Drivers watching Tablets while driving
Discussion
Has anyone else seen this?
3 times in the last few months I've seen this - the worst one was a couple of months back when a chap in a small van overtook me on the M1 watching a film or something on a tablet he had propped between his dash and the windscreen directly in front of the steering wheel. It was so blatant though, it was pitch dark so the tablet lit up the whole cab of the van, and he was overtaking me at the time (and I was doing about 80mph). I'd forgotten about it but remembered yesterday when a lady in the car next to me was watching a tablet while presumably commuting to work. The first time I saw someone doing this the guy had an iPhone jammed in between the hub and the top of the steering wheel rim and was watching something on the phone.
I guess the chances of getting caught doing this are fairly low if you're not speeding? Surely more dangerous than speeding while actually watching the road though!
3 times in the last few months I've seen this - the worst one was a couple of months back when a chap in a small van overtook me on the M1 watching a film or something on a tablet he had propped between his dash and the windscreen directly in front of the steering wheel. It was so blatant though, it was pitch dark so the tablet lit up the whole cab of the van, and he was overtaking me at the time (and I was doing about 80mph). I'd forgotten about it but remembered yesterday when a lady in the car next to me was watching a tablet while presumably commuting to work. The first time I saw someone doing this the guy had an iPhone jammed in between the hub and the top of the steering wheel rim and was watching something on the phone.
I guess the chances of getting caught doing this are fairly low if you're not speeding? Surely more dangerous than speeding while actually watching the road though!
I got picked up by a minicab driver who was watching some kind of Indian / Sri Lankan soap opera on his phone which was clipped into the vents on the dashboard.
Out of Britishness I didn't say anything when we set off but I observed him driving, his eyes constantly darting between the road and the phone as he drove along.
By the end of the journey I had reached the obvious conclusion that this was unacceptable on many levels. I asked him if his employers knew he was doing it. He looked at his feet and mumbled "no" like a scorned six year old.
I wish I'd had the sense to pay him a half fare or something actually.
Out of Britishness I didn't say anything when we set off but I observed him driving, his eyes constantly darting between the road and the phone as he drove along.
By the end of the journey I had reached the obvious conclusion that this was unacceptable on many levels. I asked him if his employers knew he was doing it. He looked at his feet and mumbled "no" like a scorned six year old.
I wish I'd had the sense to pay him a half fare or something actually.
I've used my tablet as a GPS before, but it's on a vent mount, and not obscuring my view of the road.
I did witness a young lass with her iPhone on a dash mount the other day, the main issue being she'd chosen to stick it on top of the cowl over the instruments.
Do people not realise that even a 4"-5" screen in the window creates a huge blackspot right in front of them? Especially when the stick the goddamn thing right in front of their face.
I did witness a young lass with her iPhone on a dash mount the other day, the main issue being she'd chosen to stick it on top of the cowl over the instruments.
Do people not realise that even a 4"-5" screen in the window creates a huge blackspot right in front of them? Especially when the stick the goddamn thing right in front of their face.
eldar said:
'You wouldn't believe how much more interesting my commute is now that I have something to do other than just stare out the window! I'm using it right now to post this review and I never''I read some 4 and 5 star reviews by those who used this device successfully to change a baby while driving. On that basis, I bought one. I put my baby on it and drove for over an hour. It did not change. Same baby. I am glad it worked for some people but I will be returning mine. (The steering wheel desk.)'
I drive the M4 from J15 to J13 about 9.30 every Sunday night and I guarantee I'll see at least 5 people with phones/satnavs positioned in their line of vision and often on the 'Day' setting in the dark.
A 20mm stone chip wil fail your MOT but a 150mm light in your face seems to be OK.
A 20mm stone chip wil fail your MOT but a 150mm light in your face seems to be OK.
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