New Mobile Phone Law

[Kazi]

Correct they are not illegal but if the officer seeing/following you decides you are not paying attention it falls under the due care and attention law...so its his word against yours...and who will win that arguement!!

The police every time...i just wont do it anymore, thats the safest way.

They could say that if you just have one hand on the steering wheel, the other hanging out the window.....could say that when you light a fag up,......could say that when you happen to pick your nose or change CDs......

If the officer was alone I wouldnt stand up in court...even in this society and the justic system like it is....they need evidence.

[imyruff]

The way i see it, every new law that is introduced on the road today is another way of generating extra cash to make more new money making laws!

Ive been using my Bluetooth for the last couple of years with no problems, and i think a hands free should do the job!

These days people get pulled over for anything! And when you ask the copper why you got pulled, they say as part of this section you are breaking the law, which might not even exist! lolz!

[winnie]

Correct they are not illegal but if the officer seeing/following you decides you are not paying attention it falls under the due care and attention law...so its his word against yours...and who will win that arguement!!

The police every time...i just wont do it anymore, thats the safest way.

They could say that if you just have one hand on the steering wheel, the other hanging out the window.....could say that when you light a fag up,......could say that when you happen to pick your nose or change CDs......

If the officer was alone I wouldnt stand up in court...even in this society and the justic system like it is....they need evidence.

I absolutely agree with you, but in my case the phones we have installed in company vehicles although are in a cradle you still have to press the answer key to accept the call (this is what im worried about) and if im seen pressing the phone key thats where i could be in a sticky situation as i have to take my hand off the s/wheel.

[Sagitar]

i could be in a sticky situation as i have to take my hand off the s/wheel.

It's not an offence to remove a hand from the steering wheel. I am sure I don't need to list all the things you do in driving that cannot be done without removing one hand or the other from the steering wheel.

The point about hand-held mobiles is that their use while driving is an offence of itself, so it's not a question of considering it as a contributory factor in relation to some other offence such as driving without due care and attention. If you use a hand held mobile while driving, no matter how careful and safe your driving otherwise is, you are committing an offence.

The act of using a hands-free phone is not of itself an offence, but if you are failing to keep proper control of your vehicle you may be prosecuted for failing to keep proper control and if your 'phone log reveals that you were making or receiving a call at the time of the offence, I am sure that will be taken into account. But I repeat, removing a hand from the steering wheel does not of itself constitute a failure to keep proper control of the vehicle.

[P4UL T]

its already illegal to eat and drink.

Realy?

I didnt know that?

[lexicon]

its already illegal to eat and drink.

Realy?

I didnt know that?

There was a story a while back, I forget the details but along the lines of: a woman got done for eating a kitkat and hence not being in control - she was stationary in traffic at the time.

[GWilso]

Each to their own but my 2Ps worth :D

Nobody can honestly admit you are concentrating 100% on the road whilst talking on the phone!

I've lost count of the times someone on the phone cuts me up or you see someone else make a mistake whilst on the phone........ it kills, the call just aint worth it.

I think this new law is justified and a long time overdue id support it even if they trippled the fine.

forgive i'm not normally one for supporting the law practices or the screwed up justice system but this talking on the phone malarckie is a real "pet hate" of mine

[Kazi]

Each to their own but my 2Ps worth :D

Nobody can honestly admit you are concentrating 100% on the road whilst talking on the phone!

I've lost count of the times someone on the phone cuts me up or you see someone else make a mistake whilst on the phone........ it kills, the call just aint worth it.

I think this new law is justified and a long time overdue id support it even if they trippled the fine.

forgive i'm not normally one for supporting the law practices or the screwed up justice system but this talking on the phone malarckie is a real "pet hate" of mine

Can honestly say it makes no difference to me! Could be a passenger talking to me for all the difference it would make to me and my driving.

[fatpieman69]

its already illegal to eat and drink.

Realy?

I didnt know that?

There was a story a while back, I forget the details but along the lines of: a woman got done for eating a kitkat and hence not being in control - she was stationary in traffic at the time.

corect! I thought it was a bloke but there we go?

Each to their own but my 2Ps worth :D

Nobody can honestly admit you are concentrating 100% on the road whilst talking on the phone!

I've lost count of the times someone on the phone cuts me up or you see someone else make a mistake whilst on the phone........ it kills, the call just aint worth it.

