Banning Hands Free Phones

[joggerjayne]

So the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have found that there is no significant difference in the incidence of accidents involving motorists holding their mobiles, or using a hands free.

ROSPA's conclusion ... it is not holding the phone in one hand that causes accidents ... it is being distracted by the phone conversation.

This is fairly obvious. If taking one hand off the wheel to do something was dangerous, then the Govt. would have to ban CD players, radios, sat navs, coffee, and manual gearbox cars.

So how long before there is a blanket ban on car phones, including hands free?

[ummmm]

I think hands free should be banned.

[joggerjayne]

So do ROSPA.

[razza]

It ought to be immediately.

[EvianBaby]

I don't think there should be. We've forked out a small fortune to have all the vans fitted with hands free sets because the guys have to take calls constantly. If they were forced to pull over every time the phone rang they would never get anywhere and a lot of their driving is on the motorway so the amount of calls missed would no doubt result in a substantial loss of business too. I would add none of our guys has ever had an accident (apart from one involving a bollard.

[ummmm]

I even find someone elses phone calls distracting.

[erin-x]

I never understood this... If it is the conversation that distracts you from driving, surely passengers should be banned as you converse with them while they're in the car. I don't know.... Just an observation. :|

[joggerjayne]

"apart from one involving a bollard"

Tricky little dudes those bollards !

[ummmm]

erin - I think it just uses a different part of the brain.

[razza]

Evianbaby,What did you do before mobile phones.

[hc4361]

erin, passengers are usually aware of the times the driver needs to concentrate.

[joggerjayne]

erin ...

I think the "reasoning" is that a passenger who is in the car can see the surrounding traffic. If you arrive at a busy roundabout, the passenger sees it, and can shut up, to let you concentrate.

Someone on a phone will carry on blabbing, while you arse end the car in front because you had your head tilted up at 45 degrees to try to shout at the hands free receiver clipped onto the sun visor.

[EvianBaby]

No idea, that was years ago!

It's not really something you can compare now anyway. The world has moved on and mobiles are essential to lots of businesses now.

[erin-x]

You think? I think it's just the same apart from the fact that the person you are talking to isn't actually there.

[erin-x]

Sorry your posts weren't there when I wrote that. x

[ummmm]

There is definitely a difference between talking on the phone and talking to a passenger in the car. I got knocked over by someone on a phone...

[pa___ul3]

"passengers are usually aware of the times the driver needs to concentrate.".. you haven't been in the car with my lass! Ha!
It is an odd one, Erin has a point, it's a conversation.
If you're on the phone you can always say "hang on a second while I ....", I'm pretty sure the physically holding onto a phone may detract from ability to negotiate swift turns.
Plus, with handsfree options, idiots are less likely to resort to texting while driving, which is just plane crazy!

[joggerjayne]

Well, to be honest, I don't agree with much of the logic.

I don't think holding a mobile is any more dangerous than smoking, tuning the radio, opening a sandwich, etc ... all of which involve a critical element that using a mobile DOES NOT ... the driver tends to look down, away from the windscreen. Those things are all more dangerous that using a mobile.

[vulcan]

I do not understand why the police are so against mobile phones held in the hand. I took my driving test when cars were not fitted with indicators and spent most of the test with my right arm out of the window as well as dealing with a crash gearbox. As I passed the test they obviously thought I could drive safely without having both hands on the wheel all the time, what has changed over the years I wonder ? As has already been said, the passenger can be distracting, are they about to ban those as well ?

[pa___ul3]

you could argue that talking on the phone is safer than talking to a passenger as we invariably look at the person we're speaking to if in their company.