Drivers make too many phone calls
Survey finds handheld use is increasing
 There's too much of this, finds survey |
Expect to see more cars weaving around under minimal control at 80mph. According to a survey by a car finance company, drivers are getting complacent about using a hand held mobile phone while driving, even though it has been illegal since December 2003.
Over 60 per cent admitted to taking or making a call on a hand held mobile phone over the last 12 months, and 36 per cent thought that doing so had no effect on their driving. That compares to just four per cent this time last year.
Across all drivers (both those using hands free and hand held mobiles), 93 per cent in 2004 stated that taking and making calls on a hand held mobile phone had an adverse effect on their driving – perhaps an immediate reaction to the new legalisation which made using a hand held mobile phone whilst driving illegal. Despite the legislation, only 41 per cent now believe using a hand held mobile phone puts their driving in danger.
Employers' responsibilities
According to the report, employers are making progress on implementing a policy on the use of mobile phones while driving. Eighty-one per cent of drivers are aware of their employer’s policy on the use of mobile phones while driving. Companies have more to do, finds the survey.
- 42 per cent of drivers have between 1 and 10+ points on their licence
- 68 per cent of employers have never checked their employees driving licence or if they did it was only when they first joined the company
- 84 per cent have not given employees a driver training policy despite 49 per cent of drivers saying they would find it beneficial
- 51 per cent of companies do not penalise drivers who cause accidents
The survey was commissioned by Bank of Scotland's car loan section, whose head Graham Hale said, "With the recent publication of the draft version of the corporate manslaughter bill, employers would be wise to ensure that employees have safe working practices and that company cars are in a safe condition.
"The financial case for introducing risk management measures, whether it’s driver training or looking at journey times and schedules in an effort to reduce mileage, is clear. Accidents are a significant proportion of the cost of a running company cars and the true cost of accidents – time off work through injury, disruption to work patterns – can represent a considerable loss for a business."
British work too hard
The survey also found that Brits work longer hours than ever, many of them behind the wheel. In the last 12 months those questioned said that their business mileage had increased by over 30 per cent compared to this time last year.
The average worker now drives 17,488 miles a year on business – the equivalent of driving from Lands End to John O’ Groats over 20 times a year. When asked how many hours they spent driving on company business each week, over 30 per cent of drivers admitted to spending between 20 and 30 hours a week behind the wheel.
- Six per cent of drivers admitted to spending over 30 hours a week driving on company business
- Eighteen per cent of drivers spend over 15 hours a week commuting. Twenty per cent say that the time they spend commuting had increased over the last 12 months
- The total miles driven over the last year (including private mileage) is 25,905 miles
The news reinforces the long standing belief that British people work longer hours, pay higher taxes and have a lower standard of living than workers in other European countries.
Other results showed that 61 per cent of drivers regularly break the 70 mph speed limit on the motorway as they rush to fit in more and more business meetings. Eighty-eight per cent of those questioned think that pressures of work, or being late for appointments make them drive faster or less safely, and over 58 per cent admit to not taking a break every two hours on long journeys as recommended in the highway code.
The worst culprits are female drivers. More women than men (83 per cent compared to 62 per cent) think the legal speed limit on motorways should be over 70 mph, with over 28 per cent of women believing it should be over 90 mph and 5 per cent even stating that there should be no speed restrictions at all.
Hale said, "The fact that the hours spent at the wheel has dramatically increased from last year is a worry. Aside from the wear and tear on both driver and vehicle, excessive mileage and time spent behind the wheel exposes an employer to risk."
Over 1,600 company car drivers were surveyed as part of a major report Company Cars – The Drivers’ Perspective, by Bank of Scotland Vehicle Finance.
If the government really want drivers to sit up and take notice of this ban, simple, make the minimum fine £1000 or even more. The current fine isnt really a deterrent.
Also what should be looked at are the pressures put on employee's to get a job done, Hit target this month ect,ect.
I do agree that driving on the phone hands free or not effects your ability to concentrate more so if your fixing a problem with someone, (preventing a major deal from collapse...... eh sales people???) hence not fully thinking about your driving and more so on your potential loss of commission
Far to much pressure in this country and it needs sorting
Maybe there should be a limit set by companies as to how many miles can be traveled per employee per month?
>> Edited by david87M3 on Wednesday 11th May 15:26
i chapped the window and asked him to hang-up which he did - reluctantly.
see dozens of folk on their mobiles while driving everyday on the road - gives me the impression that the police just aren't enforcing this law at all.
>> Edited by djbilly on Wednesday 11th May 15:13
I beeped my horn at him once as he was starting to drift across the centre line of the road approaching me - and he seemed a little peeved that I was shouting at him!!!!
What gets me is that he drives the latest Merc E class (£30K+ surely?) and can't seem to afford a £20-£50 handsfree kit.
So to the old guy driving the gold Merc registration Sx KEN, you're a pillock!
( where x is a number between 5 and 7 )
>> Edited by pallison on Thursday 12th May 09:19
pdV6 said:
Whilst I don't agree with using handsets on the move, perhaps its just an indication that the general public are getting tired of nanny-state legislation and are simply starting to ignore the myriad of rules & regulations we're all faced with every minute of every day...?
I know ignorance of the law is no defence, but with so many new rules and regulations it is simply not possible to be aware of all of them. It is therefore inevitable that we'll contravene some of them sooner or later, even if people are generally inclined to be law abiding.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Talking about all the rules and regulations etc etc.
Some considerable years ago, (pre 96 anyway), I was driving a hired car from Heathrow to Gt Yarouth. It was January, and it was so cold, lorrys were grinding to a halt as their diesel was freezing, (before the additives were put in), anyway the hired car blew its engine on the M11.
Now this is before the intro of the "Cell Phones", so like a good boy, I sat there hoping for a plod to come along. They didnt, and I was getting hypothermia (freezing my butt off), so I started to walk along the hard shoulder.
A very very nice female school teacher stopped and gave me a lift into Cambridge (I think), anyway I immediatel phoned Mr plod to say my car was abandoned on the M11, and he informed me I had broken the law.?
When I asked why (being totally unaware why), he said "You have left your car un-attended on a motorway" so I politely told him I had waited for a considerable amount of time freezing my arse off for a police car to come along and it didnt, and anyway it was a Hertz car.
Your quite right Dave, we all cant know all the laws etc, mind the phone one has been well documented hasnt it.
Safe driving one and all....and put those phones off
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