mobile phone ban
Discussion
looks like it's going to become law. Well done chaps, in one fell swoop you've brought in another impossible to enforce law for an overworked Police force, increased the likelyhood of road rage and lumped everyone together as incompetent drivers. Why not make it illegal to carry noisy kids in the car, load a cd, turn on the radio, scratch your arse etc, etc. f**k, it's enough to drive you to drink....ARSE!!
sorry apache but i have to say this is a good thing,
the amount of fcukwits that have nearly run me off the road cos they was sitting yapping shite, probaly telling the wife they ddn't want chips tonite is unbelieveable , hands -free maybe a case for that but not a phone shoved up to the ear and vainly trying to keep control at the same time
the amount of fcukwits that have nearly run me off the road cos they was sitting yapping shite, probaly telling the wife they ddn't want chips tonite is unbelieveable , hands -free maybe a case for that but not a phone shoved up to the ear and vainly trying to keep control at the same time
Don't get me started, just don't. 
Are we also going to make it illegal to smoke, eat, apply makeup, change the radio station, talk to passengers and use dashboard mounted controls whilst driving?
The current laws are more than sufficient to allow anyone driving dangerously due to using a mobile phone to be prosecuted.
Bleeding nanny state, New Labia b*ll*cks. Grrrrrr.
Are we also going to make it illegal to smoke, eat, apply makeup, change the radio station, talk to passengers and use dashboard mounted controls whilst driving?
The current laws are more than sufficient to allow anyone driving dangerously due to using a mobile phone to be prosecuted.
Bleeding nanny state, New Labia b*ll*cks. Grrrrrr.
Good news, anyone who is so inconsiderate of their own and other peoples lives to talk on a hand-held whilst driving deserves a life long ban. The policing will however be difficult, as seen in Germany now. It's law since 1.1.2002 but that didn't stop a numpty mum driving her bratcarrier in a village, going through a bend, to plough up my roses. AT least the BiB here arrived and not only took her license but now she's been banned (2 months) for "driving without due care"!
Ban ALL use of hand-helds in cars by drivers, make a handsfree obligatory, they only cost pence, FFS!!!!
N.B. If you use a hand-held here you automatically lose your insurance cover, so you'll get done for driving without insurance as well!!
>> Edited by JMGS4 on Tuesday 20th August 08:58
Ban ALL use of hand-helds in cars by drivers, make a handsfree obligatory, they only cost pence, FFS!!!!
N.B. If you use a hand-held here you automatically lose your insurance cover, so you'll get done for driving without insurance as well!!
>> Edited by JMGS4 on Tuesday 20th August 08:58
A good idea? Maybe for those talentless lorry drivers who hurtle about in their own little worlds oblivious to anything other than where the next greasy spoon is located.
On a side issue - and maybe one that people havent considered - how do you think this will affect teh economy? As a business man I have to travel to see my clients on a regular basis and am pretty sure if I didnt use my phone whilst driving my company would suffer.
Short sightedness on the governments part yet again.
On a side issue - and maybe one that people havent considered - how do you think this will affect teh economy? As a business man I have to travel to see my clients on a regular basis and am pretty sure if I didnt use my phone whilst driving my company would suffer.
Short sightedness on the governments part yet again.
There's no need for a new law. Anyone driving dangerously, including on a mobile, can be done for 'not being in proper control'. Yet again, if there's a blanket ban, people who actually use a phone responsibly get tarred. And how will this be enforced to greater effect than the existing law?
This is spin, pure and simple.
This is spin, pure and simple.
I used to work for a company that had a ban on mobile phones whilst driving. Whilst you were on company business, you were not to use your phone whilst driving.
As someone who visited customers, it was initially an irritant... but you get used to it. Big deal, someone can't contact you immediately - that's what text messaging and answerphones are for.
How difficult is it to pull over and make a call?
FFS, it's only a bloody phone - is it really worth risking your life and that of others to save 2 minutes?
As someone who visited customers, it was initially an irritant... but you get used to it. Big deal, someone can't contact you immediately - that's what text messaging and answerphones are for.
How difficult is it to pull over and make a call?
FFS, it's only a bloody phone - is it really worth risking your life and that of others to save 2 minutes?
quote:
There's no need for a new law. Anyone driving dangerously, including on a mobile, can be done for 'not being in proper control'. Yet again, if there's a blanket ban, people who actually use a phone responsibly get tarred. And how will this be enforced to greater effect than the existing law?
