I'm sure most of you will have seen/heard of the new law from today that if the police catch you using your mobile phone while driving the penalty has been doubled. 6 points on your license (was 3) and a £200 fine (was £100). I think that's still too lenient, to be honest.

Thoughts?

Massive crackdown this week then business as usual.

It's not just whilst driving either

You can also receive the same penalty for using phone whilst stationary if the engine is running

Nowhere near enough.

And to answer the OP question it's not enough

In my opinion they should do to all, what they are doing to those that have had licence for less than 2yrs & revoke their licence

Arguably the most dangerous thing you can do whilst driving. Worse than drink driving?

Nowhere near good enough - two fabulous young girls from our village were killed on the A38 not far from here, they'd have been at Uni or working now, when a lorry driver using his phone slammed into the back of their Mum's car. They were just coming back from their usual Sunday morning horse-riding lesson ffs.
He got eight years, served four and a bit, I believe.
How the kids' parents live with that, I can't even begin to think.

Unfortunately, I doubt this will be enforced as much as it should. They'll be flagged down by police who will more often than not, give them a warning and send them on their way.

Claretmatt4 wrote:Arguably the most dangerous thing you can do whilst driving. Worse than drink driving?

I think it is in most cases. I have driven whilst over the limit and no, I wouldn't dream of doing it now but when I did, I tended to concentrate even more than usual.
Obviously, it's a different story if you're ****** out of your head but my point is that anyone using a phone in a car is not concentrating and if nothing happens, it's through sheer good luck.

My thoughts exactly.

I don't like hands free kits either. It's not having one hand occupied that's the issue it's that you mind is somewhere else when your driving.

Wonder if the person driving around with 60 points on their licence will give a toss about this new law?

Agree with it there's no need to messing about distracted with the technology available nowadays I just have to press 1 button on my car stereo. Most sensible people nowadays have there's phones paired up with Bluetooth should all be handsfree.

They will if they get nicked, hopefully.

I'm not against this new law, but why are people allowed to smoke whilst driving?

They're allowed to get it, mess about lighting it and then smoke, whilst flicking ash out the window etc.....
No one seems to be in a rush to stop that though and its just as distracting sometimes.

Women are the worst, I see 3 or 4 a day using their phones at the wheel, often with children in the car with them.

Jakubclaret wrote:Agree with it there's no need to messing about distracted with the technology available nowadays I just have to press 1 button on my car stereo. Most sensible people nowadays have there's phones paired up with Bluetooth should all be handsfree.

Agreed, I'm the same but don't you find, as matt said earlier, that your mind is not concentrating fully on your driving as you're listening and talking ?

wilks_bfc wrote:It's not just whilst driving either

You can also receive the same penalty for using phone whilst stationary if the engine is running

Best news I've heard all day. Nothing annoys me more than drivers stopping in dangerous and stupid places, usually in the middle of the road, to answer their phone.

evensteadiereddie wrote:Agreed, I'm the same but don't you find, as matt said earlier, that your mind is not concentrating fully on your driving as you're listening and talking ?

Guess it depends on lots of factors the individual, length of call etc. In a ideal world not even doing that would be better. Try explaining that to a salesman/woman or a long distance lorry driver or doctor etc.

As has already been said it is not enough. As with drink driving it should be an immediate ban. Sure it won't stop everyone, just as it doesn't with drink driving but it would be a much stronger deterrent and a more fitting punishment for those caught.

I've tried hands free and I agree. I don't even like people talking to me when they're in the car with me, unless I'm cruising on the motorway or a road with few decisions to be made. It's off putting.

FactualFrank wrote:Unfortunately, I doubt this will be enforced as much as it should. They'll be flagged down by police who will more often than not, give them a warning and send them on their way.

I would doubt the police would let anyone off.... and probably check the tyres while theyre at it........

What would be a deterrent is immediately confiscating the handset that would be a massive inconvenience ballache especially to people who haven't backed up there contacts pictures etc & investing in a new handset. Maybe abit harsh but would make people think twice.

Not enough. I bang my horn at anyone I see doing it. Often young girls texting. It's plain idiotic. I would ban smoking and driving too.

TBH I use hands free for work in my car but I find even that very distracting. I generally try to keep away from in depth discussion and keep calls as short as possible.

Is talking on hands free any more distracting than talking to a passenger? I don't think so as you can feel the urge to look at them if they are in the passenger seat or look in the rear view mirror if they are sat in the back. It's a natural reaction to look at people when talking to them. The only distraction is answering the call which on a modern car is usually one press on a touchscreen.

karatekid wrote:Is talking on hands free any more distracting than talking to a passenger? I don't think so as you can feel the urge to look at them if they are in the passenger seat or look in the rear view mirror if they are sat in the back. It's a natural reaction to look at people when talking to them. The only distraction is answering the call which on a modern car is usually one press on a touchscreen.

