Changes to penalties for mobile phone use while driving.
Discussion
It is interesting that at the same time as they are considering increasing the penalties for mobile phone offences that the number being fined for the offence has fallen dramatically. The telegraph report that Fines for driving while on phone fell four fold in three years from 123,000 in 2011 to 30,000 in 2014. This is possibly because the preferred method is to deal with it by attendance at a Driver Awareness Course i.e. it is treated as a trivial offence.
You only risk committing a crime if there is little chance of being caught.
I see too many to count people on their phones every day. I get over-taken and the car vanishing into the distance when I'm at 65 in a 60.
If the penalty increases and people actually start getting caught then maybe they will stop it - but until then.
There was rumour of them consulting to bring the points up to 6 - so get caught twice and that's it - totting ban. I guess 3 times instead.
I see too many to count people on their phones every day. I get over-taken and the car vanishing into the distance when I'm at 65 in a 60.
If the penalty increases and people actually start getting caught then maybe they will stop it - but until then.
There was rumour of them consulting to bring the points up to 6 - so get caught twice and that's it - totting ban. I guess 3 times instead.
These devices are addictive. I cycled past a driver this morning who had his iPhone set up between the speedo and the revcounter, landscape orientation. Watching TV as he was driving. Loads of people have them stuck to the windscreen in their line of sight as sat navs.
Highlights the oddity of a specific offence for using the phone as a phone.
Highlights the oddity of a specific offence for using the phone as a phone.
There are a few more days to respond to the consultation. http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/83EV0
techguyone said:
They could make the penalty Life Imprisonment, but it won't make a jot of difference. Every day, every single day just travelling locally (market town) I see 3 - 5 people using phones openly.
Until there's eyes to catch them, it's all just bulls
t.
Exactly that - number of drivers I see on a daily basis blatantly using phones is just daft - chances of getting caught is minimalUntil there's eyes to catch them, it's all just bulls
t.So, after reading the above posts, using a mobile device while driving is extremely common. Everyone sees lots of people using them on every journey. And yet there has been no massive increase in road casualties? Perhaps the police are better spending their time elsewhere after all.
Don't get me wrong, I agree it's wrong to use a mobile device while driving, but the proof of the pudding.....
Don't get me wrong, I agree it's wrong to use a mobile device while driving, but the proof of the pudding.....
Tony1963 said:
So, after reading the above posts, using a mobile device while driving is extremely common. Everyone sees lots of people using them on every journey. And yet there has been no massive increase in road casualties? Perhaps the police are better spending their time elsewhere after all.
Don't get me wrong, I agree it's wrong to use a mobile device while driving, but the proof of the pudding.....
Luck, and other drivers avoiding the inevitable in my experience.Don't get me wrong, I agree it's wrong to use a mobile device while driving, but the proof of the pudding.....
As said its other drivers perception and action that stops accident - Last Saturday - M6 at Haydock - outside lane coned off then 2 lanes moved to left to use hard shoulder and Lane 1 - except for driver of white Transit with empty car trailer in tow who didn't move over but stayed in lane 1 - Fortunately it was relatively quiet so my emergency braking didn't cause a pile up as I avoided getting side swiped by the trailer or driving into a wall of cones.
Came out the other side and he continued on his merry way telephone to his ear.....
Came out the other side and he continued on his merry way telephone to his ear.....
Tony1963 said:
So, after reading the above posts, using a mobile device while driving is extremely common. Everyone sees lots of people using them on every journey. And yet there has been no massive increase in road casualties? Perhaps the police are better spending their time elsewhere after all.
Don't get me wrong, I agree it's wrong to use a mobile device while driving, but the proof of the pudding.....
Just think of the revenue they are loosing out on.Don't get me wrong, I agree it's wrong to use a mobile device while driving, but the proof of the pudding.....
speedking31 said:
I think the penalties are just fine as they are. More enforcement is what's needed. Blocking the phone for a week would be a more appropriate punishment than 6 points.
I don't think they are just fine as the problem still continues, we are not getting more enforcement so need to do something.We could make the fine £50,000 that would pretty much stop everyone, this is also not going to happen the fine needs to be £500-£1000 to make people take notice.
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