Mobiles Whilst Driving

[TWR]

TWR Question Author
How many drivers do you still see, using their mobiles whilst driving? what should the penalty be? Is the 3 points a deterrent or is it a waste of time?

The right place this time.

[EcclesCake]

How many drivers? - Quite a few.
What penalty - Public flogging, hang/draw/quarter, litter picking or clearing up after RTCs. I'll let you choose.
Is 3 points a deterrent - It wouldn't seem so.

[daftgrandad]

Far too many.
Present sentence,far too lenient.
Suggest £500 fine and 6months ban.

[diddlydo]

Agree with daftgrandad.

[factor-fiction]

I think the vast majority assume they won't get caught. They are nearly always right. I am amazed when i see people holding a phone to their ear in one hand as they turn a large van round a corner using just one hand.

[Buenchico]

There certainly seems to be some discrepancy in the penalties for motoring offences.

For example, the fixed penalty for driving without insurance is 6 points and a £200 fine. While I'm not condoning driving without insurance, it doesn't directly endanger the lives of other road users, whereas speeding and using mobile phones (which carry both lower fixed penalties) do endanger others.

[pizza]

Like most things in this country people very rarely get caught and if they do a bit of a rap on the knuckles, not enough act related deterrents in this country for any crime.

[dickythecook]

i stood outside the local shop which is close to a junior school this morning as the school run was thinning out and within 90 seconds I had seen 5 women each driving a 4x4 on a mobile, 2 large mercedes saloons, both drivers using the phone, again, both women, a couple of Audi's (female drivers on the phone), two wagon drivers, men on the phone. 11 out of, and this is only a guess, about 50 vehicles. If the fine was £150 pounds a time and they had a camera on this stretch of road, they would soon have enough money to repair the crumbling road service.

[Mick-Talbot]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Motoring/Question1176251.html

[paddywak]

Sadly it's one of those laws which are great in theory but virtually unenforceable. Everyday I see loads of drivers using their phones but to prosecute them all we'd need a dedicated police force bigger then the one we've got now.

[VHG]

In my local paper last week they had reports of the people who had gone to court.

A man driving while using his phone was fined £30.

Someone caught dropping litter while walking along, an empty coke tin, was fined £75.

Go figure.

[Graham-W]

I see plenty using mobiles, jumping red lights, overtaking on double white lines etc. etc.
I think the three points is enough of a penalty if the crimes are policed enough. Getting caught thee times and knowing one more time would mean a ban should concentrate the minds of even the most mindless.

[sigma]

Kaypar, buenchico was saying that driving without insurance didn't in itself cause accidents, driving while on a mobile does.
As for the penalty. confiscate the phone and destroy the sim card plus fine and penalty points.

[paddyk]

People know their chances of getting caught are fairly slim and even if they do it's only 3 points and a small fine. The most prolific offenders (where I live anyway) always seem to be the execs and the chelsea tractor brigade on the school run so if the fine was £100 it still wouldn't be very much to them. I suggest automatic 3 month ban (no exceptions) and minimum £500 fine. If a driver re-offends within say 3 years , then the penalty should then double up each subsequent time they are caught.

[lozzer50]

a woman on motorway was weaving over the white lines i decided to pass her and she was texting! talk about dangerous, its idiots like her that give us a bad name! i have my phone on silent when driving so not distracted i would never answer phone or text unless i was parked up.
But where is a cop when u need one eh! so difficult to catch the buggers

[EDDIE51]

I see a lot and by far the worst offenders are 'School run Mums'
Sprogs in the back and mum yacking away on a mobile one hand on the steering wheel totally oblivious to the traffic around them. I even see that often they have not even bothered to fasten their seat belts , though I hope they have strapped the 'little darlings' in.

[Electrochem]

I see this every day. I would like to see the penalty increased to £250 plus three penalty points for the first offence; £500 plus sis points thereafter.

I have a dash camera fitted to my car. The other day I saw a woman texting whilst driving down the M6. When I tooted my horn, she gave my an obscene gesture. When she saw the camera her demeanour changed!

It would be very easy to have cameras at the side of the road to catch these idiots.