It's not even a touchscreen in some cars
Mine is on a stalk behind strleering wheel. I don't never need to take my hands off the wheel to answer

Diesel wrote:Women are the worst, I see 3 or 4 a day using their phones at the wheel, often with children in the car with them.

Two weeks ago, a young woman in a Green Citroen C3 Pluriel ( Part Canvas roof ) was in front of me all the way from the George IVth on Padiham Road to the Mitre junction, all over the place on the road. When I pulled past her on Gannow roundabout, she had her mobile in her left hand, talking away and a backwards facing baby cot on the passenger seat ! Madness !!

Seeing as we're at it, why aren't dogs secured when travelling in a car ? They could be all over the place, distracting drivers etc...

Funnily enough, the most quiet dog I've ever seen in a car was my Mother-in-Laws late cross, Molly. Mrs Clarets4me's mother, learnt to drive later on in life & passed on her 6th attempt. The examiner must have passed her only to spare his colleagues the experience, & I believe was awarded the M.B.E. for services to " Fellow driving examiners " !
We bought the dog a " St Christopher " to wear around it's neck, & my wife swears it used to try and cross itself with its paws as his owner set off...
Her efforts at parking could fairly be described as " abandonment ", and her over-revving could have been liable to a " noise abatement order " ! On one memorable occasion, I dropped her off at " Tats " on Briercliffe Road to pick up her car, fitted with yet another new Clutch. As she drove off, the proprietor whispered to me " I ordered two from the Motor factors, so I'm ready for the next time ! " ..
She eventually succumbed to the inevitable, at 77, and handed her License back 18 months ago . I mentioned it to my own Dad, still a competent driver at 81 years old, I was greeted by a short silence on the phone followed by the immortal phrase, " Anything that makes the world a safer place..."

Two weeks ago my young daughter was followed by a complete maniac from george the fourth to the mitre in burnley ..she had severe earache at the time and was trying to adminster some relief pressing a gloved hand to her ear. Shed only popped out to buy a new baby seat for the car and wished shed stayed at home when this guy eyes bulging with rage overtook her on a busy roundabout! With a dog staring at her from the rear winow bearing its teeth.to follow a young lady in this manner is really not on. She also noted he was on the phone....probably to his dad or someone! I was left speechless....

I'd report this incident if I were you !!

An Instant ban for 1 year and a fine of £1000 might concentrate most people's minds.

karatekid wrote:Is talking on hands free any more distracting than talking to a passenger? I don't think so as you can feel the urge to look at them if they are in the passenger seat or look in the rear view mirror if they are sat in the back. It's a natural reaction to look at people when talking to them. The only distraction is answering the call which on a modern car is usually one press on a touchscreen.

Yes. It has been proven. You use more of your brain talking to someone who isn't there than someone who is. Also you can stop the conversation naturally, should extra concentration be needed, with someone who is also in the car.

Hands free is no different to speaking with a passenger, really. That said, plenty companies are now banning their workers from taking business calls whilst driving.

As for smoking, is this the next thing for everyone to get on their high horse about and the next attack on the smoker (I'm not anymore by the way). Why stop at smokers, what about music (skipping tracks or changing discs), eating food, drinking etc.?

The worst I've heard though was from a friend who occasionally drives HGVs at work. He says that he regularly sees HGV drivers travelling on the motorway with a film playing on a laptop. Quite how safe he is peering into all these lorries, I don't know!

DCWat wrote:Hands free is no different to speaking with a passenger, really. That said, plenty companies are now banning their workers from taking business calls whilst driving.

As for smoking, is this the next thing for everyone to get on their high horse about and the next attack on the smoker (I'm not anymore by the way). Why stop at smokers, what about music (skipping tracks or changing discs), eating food, drinking etc.?

The worst I've heard though was from a friend who occasionally drives HGVs at work. He says that he regularly sees HGV drivers travelling on the motorway with a film playing on a laptop. Quite how safe he is peering into all these lorries, I don't know!

Theres a lot of rubber necking goes on on our roads,which imo is a very dangerous practice.....

Dejavu wrote:Yes. It has been proven. You use more of your brain talking to someone who isn't there than someone who is. Also you can stop the conversation naturally, should extra concentration be needed, with someone who is also in the car.

Agree this. When you speak with someone in the car with you they are (most likely) also aware of what's going on outside the car. Conversations can easily paused if driving needs to be done.

When the person is on the end of a phone they don't know where you are, what speed you are doing, what else is going on on the roads around you. They can't help with your driving....

I used to have "handsfree." If I had to answer a call first thing I'd say was I am driving, so, I may stop listening/speaking while I give attention to the road.... If I needed to make a call - well that could wait until I was at a service area...

Been too soft on drivers using phones. Perhaps we should have immediate ban for using phone while driving in area near to schools - this might get the message across.

