Tuesday 8th February 2005

Use a mobi and go to gaol

Government driving law tweaks add custodial sentences

---

The Government is tweaking driving laws. If you're found to have caused a crash while using a mobile phone you could be gaoled for up to five years. That's the message from the Government's new offence of causing death by careless driving. At the moment, drivers can escape with a fine up to a maximum of £2,500.

The Home Office has also proposed an offence of death resulting from driving while disqualified or unlicensed, with a maximum sentence of five years in gaol.

Also, a consultation paper says that less serious motoring offences such as driving while disqualified should attract community punishments, not gaol. It reckons that electronic tagging or community work could be more effective than prison.

While the proposals were welcomed by campaign groups, the Conservatives said that those who killed while using a mobile should be charged with causing death by dangerous driving, which carries a maximum jail sentence of 14 years.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it supported the moves.

[Mr Whippy]

Oooofff, and WHO is going to catch you at it in the first place?

Again, the government is closing the barn door when the horse has bolted. So to speak.

Why even let people die from accidents in the first place, and then imprison the culprit for using their phone.
Why not get more police out there on the roads to actually deter people in the first place to actually SAVE lives in the first place?

I bet the "safety partnership" mobile scamera operators will do you for going 33 in a 30mph zone, but would let a phone user sail on by! Daft barstewards! Call them selves "safety" partnership... lol


May as well just stop active road safety, and just let accidents happen.
Just hope the threat of prison when the damage has been done is enough of a deterrent?

I don't think so unfotunately Mr Bliar!



Dave

[sjp63]

And what about smoking while driving? - that has to be equally dangerous doesn't it?

Anyway they need to focus on catching the real criminals, then the uninsured etc before prioritising mobi users.

[cdp]

Mr Whippy said:

Oooofff, and WHO is going to catch you at it in the first place? Again, the government is closing the barn door when the horse has bolted. So to speak. Why even let people die from accidents in the first place, and then imprison the culprit for using their phone. Why not get more police out there on the roads to actually deter people in the first place to actually SAVE lives in the first place? I bet the "safety partnership" mobile scamera operators will do you for going 33 in a 30mph zone, but would let a phone user sail on by! Daft barstewards! Call them selves "safety" partnership... lol May as well just stop active road safety, and just let accidents happen. Just hope the threat of prison when the damage has been done is enough of a deterrent? I don't think so unfotunately Mr Bliar! Dave

Better (and compulsary) retraining rather than just heaping on more and more punishment may actually do some good. But what government would have the guts to introduce such a scheme?

[eldonj]

sjp63 said:

And what about smoking while driving? - that has to be equally dangerous doesn't it? Anyway they need to focus on catching the real criminals, then the uninsured etc before prioritising mobi users.

I totally agree with that there should be a ban on smoking while driving. Surely if using a phone while driving is dangerous, then so is smoking . If you drop the phone it doesn't burn you and make you panic.

[JonRB]

On a complete tangent, isn't it a sad comment on the Americanisation of our language that "gaol" (the proper spelling of the American-English word "jail") is now starting to look out of place?

[henrycrun]

Do folks talk to their fags ? (It must be powerfull stuff !)

[Gooby]

henrycrun said:

Do folks talk to their fags ?

They do in the 'states (childish snigger!)

[cazzer]

Want to see some serious road-rage?
Jeez...can you imaging banning smoking in cars...
I'd run over bus queues just because I could

The only time I dropped a cigarette whilst driving was while nodding off driving at night on the old unlit A74 into Scotslandshire.

It's amazing how smouldering embers in your crotch start the old adrenelin pumping.....never mind winding the window down.

[ed.]

There needs to be police on the road to witness the dangerous driving so that drivers are charged with just that, dangerous of careless driving. Instead of using speeding just becuase it is easier to prosecute. Trying to stop all the possible causes is impractical, specific offences for sneezing, fiddling with the stereo, etc. But of course this is not going to happen because it would be too much effort, speed cameras are too profitable and certain established motoring organisations and the media seem to be in the governments pocket.
rant over

[mikeatBB]

Hi Folks, here in N.Wales our scameras, Arrive Deprived, kindly built little tarmac laybys for phone users to use for a quick call.........the nore cynical locals reckoned they were to park their camera vans, surely not!...... to see them go to the ABD site at www.abd.org.uk/ North wales page.

