RE: Top Irritants
Tuesday 23rd October 2001
Top Irritants
Mobile phone users are top gripe
Discussion
This has really struck a chord with me. If I follow another dangerously weaving Cherokee Jeep with a phone-using mother on board who is also trying to reprimand her kids in the back seat I will not be responsible for my actions. I ride a motorcycle every day and phone-using drivers are increasingly the single biggest threat to my safety and other road users. These people do not have even 5% of their tiny brain on driving.
I fail to see how using a mobile whilst driving is any worse than searching for that elusive tape, extracting that cigarette from the packet, flicking the lighter till it eventually lights, finding that lipstick to be applied after said cigarette.
Lets be realistic. It isnt mobile phones that are dangerous. I would rather drop a phone mid call, than a cagarette midway thru!!!!
Lets be realistic. It isnt mobile phones that are dangerous. I would rather drop a phone mid call, than a cagarette midway thru!!!!
I think the point being made is that doing *anything* other than driving while in a car is dangerous, particularly for other road users.
FFS, if you can't concentrate on driving a car then you shouldn't have one - simple as that !!!
It is a sad fact that most accidents aren't - they could be avoided if people were driving within their limits and were concentrating on their driving. I mean, how hard is it to avoid banging into the back of the car in front ??!!
The sooner people start losing their licences for shit driving, rather than simply speeding, the better in my opinion !!
FFS, if you can't concentrate on driving a car then you shouldn't have one - simple as that !!!
It is a sad fact that most accidents aren't - they could be avoided if people were driving within their limits and were concentrating on their driving. I mean, how hard is it to avoid banging into the back of the car in front ??!!
The sooner people start losing their licences for shit driving, rather than simply speeding, the better in my opinion !!
quote:
I fail to see how using a mobile whilst driving is any worse than searching for that elusive tape, extracting that cigarette from the packet, flicking the lighter till it eventually lights, finding that lipstick to be applied after said cigarette.
Lets be realistic. It isnt mobile phones that are dangerous. I would rather drop a phone mid call, than a cagarette midway thru!!!!
It's all to do with using your brain to try to concentrate on driving, navigation and have a conversation at the same time. Why not try watching TV with the sound off and the radio on at the same time and following both. That's only two things at the same time so it should be easier than driving and talking on the phone.
Not sure i agree with th e bit about hands free... I use HF a lot and reckon it makes things easier. i dont need to worry about remembering things whilst im driving or worry about being late. i can just get it off my chest asap and then carry on with driving...
what do you want to do next bad talking to passengers ???
Dons flame proof clothing....
what do you want to do next bad talking to passengers ???
Dons flame proof clothing....
What gets me is that most of the people you see using their hand held phones whilst driving seem to be either corporate exec's in 25-30K Mercs or BMW's or mums in 25-30K 4x4's. If they can afford to splash that sort of money out on a motor then surely they can afford the 150 odd quid to get a hands free kit fitted ?
quote:
What gets me is that most of the people you see using their hand held phones whilst driving seem to be either corporate exec's in 25-30K Mercs or BMW's or mums in 25-30K 4x4's. If they can afford to splash that sort of money out on a motor then surely they can afford the 150 odd quid to get a hands free kit fitted ?
White van man and the boy racers are just as bad.
The Isle Of Man has banned the use of mobiles in the car - in fact they have big signs everywhere saying "The Police Will Prosecute". Since they don't operate a 70mph limit I reckon this is a good idea...
But..any distraction whilst driving is a problem and it does seem a bit illogical to me to allow the use of radios in Ambulances/Police Cars etc and not allow the public to use a phone in the car....?
Surely if distractions are being eliminated we should ban from the car:
SatNav.
Car Stereos.
Nose picking.
And finally : Noisy Children.
Nanny State eh?
Rather than just banning stuff for the sake of it it'd be nice to see some more positive actions - driver training programmes etc etc.
But..any distraction whilst driving is a problem and it does seem a bit illogical to me to allow the use of radios in Ambulances/Police Cars etc and not allow the public to use a phone in the car....?
Surely if distractions are being eliminated we should ban from the car:
SatNav.
Car Stereos.
Nose picking.
And finally : Noisy Children.
Nanny State eh?
Rather than just banning stuff for the sake of it it'd be nice to see some more positive actions - driver training programmes etc etc.
As always its all down to personal skill, training and ability levels.
I can remember being the passenger in a friends Z3 doing 90 ish on the motorway in the rain at night. He was on the phone juggling 2 calls, one was ordering curry (for 4 people so a fair list) to be delivered to our destination, the other from his boss giving him specific times and dates for a job he had to go on this he was writing down on a loose bit of paper. He also managed to pass comment on something that came on the radio while this was all going on. Was I worried and was it dangerous ???? No not really the guy is a fast jet pilot and this kind of multi tasking is the norm for him. Would I do it ??? No way I'm strictly hands free auto answer, auto radio mute the works my brain and reactions can't cope with that kind of overload but some can.
