause injury or death.
People crossing the road at inappropriate places, cyclists jumping red lights and using the pavement whenever they feel like it, people using mp3 players whilst walking and stepping out into the road without checking.
It's just that Brake see the car driver as an easy target, just as the government do.
Perhaps if it was accepted that roads are dangerous, and risk cannot be removed completely, and therefore there are always going to be injuries and deaths on the road, then we can move on sensibly, rather than trying to ban everything and anything that perhaps could, in some circumstances, when combined with other circumstances, cause injury or death.
So (apart from one person) does nobody else think using/talking on a mobile while driving is a bit dangerous?!
The worst part is answering/making a call but even when speaking, it's a distraction.
Our BM has the Parrot i9200 - you don't even need to touch a button to answer, just say "accept" (or not) yet it's STILL distracting.
The van has a semi integrated Kenwood multimedia system with BT - both a proper hands free kits yet the one time I'm not 100% concentrating is when on the phone.
Compared to using steering wheel mounted stereo controls (on both vehicles) to adjust the hifi, it's far worse IMO.
Yes other things can distract you but they are usually out of your control. I really wouldn't weep much if mobiles were banned in cars.
The worst part is answering/making a call but even when speaking, it's a distraction.
Our BM has the Parrot i9200 - you don't even need to touch a button to answer, just say "accept" (or not) yet it's STILL distracting.
The van has a semi integrated Kenwood multimedia system with BT - both a proper hands free kits yet the one time I'm not 100% concentrating is when on the phone.
Compared to using steering wheel mounted stereo controls (on both vehicles) to adjust the hifi, it's far worse IMO.
Yes other things can distract you but they are usually out of your control. I really wouldn't weep much if mobiles were banned in cars.
More than 5 years ago I worked for a company that instructed all employees that when driving on company business they must not answer their phones, even if hands-free. The MD had a range of SIMs he put in his phone and randomly phoned an employee known to be on the road just to check that they were adhering to the rule. They were expected to respond to calls and texts when they had stopped in a safe and legal place.
Vladimir said:
So (apart from one person) does nobody else think using/talking on a mobile while driving is a bit dangerous?!
The worst part is answering/making a call but even when speaking, it's a distraction.
Our BM has the Parrot i9200 - you don't even need to touch a button to answer, just say "accept" (or not) yet it's STILL distracting.
The van has a semi integrated Kenwood multimedia system with BT - both a proper hands free kits yet the one time I'm not 100% concentrating is when on the phone.
Compared to using steering wheel mounted stereo controls (on both vehicles) to adjust the hifi, it's far worse IMO.
Yes other things can distract you but they are usually out of your control. I really wouldn't weep much if mobiles were banned in cars.
I just added a reply above echoing your thoughts and agree with you.The worst part is answering/making a call but even when speaking, it's a distraction.
Our BM has the Parrot i9200 - you don't even need to touch a button to answer, just say "accept" (or not) yet it's STILL distracting.
The van has a semi integrated Kenwood multimedia system with BT - both a proper hands free kits yet the one time I'm not 100% concentrating is when on the phone.
Compared to using steering wheel mounted stereo controls (on both vehicles) to adjust the hifi, it's far worse IMO.
Yes other things can distract you but they are usually out of your control. I really wouldn't weep much if mobiles were banned in cars.
Krikkit said:
Brake are morons, but...
its not the whole story though is it, i've no doubt that some in depth conversations are distracting, but i find in many circumstances a quick phone call can make a long journey much safer..Daniel1 said:
Just going to put this out there but.....
.... I find it's the talking, not the holding of the phone, that is the more distracting
I agree with this. I find a phone call incredibly distracting while driving. Maybe I'm crap at multitasking!.... I find it's the talking, not the holding of the phone, that is the more distracting
i.e. if your running a few mins late, a quick call to say Im going to be late is much better that the driver getting agitated, driving quickly etc to try and make a meeting as they cant let anyone know..
or trying to remember something whilst driving give someone a quick call and tell them so you can concentrate..
with the fast pace and pressure of modern life i think in many cases not having the phone available would lead to less concentration not more..
ks.jamieduff1981 said:
I feel like one of a handful at most posters who would just say "Hang on a sec" to someone on the other end of a hands free call.
Seriously - does no-one else here have the gumption to tell someone to shut up whilst you concentrate on a motorway junction or whatever then resume the conversation once the manouvering is done and any traffic thinned out?
Children certainly don't shut up when asked to - unless you're a total moron you just shut the noise out when you need to focus on something. Telling an adult to hang on the line for a moment has never, ever been a problem.
I sometimes wonder how some people are still alive if they can allow someone talking to them to command their attention. You must just chop your fingers off if preparing dinner and the wife says something to you. I hope nobody here works in air traffic control or any other critical occupation where juggling priorities is an essential skill.
Exactly, some of the replies in this thread boggle the mind.Seriously - does no-one else here have the gumption to tell someone to shut up whilst you concentrate on a motorway junction or whatever then resume the conversation once the manouvering is done and any traffic thinned out?
Children certainly don't shut up when asked to - unless you're a total moron you just shut the noise out when you need to focus on something. Telling an adult to hang on the line for a moment has never, ever been a problem.
I sometimes wonder how some people are still alive if they can allow someone talking to them to command their attention. You must just chop your fingers off if preparing dinner and the wife says something to you. I hope nobody here works in air traffic control or any other critical occupation where juggling priorities is an essential skill.
If someone can't carry out the two simple tasks of talking and driving at the same time I would ask myself should that person even be on the road at all.
F1 drivers talk on the radio and change in car settings like brake bias while negotiating bends at nearly 200 mph!
Personally, having hands free in a car where I am on my own driving down the motorway for a couple of hours is a god send. Keeps me awake for starters and means I actually get to my destination in something like a sensible time without having to stop several times adding loads of time to my journey.
I might be alone on that point, but driving down the motorway on your own is bloody boring. Having some conversation is a wonderful way of actually keeping me stimulated.
Somebody else has already made the point about briefly stopping conversation when some concentration is required.
I might be alone on that point, but driving down the motorway on your own is bloody boring. Having some conversation is a wonderful way of actually keeping me stimulated.
Somebody else has already made the point about briefly stopping conversation when some concentration is required.
Johnnytheboy said:
Riley Blue said:
I heard on the radio that children in the car is around twelve times more distracting than using a hands free phone. I wonder what Brake's reaction to that fact will be.
"Ban children from cars, won't someone think about the children!?!?!"Next step: ban them from leaving their houses.
Whilst they, arguably, have a point have they indicated how they would achieve this banning of handsfree? If this means stopping cars with bluetooth facility being sold, then the driver may revert to a handheld phone! Surely that would make the situation worse? Or can we ban handheld phones outright as well? Back to the old days of the 'phone box on every corner 
Its a ridiculous notion, really. Talking on a hands free is about as distracting as talking to a passenger, so it would be nonsense to ban it. How would that work anyway, remove handsfree kits? That's be sure to stop people using them handheld. As usual BRAKE are banging the wrong drum but it is at least getting them in the heaadlines...
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