Wednesday 28th February 2007

Mobile phone fines go up

Phone law gets tough but who will enforce it?

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The fine for using a mobile phone while driving went up to £60 yesterday, plus you'll get three points on your licence. If you argue the case in court, the fine could rise to as much as £2,500.

Many if not most motorists may never have heard of it, with a new survey claiming that as many as 20 million drivers may be unaware. It also reckoned that over one-third (36 per cent) of motorists risk driving while using a mobile phone, believing a £30 fine is the worst that can happen. Most of these drivers presumably believe they are very unlikely to be caught.

Yet the numbers of those who both indulge in this unsafe practice and are caught run only into thousands. Drive around and you'll easily spot dozens – assuming you're not keeping your eyes on the road -- and that's just with one person's eyes...

It's clear that the Government's plan to deter mobile phone usage is failing not because of lack of tough legislation but because there's not enough police around to enforce it.

Don't expect that to change anytime soon...

[wab172uk]

For once I back the Government on this one. The number of times I've almost seen a crash due to someone weaving about because they are on their mobile phone is unreal. Flying out of junctions, or speeding over roundabouts, because they can't change gear, brake, steer, and hold their mobile phones at the same time.

In the past 2 years, I must have nearly been a victim of a crash due to someone on a mobile phone, at least 10 times. 10 times to many for my liking.

[zebedee]

Yep, good one - they never let people out of junctions either as they are totally unaware of their surroundings.

Here's one idea to cut accidents and reduce congestion at the same time - make the driving test harder? Why not have the IAM standard as the minimum? Driving is seen as a right in this country rather than a privilege.

I know why No 10 wouldn't back it though, because they don't actually want a cut in car use, they still want all the petrol tax, but they want to stick extra taxes on us as well.

[oagent]

I agree with the government on this one too. Obviously it will make bugger all difference with no traffic plod to enforce it, but it sends the right message. Lets see a similar fine and points policy for those who drive with their front fog lights on in good visibility.

[mk1fan]

Can't believe the fgure of 20 million being unaware of the law change. There's been an article about it in every news programme and newspaper each day this week.

I back this change in the law 100%.

[schwarzpm]

i also back this law but it won't change anything as there aren't enough police on the road to properly enforce it! I only drive about 10 miles a day to work and back but I haven't seen a police car on my daily commute for several weeks.

[alock]

The problem with this is that every argument that driving whilst using a phone is dangerous, must also apply to hand-held radios. Two days ago on Car Wars on BBC 1, a police officer was driving whilst talking on a hand-held radio.

I know that the law specifically mentions telephones and excludes radios for this very reason. It's another case of one rule for them, another for us.

[peter pan]

The thing which I find odd is that whilst not allowing people to use mobile phones when driving, we are still allowed to take a ciggie out of a packet, set light to the end of it, and poke it in our mouth, and search around for the glowing red bit that has just fallen off the end of the ciggie, and is in danger of causing burns to our our dangly bits, all whilst driving a vehicle??????? weird?

[gemini]

Im looking!

[fatboy b]

The Article said:

Most of these drivers presumably believe they are very unlikely to be caught.

I think that's a safe presumption. When was the last time you saw a cop car on the road? I have a 26 mile commute, and last saw one on Monday.

[bunglist]

I cant understand why they dont just ban everything whilst driving eating, smoking, mobile phones.

If your driving why the FK would you want to be disturbed buy someone from work, or a customer or anyone!!!!

I agree with the government on this, in fact they should make the penalty an instant ban, that would stop more people.

This, I think is the very first sensible thing that this government has done, but I think they are still being too lenient.

[Scoobers]

With 20 million unaware of the new change, lets say 25% use their phones +- £300Mil in the coffers.

Surely that would pay for a few more BiB

[Ant_vRS]

I'm a response cop and we are not allowed to use hand held radios when driving. We are supposed to use the car set....if it ever works. As for patrols on the street, there may be dozens of officers on duty.....in the station.........but as far as response goes, you'll be lucky if there's more than 4 of us (on my section) on duty, out and about, at any one time!

