Mobile Phones at the Wheel

[Mick F]

I had a 30mile ride this morning, and out of interest, I made a point of looking at every single vehicle coming towards me, and tried to look at everyone overtaking me. I wasn't on small lanes, but on B roads, A roads and also a trunk road.

Not one single mobile phone was stuck to anyone's ear.
Not a single one.

Could it be that the increased penalties that came in yesterday have finally done the business?

[Paulatic]

Lets hope what you've witnessed is a good sign.

The day before they were introduced I was in Carlisle and a young lady driver with her phone in front of her was so engrossed she missed the lights turning green until she was beeped from behind.

[thirdcrank]

A lot of media publicity this morning about this including quite a strong presentation from King Edmund urging the importance of complying and the risks of non-compliance. I hope it sticks. He was asked a pertinent question about police enforcement and he put a positive case, mentioning that the police had had a couple of crackdown and also used lorries ......

Only time will tell. Let's hope for the best.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Lets hope what you've witnessed is a good sign.

The day before they were introduced I was in Carlisle and a young lady driver with her phone in front of her was so engrossed she missed the lights turning green until she was beeped from behind.

And when you are stationary in traffic its still illegal, there must be a definition of how and where exactly.

https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones- ... ng-the-law

"When you can use a phone in your vehicle
If you’re the driver, you can only use your phone in a vehicle if you:
##need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop
##are safely parked"

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway ... to-252#239

"•you MUST switch off the engine, headlights and fog lights" ................................I wonder how many know that?

[meic]

I only noticed one definite phone user and they had pulled onto a driveway, rather than driving while phoning.
I did see another driver rummaging on the passenger seat and coming out with a phone but by then he was passed.
I couldnt say this was an improvement as I was not actively looking for phone users.

The words used on Radio 4 were quite scary for would be miscreants, "From today drivers who have had their licence less than two years will be banned from driving if caught using a mobile phone" that should make them sit up and pay attention.

[gaz]

And when you are stationary in traffic its still illegal, there must be a definition of how and where exactly.

The offence is defined under The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2003.

My understanding is that if the engine is switched on you are driving the vehicle.

[foxyrider]

Will last for a few days until something else takes over the news.

I bet tomorrow i'll see several white van phone users - they are always the first to crack after all they need to speak to their mates while they drive between inflating quotes. They will be the self same drivers escaping bans as 'they need to drive for their business'.

Unless there are high profile convictions and continued media coverage it will change nothing.

[thirdcrank]

... My understanding is that if the engine is switched on you are driving the vehicle.

I'm not confident that the opposite is necessarily true in that you don't stop driving just by switching off the engine.

I see that it only applies to roads. The breathalyser has always applied to public places (with plenty of decided cases on the subject) and the Road Traffic Act extended dangerous / careless driving to public places, although it would have to be a fatel/potential fatal to get the police interested on something like a supermarket car park.

Perhaps meic's driver on the private driveway had been mugging up on the law.

[ChrisOntLancs]

when it's dark it's common for me to see a phone screen lighting up a car with somebody glancing up occasionally. i could live with it if driving was the main 'thing' but it's not. they're checking facebook, and driving with the little care left over after that.

i used to have a mate that was a pain for it, to the point where i refused to get in his car. if the response was even slightly better than 'oh it will be alright when we're all in driverless cars' i could probably forgive it, but the quality of that retort, that's a red flag. maybe somebody else could pull it off, not him.

[Postboxer]

Why don't the older drivers get the same punishment as new drivers, both should know better.

[meic]

They do get the same punishment in that the offence carries 6 points.
New drivers are "discriminated against" in that they only are allowed 6 points rather than 12, a general discrimination rather than just for phones.

[661-Pete]

I often see motorists drawn up at the roadside, engine still running, using their phone. I know that this is illegal - the law says you must stop your engine. Yes it's antisocial and creates pollution. But it hardly compares, hazard-wise, with using the phone whilst driving.

I wouldn't call someone out for doing this. Should one?

[reohn2]

Today I saw two people driving(car in motion)whilst using a mobile,one of which was negotiating a roundabout
Fines and points.
What fines and points?
There's no police about so the chances of detection are slim.

What we are seeing with the new penalties for mobile use is a law which won't be enforced anymore than the old penalty,so the initial perceived impact on the consciousness of offenders will be short lived and will wear off.
What's needed is more police,lots of them,nothing stops crime better than the thought of there being a very good chance of being caught and that capture hurting badly,as it is there's little chance.

EDIT:- Just watched BBC 6pm news(recorded),it reported on inadequate policing reduction in police numbers due to lack of funding ....

[al_yrpal]

The Norwegian penalty would be good. A few days in jail in the forthcoming 6 months at your convenience. Your pickaxe is there, the rocks are over there....

Al

[reohn2]

The Norwegian penalty would be good. A few days in jail in the forthcoming 6 months at your convenience. Your pickaxe is there, the rocks are over there....

Al

They've got to be caught first before any rock breaking can take place and even then they'd probably claim hardship and their families would suffer as a result.
I listened to JV's phone in earlier in the week when the 62 point licence holder story hit the fan.
I listened to two drivers complaining that they drove in excess of 20k miles,one I think 40k miles,with umpteen points on their licences,and were still driving.They were bleating on about how unfair it all was and that they knew how to drive,blah,blah,blah .