This is spin, pure and simple.
exactely its another gimmick from the labour
's that spend all day in taxi's so dont care that normal working people need to be contactable all day whilst driving. Yes its dangerous but you should be able to receive a call and then pull over and take it. If they're banned then all cup holders in cars should be banned as drinking is dangerous too!!! In fact passengers should be banned too as they're a distraction!!! ( esp the female ones....! )I support a ban on non hands-free phones in the car. I can vouch that talking on the phone does take a large amount of your attention, as a few years ago whilst driving in Cardiff and holding a phone conversation, I negotiated two roundabouts, crossed a main junction, pulled up at a set of lights - then looked in my mirror only to see plod behind me! Needless to say he pulled me over and advised me (quite reasonably) about the danger of non hands-free phones.
I called my company and requested a hands-free kit, but was told that they were for managers only (!) and that if I was paged (I'm a computer engineer) as I was to use my mobile only while stationary. So after that exchange, I would wait until I could pull off the motorway at a junction before I responded to a call - not very convenient for my customers, but I'd be buggered if I was going to get points on my licence for careless driving to save my company a hundred quid for the hands-free kit! I now work for a different company, have a hands-free setup and find it works well.
I agree with the bloke on the TV this morning (from the AA / RAC or something similar) who said that rather than limit this ban to mobiles, it should encompass other 'driver distractions' - in other words to encourage more attentive and responsible driving.
>> Edited by wolosp on Tuesday 20th August 11:33
I called my company and requested a hands-free kit, but was told that they were for managers only (!) and that if I was paged (I'm a computer engineer) as I was to use my mobile only while stationary. So after that exchange, I would wait until I could pull off the motorway at a junction before I responded to a call - not very convenient for my customers, but I'd be buggered if I was going to get points on my licence for careless driving to save my company a hundred quid for the hands-free kit! I now work for a different company, have a hands-free setup and find it works well.
I agree with the bloke on the TV this morning (from the AA / RAC or something similar) who said that rather than limit this ban to mobiles, it should encompass other 'driver distractions' - in other words to encourage more attentive and responsible driving.
>> Edited by wolosp on Tuesday 20th August 11:33
Just to clarify something here to everyone, I've just been reading the paper and it says the ban INCLUDES all use of a handset, INCLUDING the plug in hands free sets (you know, cable with mic and earpiece)
The only thing which will be legal are properly plumbed in car phones.
Barmy ....
The only thing which will be legal are properly plumbed in car phones.
Barmy ....
quote:
I support a ban on non hands-free phones in the car. I can vouch that talking on the phone does take a large amount of your attention, as a few years ago whilst driving in Cardiff and holding a phone conversation, I negotiated two roundabouts, crossed a main junction, pulled up at a set of lights - then looked in my mirror only to see plod behind me! Needless to say he pulled me over and advised me (quite reasonably) about the danger of non hands-free phones.
I called my company and requested a hands-free kit, but was told that they were for managers only (!) and that if I was paged (I'm a computer engineer) as I was to use my mobile only while stationary. So after that exchange, I would wait until I could pull off the motorway at a junction before I responded to a call - not very convenient for my customers, but I'd be buggered if I was going to get points on my licence for careless driving to save my company a hundred quid for the hands-free kit! I now work for a different company, have a hands-free setup and find it works well.
I agree with the bloke on the TV this morning (from the AA / RAC or something similar) who said that rather than limit this ban to mobiles, it should encompass other 'driver distractions' - in other words to encourage more attentive and responsible driving.
Arrgghh! This doesn't need a new law. From what you describe above, you were guilty of driving without being in proper control - and could (should?) have been done. Negotiating roundabouts/junctions etc while on the phone is crazy. But there is already a law to deal with it! Why do we need yet more, special case, legislation when the current law isn't enforced?
It doesn't need extended to 'other distractions' since the current legislation covers *anything* which causes you to not be in proper control - including drinks, chocolate, smacking the kids in the back, whatever.
This epitomises what's wrong with government today. And not just New Labia. The media and the bubblewrap festooners harass the politicians into knee jerk legislation under the long since discredited banner of safety.
Enough has been said above about the rights and wrongs of this idea. For me it boils down to two points:
i) You cannot legislate for a lack of common sense. whether it's a mobile phone or whatever, either people have the sense to pay attention to their driving or they don't - this proposed legislation is treating the symptom, not the ailment.
ii) I really wish these nanny fools would stop legislating for the minutae of peoples' lives. We have too many laws, regulations, rules, protocols. We should be repealing those which cannot or should not be enforced, not implementing more of them. In Scotland they're considering making it a criminal offence for any establishment to disallow public breast-feeding. Now I don't want to argue about this point, as I'm not bothered if women want to breast-feed in public (at least the little monster isn't crying when it's feeding), but surely a pub or restaurant should be free to disallow the practice if it is deemed out of step with the level of decorum the establishment tries to encourage.
