Friday 29th October 2004

Government campaigns to switch off mobiles

'Switch off before you drive off' says campaign

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The government is to launch a campaign to lower the use of mobile phones while driving. To coincide with the first anniversary of the hand held mobile phones legislation the snappy (not) slogan 'Switch off before you drive off' mobile phone campaign will be on radio from 22 November - 5 December. Cinema advertising will also run for a week from 26 November - 3 December.

This year the mobile phone campaign will concentrate on cinema and radio advertising, encouraging drivers to get into the habit of switching off their mobiles before driving.

Apart from in a vehicle, one of the few places people normally switch off their mobile phone is the cinema. As it's already in the cinema audience's consciousness to switch off their mobiles before a film, the campaign wants to encourage the audience to repeat this behaviour in their vehicles by explaining that leaving the phone on could be tempt the driver into trying to answer it. The consequences could be dangerous or even fatal.

The mobile phones 10 second cinema ad shows a mobile phone with the consequences of driver distraction appearing on the phone and concludes with the simple message 'Switch off before you drive off'. The ad can be found here.

A mobile phones leaflet and poster to support the radio and cinema advertising are also available to order from our online catalogue.

The ad can be found here: www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/mobilephones/mobilephonesmedia.htm#video

[havoc]

Yeah, like this is going to achieve anything. Those who ignored the fines last year are going to ignore this even harder, while those who still try and comply with the increasingly puerile laws in this country, and will listen to this, stopped using their phones long ago...with the difference being that these people now might miss an emergency call while driving!!!

[IPAddis]

Most people forget when they go into the cinema and have to be reminded by a message on a 20 foot tall screen. How are they going to remember when driving their car?

[PhilWattis]

Have the police been enforcing the ban on mobile phones whilst driving?

Last week I was following a driver on his mobile, who stopped at a crossing. Coming the other way was a police car who also stopped at the crossing. The mobile user made no attempt to disguise what they were doing, and the police either didn't notice or didn't care.

Phil.

[v8thunder]

I must admit, if enforced properly this wouldn't go amiss. But it won't be, so there's no point.

I do make a habit of turning off my mobile, and if I've been travelling a while, I'll pull over for a bite to eat and check/reply then.

I get rather edgy when friends of mine text at the wheel. I was once even asked to hold the wheel whilst one mate texted someone. I refused and told him to pull over.

[gh0st]

It will only be "properly" eforced when the fines go up.

Then a camera will be developed to sense a mobile signal and take a picture.

They are NOT going to enfore it using police, its too expensive and requires police to actually be out there.

[anonymous-user]

Why don't they stop f**king around with tiny fines and stupid campaigns, and make the fine for being caught on the phone in the car a £2000 fine or loss of your car or they take your phone and sell it?

OTT? Perhaps, but nothing else stops this sort of behaviour apart for hitting people hard in their wallet. People don't care about the safety of others, they care about MONEY. Threaten to take all their money and they'll stop using the phone straight away.

[gh0st]

jimsupersix said:

Why don't they stop f**king around with tiny fines and stupid campaigns, and make the fine for being caught on the phone in the car a £2000 fine or loss of your car or they take your phone and sell it? OTT? Perhaps, but nothing else stops this sort of behaviour apart for hitting people hard in their wallet. People don't care about the safety of others, they care about MONEY. Threaten to take all their money and they'll stop using the phone straight away.

Good point Jim, but we are also touching on the issue of its not the phone that kills its the driver.

I know people whose driving is TOTALLY unchanged while using a phone because they are commited drivers and will stop using the phone if there is a problem, then there are others that are just fking useless anyway and using a phone makes them worse!

Remember that the phone law was brought in simply to get more money because its an easy thing to spot and fine. Do you see the same punishment imposed against that "nob who cut me up by strightlining a roundabout" or "not indicating" or "pulling out without looking"? nope. not easy to fine therefore not interested.

While we should fine people for dangerous driving, lets do it for ALL manner of dangerous driving and not only those issues that are easy to fine and allow people to get on their high horse

Gh0st

[tinman0]

aarrghhh, the anti mobile lobby are at it again i see with this campaign.

i agree with the above, i am one of those people who can quite happily drive and talk at the time. call it multi tasking. if the conversation or the road conditions determine that the call should end - it ended. simple as that.

however, there are plenty of people around who will not view a mobile phone as a useful item under any circumstance. my father is one of them.

the person who thought of this ad campaign is another.

Tin

[TripleS]

tinman0 said:

aarrghhh, the anti mobile lobby are at it again i see with this campaign. i agree with the above, i am one of those people who can quite happily drive and talk at the time. call it multi tasking. if the conversation or the road conditions determine that the call should end - it ended. simple as that. however, there are plenty of people around who will not view a mobile phone as a useful item under any circumstance. my father is one of them. the person who thought of this ad campaign is another. Tin

Quite right Tin. The interfering busybodies are at it again, and IMHO to no useful purpose.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[gh0st-preop]

TripleS said:

tinman0 said: aarrghhh, the anti mobile lobby are at it again i see with this campaign. i agree with the above, i am one of those people who can quite happily drive and talk at the time. call it multi tasking. if the conversation or the road conditions determine that the call should end - it ended. simple as that. however, there are plenty of people around who will not view a mobile phone as a useful item under any circumstance. my father is one of them. the person who thought of this ad campaign is another. Tin Quite right Tin. The interfering busybodies are at it again, and IMHO to no useful purpose. Best wishes all, Dave.

What they said


Gh0st

[K1 CERB]

Can I add Yellow Box offenders to the list of folks who should be per/prosecuted

That's easy to spot, dangerous to others and should be stamped upon.

It annoys me to see folks in their Metros doing 65mph & sending Texts on the M25, have they no idea it's illegal!

K1 CERB

[Apache]

gh0st-preop said:

TripleS said: tinman0 said: aarrghhh, the anti mobile lobby are at it again i see with this campaign. i agree with the above, i am one of those people who can quite happily drive and talk at the time. call it multi tasking. if the conversation or the road conditions determine that the call should end - it ended. simple as that. however, there are plenty of people around who will not view a mobile phone as a useful item under any circumstance. my father is one of them. the person who thought of this ad campaign is another. Tin Quite right Tin. The interfering busybodies are at it again, and IMHO to no useful purpose. Best wishes all, Dave. What they said Gh0st

ditto......again