[Gooby]

Why not ban smoking?, it is illegal to eat an apple.

[FesterNath]

cazzer said:

Want to see some serious road-rage? Jeez...can you imaging banning smoking in cars... I'd run over bus queues just because I could The only time I dropped a cigarette whilst driving was while nodding off driving at night on the old unlit A74 into Scotslandshire. It's amazing how smouldering embers in your crotch start the old adrenelin pumping.....never mind winding the window down.

Where is 'Scotlandshire'?

[philbob]

Gooby said:

Why not ban smoking?, it is illegal to eat an apple.

Smoking is digusting anyway. It must be more dangerous to smoke whilst driving than using your mobile.

Get the Universities to conduct a study.

[Peter Ward]

article said:

Also, a consultation paper says that less serious motoring offences such as driving while disqualified should attract community punishments, not gaol

Since when has driving while disqualified been considered "less serious"? Surely someone disqualified also has no insurance??

So someone using a phone gets gaol/jail for 5 yrs but driving w/o insurance gets a few hours off.

[mustdriveslower]

I did read that if you are prosecuted for more than 130 it is now expected that you will receive a custodial sentence. I wonder if this is true or just a story? It does seem that we are living in very odd times. Where using a mobile is tanatmount to murder, but driving uninsured is not really punished. We have very safe roads, the best in Europe (A really good read is the ABD website), so why the silly laws? Do you think it will ever get away from PC lunacy? Why is it that we have elected people that conduct themselves in a way that does not reflect the will of the people? I still think emmigration is the answer, but most areas I like the cops wear guns!............

[gugan1]

I agree with ban the phone when driving i dont know if hands free is a good or bad idea (I have a bluetooth) so i am as guilty. But i drove a taxi for 12 years and used a CB and also a firms radio so where does the law stand with using a radio, ?

[havoc]

Peter Ward said:

article said: Also, a consultation paper says that less serious motoring offences such as driving while disqualified should attract community punishments, not gaol Since when has driving while disqualified been considered "less serious"? Surely someone disqualified also has no insurance?? So someone using a phone gets gaol/jail for 5 yrs but driving w/o insurance gets a few hours off.

I think this sums up the gov'ts whole attitude:-

If you can be seen to be doing something wrong, then they will try and prosecute.
If what you are doing wrong is undetectable by the everyday MoP, then why worry...very few people will know, very few will be affected, it's clearly not going to be an issue, is it?

Oh - and of course those driving uninsured don't have a lot of money anyway, so no point fining them!

[TeamD]

philbob said:

Gooby said: Why not ban smoking?, it is illegal to eat an apple. Smoking is digusting anyway. It must be more dangerous to smoke whilst driving than using your mobile. Get the Universities to conduct a study.

While you're at it why don't we just ban all bigotted, ignorant, facist plonkers from driving?

I'm sure the correctly fudged study by 'independant' authorities could find just about any result you want, including your completely unfounded statement that smoking whilst driving is more dangerous than using a mobile phone, complete rubbish!

You don't support Noooo Labour do you?

[blackangel]

Apples are disgusting.

[paulvallen]

TeamD said:

philbob said: Gooby said: Why not ban smoking?, it is illegal to eat an apple. Smoking is digusting anyway. It must be more dangerous to smoke whilst driving than using your mobile. Get the Universities to conduct a study. While you're at it why don't we just ban all bigotted, ignorant, facist plonkers from driving? I'm sure the correctly fudged study by 'independant' authorities could find just about any result you want, including your completely unfounded statement that smoking whilst driving is more dangerous than using a mobile phone, complete rubbish! You don't support Noooo Labour do you?

Whilst smoking probably isn't as dangerous as using a mobile 'phone from the "diverting one's attention" point of view, it is potentially far more dangerous. If you drop a mobile phone you can simply shout to the person on the other end that you'll call them back. Drop a cigarette and who wouldn't be fishing in their lap or on the floor with eyes seriously diverted from the road?

Wouldn't it be great if we actually had motoring enthusiasts policing our roads - detecting idiotic driving whilst allowing people to drive at 100mph on a deserted, well-lit night-time motorway? Aah, sadly this will only ever be a motoring utopian dream...