Too much government interference in our lives. They repeatedly prove that they do not know what's best for us, yet we repeatedly roll over for them to jam another tranche of pointless legislation up our asses.
The consultation is about to open & I intend to share my views with them. I suggest you all do..
As a compromise, I'd accept banning hand-held use (not fitted or in-ear hand-free though).. but I still see it as a pointless exercise - a PR pseudo-safety sham.
Enough has been said above about the rights and wrongs of this idea. For me it boils down to two points:
i) You cannot legislate for a lack of common sense. whether it's a mobile phone or whatever, either people have the sense to pay attention to their driving or they don't - this proposed legislation is treating the symptom, not the ailment.
ii) I really wish these nanny fools would stop legislating for the minutae of peoples' lives. We have too many laws, regulations, rules, protocols. We should be repealing those which cannot or should not be enforced, not implementing more of them. In Scotland they're considering making it a criminal offence for any establishment to disallow public breast-feeding. Now I don't want to argue about this point, as I'm not bothered if women want to breast-feed in public (at least the little monster isn't crying when it's feeding), but surely a pub or restaurant should be free to disallow the practice if it is deemed out of step with the level of decorum the establishment tries to encourage.
Too much government interference in our lives. They repeatedly prove that they do not know what's best for us, yet we repeatedly roll over for them to jam another tranche of pointless legislation up our asses.
The consultation is about to open & I intend to share my views with them. I suggest you all do..
As a compromise, I'd accept banning hand-held use (not fitted or in-ear hand-free though).. but I still see it as a pointless exercise - a PR pseudo-safety sham.
Have to agree with you Neil.
I would first point out that like most posters here, I hate to see people driving with a mobile slapped to the side of their head, it is dangerous and should be stopped. However, a new law is not the answer.
Firstly this is largely unenforcable, unless you're dim enough to be on the phone when a copper pulls alongside in whichcase surely driving without due care and attention is surely more appropriate.
As others have said this is just the government wanting to 'be seen to do something' rather than actually adressing the issues.
I agree that something should be done, but short of upping the number of traffic police dramatically and equiping them all with microwave detectors and have them follow us around I don't see this can possibly be effective. If people know they won't be caught then they wont give a damn whether its illegal or not (see speeding for reference) - what percentage of road users sit at 70 on a clear motorway unless a cop is sitting beside them?
My suggestion id this
I think a new crime of 'acting like a dic*head' should be introduced. People who swerve across 3 lanes of M25 into my path because the're on the phone smoking a fag and drinking a coffee, (yes you in the dark blue vectra) when I'm cruising in the outer lane at a 'comfortable' speed should be prosecuted for this crime and summarily executed by being dragged on a rope atatched to one leg, behind an F40 around donnington...
I would first point out that like most posters here, I hate to see people driving with a mobile slapped to the side of their head, it is dangerous and should be stopped. However, a new law is not the answer.
Firstly this is largely unenforcable, unless you're dim enough to be on the phone when a copper pulls alongside in whichcase surely driving without due care and attention is surely more appropriate.
As others have said this is just the government wanting to 'be seen to do something' rather than actually adressing the issues.
I agree that something should be done, but short of upping the number of traffic police dramatically and equiping them all with microwave detectors and have them follow us around I don't see this can possibly be effective. If people know they won't be caught then they wont give a damn whether its illegal or not (see speeding for reference) - what percentage of road users sit at 70 on a clear motorway unless a cop is sitting beside them?
My suggestion id this
I think a new crime of 'acting like a dic*head' should be introduced. People who swerve across 3 lanes of M25 into my path because the're on the phone smoking a fag and drinking a coffee, (yes you in the dark blue vectra) when I'm cruising in the outer lane at a 'comfortable' speed should be prosecuted for this crime and summarily executed by being dragged on a rope atatched to one leg, behind an F40 around donnington...
Scariest thing I saw recently was the driver of a large artic reversing into a petrol station with, yes, a mobile phone clamped to the side of his head and a fag in his hand.
What maneouvre calls for more concentration and physical mobility in a vehicle than reversing an artic ffs?
Er -- apart from THAT?
What maneouvre calls for more concentration and physical mobility in a vehicle than reversing an artic ffs?
Er -- apart from THAT?
You say it's unenforcable, so there's no point. What about seatbelts then. That's similarly unenforcable, and people can still risk their own lives not weraing belts if that is how they want it.
On the other hand, a lot of people now regularly belt-up, beacuse it being law means they realise it's actually an important thing, rather than just some waffle about safety.
On the other hand, a lot of people now regularly belt-up, beacuse it being law means they realise it's actually an important thing, rather than just some waffle about safety.
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