I can remember being the passenger in a friends Z3 doing 90 ish on the motorway in the rain at night. He was on the phone juggling 2 calls, one was ordering curry (for 4 people so a fair list) to be delivered to our destination, the other from his boss giving him specific times and dates for a job he had to go on this he was writing down on a loose bit of paper. He also managed to pass comment on something that came on the radio while this was all going on. Was I worried and was it dangerous ???? No not really the guy is a fast jet pilot and this kind of multi tasking is the norm for him. Would I do it ??? No way I'm strictly hands free auto answer, auto radio mute the works my brain and reactions can't cope with that kind of overload but some can.
My comment was top of the thread and my main point was this - it is impossible to drive with one hand and maintain a phone conversation while negotiating traffic, a junction, a roundabout, or a set of traffic lights. I don't care how multi-tasking you think you are - driving in busy areas requires concentration. Hand held phones should be banned in cars, in my opinion. Lighting a cigarette or changing the radio station are very minor and short-lived distractions by comparison. The next driver that seriously endangers my life by using his phone in the car won't forget the warning I give them, I guarantee it.
While I agree that using phones while driving should be discouraged, I fail too see what using a hand held while driving is any worse than using a hands free.
Before you flame me to hell and back, I drive an auto!!!
This makes using a hand held while negotiating a junction no more hazardous than using hands free in a manual, IMHO. Maybe this is why many of the flash exec drivers use hand helds? Why bother with hands free - unless you habitually tug off with your left hand while driving (maybe!
) you have bugger all else to do with the left arm.
I repeat, I do not condone using any type of phone while driving. I also request passengers to keep respectfully quiet, and will turn off the radio in heavy traffic or when "pressing on", but then I'm a bloke and find it difficult to do two things at once.
Before you flame me to hell and back, I drive an auto!!!
This makes using a hand held while negotiating a junction no more hazardous than using hands free in a manual, IMHO. Maybe this is why many of the flash exec drivers use hand helds? Why bother with hands free - unless you habitually tug off with your left hand while driving (maybe!
) you have bugger all else to do with the left arm. I repeat, I do not condone using any type of phone while driving. I also request passengers to keep respectfully quiet, and will turn off the radio in heavy traffic or when "pressing on", but then I'm a bloke and find it difficult to do two things at once.
Using the phone in the car is the sign of a sad S**T who believes that they are that important that a call cannot wait.
Before mobile phones came around people would be unavailable and the world did not stop turning.
I have a mobile it gets turned off when I get in the car (or ignored if I forget). I then arrive and turn the phone on and it tells you if someone has rung. I actualy travel around and train people and those calls are usually bookings (ie my business) and most customers will happily wait. If the phone call is going to be that important they will ring and you can pull over into the next layby or services to take the message.
Re: Police etc. there are usually 2 people in the car and the non-driver uses the radio.
I cannot believe anyone can condone distracting themselves in the way a phone conversation does.
Before mobile phones came around people would be unavailable and the world did not stop turning.
I have a mobile it gets turned off when I get in the car (or ignored if I forget). I then arrive and turn the phone on and it tells you if someone has rung. I actualy travel around and train people and those calls are usually bookings (ie my business) and most customers will happily wait. If the phone call is going to be that important they will ring and you can pull over into the next layby or services to take the message.
Re: Police etc. there are usually 2 people in the car and the non-driver uses the radio.
I cannot believe anyone can condone distracting themselves in the way a phone conversation does.
Thats the problem Apache most people don't know their limitations so "cos everyone else does it" is okay for them. Mel is quite sensible (as he describes in his post HE wouldn't do it) but less skilled drivers than he would.
I have all too often seen "deathwish" drivers 70mph on a motorway in the middle lane 10' apart both talking on the phone. Classic bit is that they wouldn't be done by the camera but me traveling at 80mph keeping my distance and keeping both hands on the wheel and concentrating would.
Apache I agree, if people did know their limitations and whether or not their concentration was seriously affected a "hands free" would be fine, however the world is not that perfect.
I have all too often seen "deathwish" drivers 70mph on a motorway in the middle lane 10' apart both talking on the phone. Classic bit is that they wouldn't be done by the camera but me traveling at 80mph keeping my distance and keeping both hands on the wheel and concentrating would.
Apache I agree, if people did know their limitations and whether or not their concentration was seriously affected a "hands free" would be fine, however the world is not that perfect.
Yes, I agree. To change the subject slightly (but same argument) I can't cope with the 'less than 1litre micro' driver who insists his/her car will do more than 85, takes a mile to get there, yet if he/she had to swap lane/swerve/stop in less than a mile would not be able to do safely.
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