It's still legal in some countries. Three/four years back, my boss in US used to call me (in London) while he was driving 30-40 miles from home to office at least once a week.

I utilise hands free in my car when I need to and I'll be the judge of my driving and concentration skills whilst driving. I am by no means perfect, but I know that I will still be concentrating on driving more than the phone conversation than I suspect others do. My significant other has commented that I often go quiet for short periods when she has called me - I remind her that I am driving and I am concentrating on that not the call.

I drive up and down country quite frequently and the usual suspects are white van man; luxury car drivers (who should really be able to afford hands free); young women usually with kids (and they're also turning round to chastise their little angels too); and the biggest offenders are HGV drivers.

I would say however that should someone cause an accident through not concentrating because they are distracted for whatever reason including using hands free, then they should lose their licence for life.

One of my pet hates though are people who have what appears to be a large tablet attached to their windscreens for a satnav - that should be outlawed too IMO.

Bloke on the radio this morning said it also applies to hands free IF you have an accident and they find you were having a conversation.

How does it work for emergency services are they exempt?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... again.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Two people caught and will be banned as they're still relatively new drivers.
Happened in Abingdon, the next town up from mine.


I agree what someone said about tablets being used for sat navs
Also people who feel the need to stick gadgets to the screen directly in their line of sight.
If you're that stupid and useless that you need something right in front of you to guide you, just go home and stop driving, because you're not safe to be on the road.

Slight off topic but when I give people a lift who don't drive, my mum especially is bad for this, they all point stuff out to you in a completely different direction to the road "did you see that" "wow look over there" etc. Do they know know I need to focus?

ClaretAndJew wrote:Slight off topic but when I give people a lift who don't drive, my mum especially is bad for this, they all point stuff out to you in a completely different direction to the road "did you see that" "wow look over there" etc. Do they know know I need to focus?

No no obviously not ...

On my phone. Makes me sound less intelligent than I am

Good brilliant rule. I drive 30k miles a year. And I have used mine whilst driving. And I know its wrong and feel guilty afterwards. Its easy to think you are a good driver and that you know what youre doing. This is a deterrent that is needed. The scary thing is that it seems the reality of losing your licence is worse than losing your life. Thats very worrying.

Ive started leaving my phone in the back of the car. Then even if the temptation is there, when stationary or otherwise you cant get it anyway. Bluetooth still works. I use this a lot for work but I believe that even that should be outlawed. Its absolutely a distraction.

The wake up call for me was a few weeks ago. I was at the junction next to what used to be the welly. I turned to my stereo to skip a track whilst the lights were red. It took me less than 2 seconds. I looked up and in that split moment there was a guy on the road knocked off his motorbike and a girl who knocked him off hysterical. Luckily both were ok. But I couldnt even say what had happened and Id only skipped a music track.

About time a severe penalty was brought in.

mrhungryone wrote:Two weeks ago my young daughter was followed by a complete maniac from george the fourth to the mitre in burnley ..she had severe earache at the time and was trying to adminster some relief pressing a gloved hand to her ear. Shed only popped out to buy a new baby seat for the car and wished shed stayed at home when this guy eyes bulging with rage overtook her on a busy roundabout! With a dog staring at her from the rear winow bearing its teeth.to follow a young lady in this manner is really not on. She also noted he was on the phone....probably to his dad or someone! I was left speechless....

Should be a straight 12 month ban IMO

Yeah total ban required. I have hands free, but if I need to make a call, I still have to manually handle the fone and spend time looking at it rather than the road. I believe that's where the hazard is, not in speaking to someone. People texting and looking at the internet because they can't wait to see what the latest notification is from fb or sky sports news. Trouble is, as already pointed out, after the initial crackdown, there will be no one around to catch anyone.

Govt have zero interest in stopping it. If they were REALLY concerned and serious about it, they would remove the hazard at source and insist all new cars had a jamming device fitted. There's money to be made here.

Sanctimonious thread of the year.

There are some high horses on here....


No ones interested in banning smoking whilst driving though despite my earlier comment about it
Can't imagine why that would be....

Sidney1st wrote:There are some high horses on here....


No ones interested in banning smoking whilst driving though despite my earlier comment about it
Can't imagine why that would be....

Or eating/drinking. Listening to music. Using sat navs or carrying passengers.
Don't just stop at smoking if you feel so vehmiously regarding driver distracion

My point about smoking is people are seemingly allowed to faff about sorting their cigarettes out, light them etc but that's fine.
Playing with a mobile isn't.
Eating and drinking whilst driving can also land someone in trouble depending on the mood of the copper.

Just looking for fairness that's all.

As for using sat navs, no issue for those that want to use them, just the bell ends who stick them in their line of sight because their ability to drive is so bad they can't do anything else.

I never thought I would see someone trying to justify drink driving on the grounds that it is safer than using a mobile at the wheel.