Certainly chatting on the phone is a distraction but how on earth would they enforce a ban on hands-free? You're driving, singing along to the radio, and some bright spark says you're on the phone.
I think it's a nonsense. The car radio is a distraction. The sat nav is a distraction. Road signs are a distraction. Nasty coppers pointing radar guns at you are a distraction. As are radar vans in unwarranted 20mph streets. Kids in the back are a distraction. Etc. Etc. Etc.
One can't go banning everything, there has to be common sense. Although that always seems to be lacking in authorities. Anyway if hands free is banned hopefully all the emergency services and delivery vehicles will be removing their radios too.
Another ruddy stupid suggestion giving one despair at the human race.
"There were 773 casualties on Britain's roads in 2017, including 43 deaths and 135 serious injuries, in crashes where a driver using any kind of mobile was a contributory factor, the committee said in a report."
I'd support such a ban. I would suspect being almost impossible to achieve a significant success rate.
I do own a mobile but do not answer it whilst driving. Its not even 'paired' to my car.
If hands free is to be banned then the next logical step is to ban conversing with passengers, listening to the radio,(is anything more of a distraction than inadvertently catching the Beep Beep See "news"?) and transporting children unless they are in a sound proof cage. Just more gum bumping from the one issue zealots.
It's a nonsense. What next, no passengers? No children in the back seats in car seats? No dogs in cages in the back of the estate car? No radios? No roadside ads? No distractions of any kind ...
I've only ever answered 1 call using my bluetooth and it was a cold caller telling me that I'd had an imaginary car accident in the last 2 years. I only answered it because I forgot the ear piece was still in my ear. Otherwise, I don't make or take calls when driving.
Think that (talking) sat navs are more dangerous than hand free kits.
Bloody hate the things, one recently nearly got me in a pile up by sending me down a one way street in my van.
Talking hands free on my phone...not a problem. Listening to sat nav with no sense of roadworks...oh****!
//That's operator error, nailit, a map wouldn't know about roadworks either.//
No, but with paper and pen and a map I could work out a better route.
I used to drive a 7 1/2 wagon about the country...long before the days of sat naves etc. Never once encountered a problem. Along comes technology to make life easier and it didn't!!