[PhantomPH]

Hang on, hang on, hang on. Lets not just jump on this horse of demonising mobile phone use whilst driving without looking at things through OPEN eyes.

Think about how many times (compared to people on mobile phones) you have had to brake hard or evasively act because of and old person/bad driver/speeding driver/young driver/bus driver/van driver/truck driver/blissfully unaware of anything driver - ANY other driver.

Its much more common to be one of the above than a person on a mobile phone. The reality is that the government have found a way of identifying 'problem drivers' to make money from, other than speeding. Before long it will be talking to your passengers, music playing, singing along to the radio...ANYTHING they can get your money for.

Yes, there are obvious cases of distraction from mobiles, but one day of sun does not a summer make. Mobiles are what they have chosen to focus on currently. I bet if they wanted to fine you for a particularly smelly fart in the car, they could find stats that proved a good guff by the passenger cause X accidents in the last year.

Its worth saying that the absolute worst display of driving I have seen in years, was the other day when a bloke in a box of shit old Mondeo was able to cause about 8 cars to hang well back on a dual-carriageway, by driving erratically and serving all over. When I took a deep breath and went to go past him, he had his wife and kids in the car...and had a fresh cigarette hanging from his lips and was fully lifted off the drivers seat (no obvious seatbelt) struggling to get his lighter out of he back pocket.

Come on guys - you keep your minds open about the government's intentions on everything to do with speeding - please try and keep the same open mind when viewing ALL legislation that targets individuals. Some of it is just. Some of it is just smoke.

P~

Edited by PhantomPH on Wednesday 28th February 14:58

Edited by PhantomPH on Wednesday 28th February 14:58

[cqueen]

That girl is using a walkie talkie. Do they count?

[vipers]

cqueen said:

That girl is using a walkie talkie. Do they count?

Dont know, but bout time they started targeting pedestrians who talk and walk straight into the road causing us drivers to jump on the anchors, or those with iPods ear phones etc sticking out of their ears, not looking either.

And all this talk of congestion, up in School Hill in Aberdeen, the pedestrians continue to cross the road DESPITE their lights being RED, and ours green, thus causes hold ups/congestion, do the police etc do anything about that, No way hosay...........

[alt]

PhantomPH said:

Come on guys - you keep your minds open about the government's intentions on everything to do with speeding - please try and keep the same open mind when viewing ALL legislation that targets individuals. Some of it is just. Some of it is just smoke.

The reason most of us are happy with this is because most of the wankers who use their phones while driving are the numpties that annoy us most, eg. white-van man, little Miss Hoity-Toity in her Chelsea tractor, spotty boy-racer in his Saxo, arrogant arse in his Boxter/3-series, etc.

I would have added old-git in his Honda Jazz but he doesn't use a mobile as the buttons are too small!

[griff50tvr]

I guess it won't be long now before we see AMPR safety cameras all over the place then along with ANPR safety cameras. Gotta be another good safety earner. (Replace safety with cashmachine if you like)

[andyxxx]

The next step will be to ban all mobile phone use – including hands free.
Then why not ban drivers from speaking to passengers – as this must also lower our concentration.
Then of course why not ban all manual shift cars - it has to be safer to drive with both hands on the steering wheel at all times.
So lets then penalize anybody that is distracted enough to wave or acknowledge somebody whilst driving.

Although I do not condone using a mobi while driving – I am about the only person (up to now) to think this is another law ‘too far’

Infact I completely disagree with this law because the things listed above – though ridiculous sounding now, could quite easily be made illegal by an over zealous government.

[Neezer]

Is it true that bluetooth headsets are banned as well? or is it just holding a Mobile Telephone up to your ear and talking? Doesn't seem to make much sense to me anyway what with Sat Nav systems and radio tuning etc that could distract people too.. So could anybody point me to a place where i can find out how the law has actually changed? Just seems a bit ambiguous to me!

[Rob_the_Sparky]

Not sure I agree with the law - just use the Driving without due care laws that already exist...

Also if you want to deter people from doing something then (oddly enough) said people need to be aware of what you are doing. Seems that someone has cocked up big time if that is the real reson for this rule change...