Coach trip - scary.

[dfen5]

And no, it wasn't the coach driver or the coach. It was the view from the coach.

I've not been on a coach for years and this coach was a real big modern job, you sat very high up with a bird's eye view of the traffic around you, even looking down into big HGV cabs.

All I can say is I'm now a more nervous driver. iPad mini stuck to the steering wheel of an HGV? Books held at knee height under the steering wheel? iPhone resting on rubber anti-slip mat, playing Candy Crush? Pouring out a coffee? This wasn't just HGVs, cars and vans too (vans were the worst noted for phone use). Video streaming. All seen in 240-ish miles. Wow.

No need to thank me for sharing, cool story etc. Be careful out there..

[Snollygoster]

Agreed it is very dangerous. All it takes is someone to have to an emergency stop infront of them, and not only being a much bigger, heavy vehicle carrying so much momentum the stopping time will be worse; but this vastly will decrease reaction time.

However, I still think some of the mums who sit in the middle lane turning round to try and control their kids is far more dangerous.

[so called]

A couple of years back an entire family, Mum, Dad and three kids were wiped out on the M6 junction 16 by a Portugese truck because the driver was watching a move on his laptop which was sat on the dash.

[Dog Star]

Too right - when I'm on the M62 on my motorbike I can see right into people's cars but close. In my experience almost all females under 40 are texting or fiddling with a phone. Shocking.

I've got quite adept spotting texting drivers now, even from a low slung car - they do it from their laps and you can see their attention flickering down below the steering wheel.

It's another reason that I've almost stopped using the bike to commute and it really makes me angry - drink drivers aren't on my radar for example, they're vanishingly rare. However texting females appear to be the norm. fking dippy hints!

[s p a c e m a n]

I see this all day being a lorry driver in london, 50% of all drivers on the M25 in rush hour are doing something that would count as undue care (phone, eating, watching something, poncing about), and the other 50% have probably just stopped doing something.

[rambo19]

And yet some on here think phone use whilst driving is OK.

[Uncle John]

But when is something going to be done about it?

It's shocking and getting on for manslaughter if the worst was to happen.

I see HGV drivers texting on roundabouts, van drivers blatantly on the phone and bints doing everything from their lippy to mumsnet .

It's not on and I never see anyone pulled up for it.....

[ecsrobin]

I was on the M3 southbound near windsor the other week JCB service centre van guy holding his book reading it. I was truly shocked looked into reporting it to JCB but then realised that all the service centres are franchised.

[V8LM]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/JHixeIr_6BM?rel=0&am...

[ruff'n'smov]

No coppers on the road, cameras cheaper than said coppers, no senior management with the Balls to stand up and say it, all equals, to more dangerous driving on the road because no one there to nick you, simple.

[northwest monkey]

Uncle John said:

It's not on and I never see anyone pulled up for it.....

Because nobody has invented a camera that can catch them.

I've seen a bloke driving through contraflow whilst reading a book on the M40 years ago & on the M6 a truck driver watching a DVD as he's drifting over the rumble strips onto the hard shoulder.

I think Traffic Cops covered this a few years ago. A truck driver was texting and drove into the back of a queue of traffic killing a lady. Pretty bloody frightening really.

[Ari]

Uncle John said:

It's not on and I never see anyone pulled up for it.....

Who by?

Agreed, it's a very serious issue and it's only going to get worse as the younger generation, glued to their phones and iPads, get behind the wheel.

[Blakewater]

Every so often a police force borrows a tractor unit and goes out with an officer in the passenger seat holding a video camera looking for lorry drivers not paying attention. It's only an occasional blitz on the issue though, not constant enforcement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9eTzzCveOA

[Ari]

They need to tackle this head on. Get a few covert trucks and video cameras and some high profile 10 year bans.

I reckon this is more dangerous than drink driving.

[aw51 121565]

[trolling]

I go out for a good night then drive home pished while texshtingh... *hic*

As long ash I don't exsheed the shpeed limit when driv*hic*ngh bach and don'tt trip the shpoeed camerash then no-one will *hic* detect anee offenshesh . Home shafe and *hic* dry !

[/tolrring]

Joking apart (and it's not really funny at all!), a speed camera will clock any vehicle speeding every time (as long as it has film or if it is digital ); it almost certainly WON'T detect vehicle drivers driving while using a phone, otherwise distracted with day-to-day tasks or driving OPL ...

And, sadly, it is most unlikely that the police will detect such infringements - unless said drivers crash - as there are so few of les flics nowadays . And that's not a good situation!!

[regprentice]

In the mid 90's i wad randomly pulled over by the police. They had a walk round my vehicle checking things like tread depth, valid tax disc then let me on my way. In the 20 years since i haven't had a single interaction of any kind with a copper whilst driving.

There was an article in local paper about a 'have a go hero' taxi driver who foiled a burglary. It mentioned that the police hadn't come because there was only ONE police car available in my council area (west lothian) on a saturday afternoon.

Clear problem. Not enough coppers to catch people.