I think this new law is justified and a long time overdue id support it even if they trippled the fine.

forgive i'm not normally one for supporting the law practices or the screwed up justice system but this talking on the phone malarckie is a real "pet hate" of mine

Can honestly say it makes no difference to me! Could be a passenger talking to me for all the difference it would make to me and my driving.

That's because you drive bad all the time! :P

Seriously though, I agree with Kazi. Actually I recon a phone is less dangerous than a passenger, you tend to glance there way while there in the car but a mobile you are looking forward all the time. they should re-run the tests but with your misses naging in your ear or you on the phone to your mate!

[GWilso]

its already illegal to eat and drink.

Realy?

I didnt know that?

There was a story a while back, I forget the details but along the lines of: a woman got done for eating a kitkat and hence not being in control - she was stationary in traffic at the time.

corect! I thought it was a bloke but there we go?

Each to their own but my 2Ps worth :D

Nobody can honestly admit you are concentrating 100% on the road whilst talking on the phone!

I've lost count of the times someone on the phone cuts me up or you see someone else make a mistake whilst on the phone........ it kills, the call just aint worth it.

I think this new law is justified and a long time overdue id support it even if they trippled the fine.

forgive i'm not normally one for supporting the law practices or the screwed up justice system but this talking on the phone malarckie is a real "pet hate" of mine

Can honestly say it makes no difference to me! Could be a passenger talking to me for all the difference it would make to me and my driving.

That's because you drive bad all the time! :P

Seriously though, I agree with Kazi. Actually I recon a phone is less dangerous than a passenger, you tend to glance there way while there in the car but a mobile you are looking forward all the time. they should re-run the tests but with your misses naging in your ear or you on the phone to your mate!

maybe they will try to ban all passengers next then

[fatpieman69]

That's because you drive bad all the time! :P

Seriously though, I agree with Kazi. Actually I recon a phone is less dangerous than a passenger, you tend to glance there way while there in the car but a mobile you are looking forward all the time. they should re-run the tests but with your misses naging in your ear against you on the phone to your mate!

maybe they will try to ban all passengers next then

as long as they ban wives from passenger seats I don't mind!

[lexicon]

There was a story a while back, I forget the details but along the lines of: a woman got done for eating a kitkat and hence not being in control - she was stationary in traffic at the time.

corect! I thought it was a bloke but there we go?

Ha Ha - like I said, I forget the details

I think there were a couple of simliar stories around, one eating a kitkat, the other having a drink (water, not ale )

[maneesh]

Each to their own but my 2Ps worth :D

Nobody can honestly admit you are concentrating 100% on the road whilst talking on the phone!

I've lost count of the times someone on the phone cuts me up or you see someone else make a mistake whilst on the phone........ it kills, the call just aint worth it.

I think this new law is justified and a long time overdue id support it even if they trippled the fine.

forgive i'm not normally one for supporting the law practices or the screwed up justice system but this talking on the phone malarckie is a real "pet hate" of mine

Can honestly say it makes no difference to me! Could be a passenger talking to me for all the difference it would make to me and my driving.

Well, the research says otherwise. The studies have shown there IS a difference in hazard perception for drivers talking into their phone versus drivers talking to a passenger inside the car.

Situation A

You're in a heated conversation with passenger in your motor, you're driving through an urban area (where you have hazards like kids running into the street, car doors opening, motorbikes weaving in and out etc)

Situation B

You're in a heated conversation with someone on the end of the mobile phone, whilst you're driving through an urban area

The research demonstrated that in Situation B, the person on the other end of the phone has no idea of the hazards you are facing as a driver, whereas in Situation A, the passenger at least will have the brains to say, shut up and slow down, there are kids playing in the street.

Laws can't be pushed through based upon one person's "opinion", there has been much research carried out into the risks of using a phone whilst driving, not just in this country, but around the world.

Interestingly, countless research has demonstrated that the risk of an accident is not reduced by using handsfree kits versus handheld phones, it's the mental effects of the conversation, not the holding of the phone that is the risk factor here.

[RobIS200]

theres only one law i agree with and thats dont drink and drive...

....i mean you might spill it.....................

