andrewk wrote:I don't expect any improvement in any aspect of driving standards unless traffic police numbers are increased...few cops = low chance of detection = frequent transgression.
PH wrote:We live in such a technological age it should be possible to come up with a detection method other than expensive police time. What needs to change IMO is the political will.
IMO detecting mobile use with actually seeing the driver using it is very unlikely as there's so many ways of denying it,someone else in the car using the phone being but one.
The most effective deterrent and method of detection is traffic police and more of them,two police officers,one in plain clothes and one further up the road in uniform would catch more criminals than anything else,and could lead to the detection of other criminal activity by some mobile users.
I also think if the offender claims they weren't using the phone(s) it should be taken away for analysis and any after the time of the offence disputes of use shouldn't be allowed.
I think penalties for serious motoring offences are far too soft and excuses and claims of hardship far to easy too get past a judge.
If people think think can get away with crime they'll try if they don't they won't,and if they know the penalty stings enough they won't risk it.
I agree the political will needs to be there for serious and dangerous road crime to by curtailed(I'm think in the terms of ton of bricks sentencing and a flood of police on the roads),road crime can never be wiped out entirely but it can with the political will laws and penalties in place and good effective policing,be kept to an absolute minimum.
At the moment the roads are a free for all with little or no policing and the belief by some that penalties are an occupational hazard nothing more.
We as a society need to ask ourselves if we're willing to accept the kinds of incidents such as in the OP to continually be in the news or whether we want to stop it.