Stupid Mobile Phone Law...

[Willow Tree]

How come we will get 3 points on our licence and �60 fine if we are seen just touching our mobiles in the car, when we can fiddle with buttons for our heater etc?

Also, isn't talking on your handsfree just the same as talking to the passenger next to you?

Will Taxi-drivers get the same charge for using their radio speaker?

What about people who smoke whilst their driving? Isnt that also a similar thing?

[almcd007]

With you on all of these.

Even a police officer talking on his radio on the way to an incident ?

We can fiddle with the button to the heater, car stereo, Sat nav etc etc but not the one on your phone !!

I'm sure it's dangerous smoking whilst driving - you can guarantee someone jumping up and down and taking their eye off the road if they drop their fag !

Its mad !

[Panic Button]

You use the same part of your brain to make conversation as you do to assess the road ahead and make decisions. Not necessarily true for repeating familiar actions such as smoking.

If you are fiddling with the heater controls and something needs your full attention on the road, it is easy to stop fiddling with the heater. Not so for a phone, particularly with a hand held.

The person on the other end has no idea what you are seeing, unlike a passenger next to you who is likely to stop talking when they see you have to cope with a situation.

[mr rusty]

Because when you're on the phone, you're not concentrating on driving your car.

The next time you're going, say, round a roundabout, and you see some moron yacking on the phone and trying to steer and change gear at the same time, give them a toot on the airhorns, and see the look of total shock and surprise on their face as they saw at the wheel in abject panic.

Have these twits not got the wit to activate the message box and switch the phone off? Are those calls so important??

[Buenchico]

Quote from the Crown Prosecution Service's website:
"The following are examples of driving which may amount to driving without due care and attention:
* using a hand held mobile telephone while the vehicle is moving;
* tuning a car radio;
* reading a newspaper/map;
* selecting and lighting a cigarette/cigar/pipe;
* talking to and looking at a passenger"
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/section9/chapter_b .html#21

So, it's already recognized (by those responsible for law enforcement) that such actions can be dangerous and irresponsible. There are clearly some 'grey areas' where, say 'tuning a car radio' is concerned. However, there is plenty of research to show that using a hand-held phone considerably increases the chance of an accident, so it seems logical to create a 'black and white' definition of illegality for such actions.

My only concern is that the penalties are nowhere near stringent enough. I would suggest a fine of �1000 and a 6 month ban.

Chris

[Grunty]

Next time you visit a supermarket, look at the mobile phone addicts. They cannot push shopping trolleys safely. Now multiply that by the speed of a car and the degree of concentration required.

Police vehicles and taxis are not in the same league. The normal conversation is two or three words to acknowledge a message or maybe two or three sentences to pass information. Not the same as the person I saw yesterday. She was on her phone through three sets of traffic lights and a roundabout. She completely failed to notice children playing on the pavement and a car reversing onto the road.

[winny]

You are not supposed to fiddle with anyting whilst driving as it all takes your mind off the road and can be construed as not in proper control of the vehicle as buenchino says. But the arguement about the phone and the brain and the prolonged concentration is true.
I do think that smoking is in the same league though as you are aware you cannot just drop the fag if you need to as your reflex tells you not to. It is very dangerous and when you light up you take your eyes away for a few seconds.
Heater buttons are easy to leave if necessary but not if you are looking at them and not at the road.
Did someone get done for eating a sandwich at traffic lights a while ago?

[charmed247]

So basically they are saying...dont listen to the radio...or heavens forbid change from radio 1 to radio 2...if its cold...freeze....don't talk to your passengers...just drive in silence?????

Agree with the reading maps/newspapers/trying to light up a fag and chatting on the phone because that is obviously silly but honestly where will it end??....next they will try and charge us to use the roads......hang on a min........!!