..and that would be alcohol abuse!!

one thing i have noticed though is that most people you see driving whilst on the phone happen to be in control of dirty great 20tonne trucks professional drivers and the firms they work for should have made handsfree a priority years ago.

also i dont mean any offence to anyone so plz dont take any but i think that people of an older generation as in oap's(the doddery ones) pose a far more hazardous risk on the roads with regard to there reaction times and just general old age issues. i know and understand that its hard for them to loose inderpendance and mobility but the number of times i have had near misses with them in town or have had them pull out of a junction in front of me.IMHO to drive well and safely i think you have to be able to be fully aware of many differrent things going on around you at once and when some people get to a certain age its something they are not able to do,i know i am going to get there one day and i dont relish the thought at all but i hope for everyones sake that they take away my license and post me a bus pass.

i've got a great aunt and i reckon i could step off the pavement and touch her wing mirror as she drove past and she wouldnt notice her eyes are so fixed to the road that she hasnt the foggiest whats going on around her.i have never seen her acknowledge me as she has passed and i have been flashing,beeping waving etc on loads of occasions.

and to top it all off i pay about ten times the insurance pemium they do!!!

:tsktsk: :tsktsk:

right rant over, take my antidepressents and back to happiness :D

[osteo66]

"Well, the research says otherwise. The studies have shown there IS a difference in hazard perception for drivers talking into their phone versus drivers talking to a passenger inside the car.

Situation A

You're in a heated conversation with passenger in your motor, you're driving through an urban area (where you have hazards like kids running into the street, car doors opening, motorbikes weaving in and out etc)

Situation B

You're in a heated conversation with someone on the end of the mobile phone, whilst you're driving through an urban area

The research demonstrated that in Situation B, the person on the other end of the phone has no idea of the hazards you are facing as a driver, whereas in Situation A, the passenger at least will have the brains to say, shut up and slow down, there are kids playing in the street.

Laws can't be pushed through based upon one person's "opinion", there has been much research carried out into the risks of using a phone whilst driving, not just in this country, but around the world.

Interestingly, countless research has demonstrated that the risk of an accident is not reduced by using handsfree kits versus handheld phones, it's the mental effects of the conversation, not the holding of the phone that is the risk factor here.

One of the problems with research is that it's based on falsification only and not falsification and verification, the researchers' bias is brought into the equation in one form or another even if they try to use randomised controlled trials - the so-called 'gold standard'. Research is also normally carried out by bodies with a vested interest in achieving something, whether it be a new law or product for profit - one and the same sometimes?? :winky: The problem is that the research is not explained although we are expected to accept the findings - it could be fundamentally flawed, for example a small sample being extrapolated to a whole population.

Having said that I saw a chap in a van the other day with his phone to one ear and trying to light a fag with a lighter in the other - no part of him was touching the steering wheel!!

I am in favour of a hands free law, my concern is the insidious and cynical piggy-back laws that are tacked on by the ill advised do-gooders and politicians to get a few more votes.....blood pressure rising so time to stop :D

[Sagitar]

countless research has demonstrated that the risk of an accident is not reduced by using handsfree kits versus handheld phones, it's the mental effects of the conversation, not the holding of the phone that is the risk factor here.

Would you put up a few references please - I'm interested in reading the original material?

[maneesh]

countless research has demonstrated that the risk of an accident is not reduced by using handsfree kits versus handheld phones, it's the mental effects of the conversation, not the holding of the phone that is the risk factor here.

Would you put up a few references please - I'm interested in reading the original material?

sorry i can't find all of the original articles, but these offer some insight into the research. an interesting debate, i'm quite proud of living in a country with some of the safest roads in the world, and i certainly don't want that to change

http://www.rospa.org.uk/news/releases/2007..._02_07_road.htm

http://www.politics.co.uk/issueoftheday/pu...#036;466978.htm

http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0,39024...39150280,00.htm

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7514/428

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1885775.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/article/0,,1809549,00.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/08/16/hurley.cnna/

http://www.fiafoundation.com/policy/road_s...m_13072005.html

[Kazi]

Each to their own but my 2Ps worth :D

Nobody can honestly admit you are concentrating 100% on the road whilst talking on the phone!

I've lost count of the times someone on the phone cuts me up or you see someone else make a mistake whilst on the phone........ it kills, the call just aint worth it.

I think this new law is justified and a long time overdue id support it even if they trippled the fine.

forgive i'm not normally one for supporting the law practices or the screwed up justice system but this talking on the phone malarckie is a real "pet hate" of mine

Can honestly say it makes no difference to me! Could be a passenger talking to me for all the difference it would make to me and my driving.

Well, the research says otherwise. The studies have shown there IS a difference in hazard perception for drivers talking into their phone versus drivers talking to a passenger inside the car.

Situation A

You're in a heated conversation with passenger in your motor, you're driving through an urban area (where you have hazards like kids running into the street, car doors opening, motorbikes weaving in and out etc)

Situation B

You're in a heated conversation with someone on the end of the mobile phone, whilst you're driving through an urban area

The research demonstrated that in Situation B, the person on the other end of the phone has no idea of the hazards you are facing as a driver, whereas in Situation A, the passenger at least will have the brains to say, shut up and slow down, there are kids playing in the street.

Laws can't be pushed through based upon one person's "opinion", there has been much research carried out into the risks of using a phone whilst driving, not just in this country, but around the world.

Interestingly, countless research has demonstrated that the risk of an accident is not reduced by using handsfree kits versus handheld phones, it's the mental effects of the conversation, not the holding of the phone that is the risk factor here.

Dont really care what the studies show. I know I pay extra attention to the road when I use my phone in the car. Studies have shown many things over the years and how many of these so called studies have been impartial and correct?

How many studies have been conducted on speed cameras that show they dont always reduce accidents but infact cause them!

You cant say because a study shows otherwise that what I believe in and my habbits of driving with a phone is wrong. Think it comes down to how good the driver is anyway and how much attention they naturally pay to other road users etc etc.

[Sagitar]

countless research has demonstrated that the risk of an accident is not reduced by using handsfree kits versus handheld phones, it's the mental effects of the conversation, not the holding of the phone that is the risk factor here.

Would you put up a few references please - I'm interested in reading the original material?

sorry i can't find all of the original articles, but these offer some insight into the research. an interesting debate, i'm quite proud of living in a country with some of the safest roads in the world, and i certainly don't want that to change

http://www.rospa.org.uk/news/releases/2007..._02_07_road.htm

http://www.politics.co.uk/issueoftheday/pu...#036;466978.htm

http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0,39024...39150280,00.htm

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7514/428

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1885775.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/article/0,,1809549,00.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2001/US/08/16/hurley.cnna/

http://www.fiafoundation.com/policy/road_s...m_13072005.html

Thanks - some interesting stuff there, though a lot of it is simply quoting other people. I get the impression that most of the results could be generalised to multi-tasking, but the area of study has been limited to test a specific hypothesis.

I enjoyed this quote:

"Another study, carried out by researchers at the University of Michigan Transport Research Institute, which involved observing 36 drivers covering more than 80,000 miles on the road, found that speaking to passengers could be as distracting as talking on a mobile. Drivers nattering to the person next to them strayed further from the centre of their lane, for example.

Although less research has been done on the effects of distracting passengers, the result goes against conventional wisdom. Researchers had assumed that passengers would be more likely to keep quiet at difficult driving moments".

Perhaps vehicle designers should be considering how the driver can be kept in total sensory isolation from anything other than the information needed to drive the vehicle? Even then, the range and complexity of the incoming information would vary.

Last night, I joined our local bypass down a slip-road that I use frequently. Normally I am in a line of traffic and driving with no lights or dipped lights. Last night I was very late, the road was deserted and I drove down the slip road with headlights up. I was amazed to see the range of signs and different coloured cats-eyes on and around the junction that I had never really noticed before. They were so colourful that I had to force myself to look away, pay attention to the mirrors and look for traffic to my right. It is so easy to be distracted.

One of the great problems associated with restrictions of any kind is that have to be applied at the level of the lowest common denominator. e.g. it is arguable that a speed restriction that is appropriate during a time when there is a great deal of activity, is unlikely to be appropriate at 3 a.m. when most people are in bed. If everyone acted sensibly and responsibly we would need less restrictions, unfortunately not everyone does.

[Parthiban]

I agree with the points being made above but in many ways I think I've given up - there's no point trying to justify either argument as that's never the true reason behind it.........

At the end of the day, when has a law ever been passed that didn't provide the government with financial gain? Why is there never a "safety" or "environmental" issue that would save us money if we did it?

Provide free car kit installations, and people would use them. Want to reduce congestion? Let car sharers use bus lanes, people would car share.

Problem with these points, doesn't make the govt any money!!!

[DanTheIS200]

Surely its about time they started banning smoking in cars as its already illegal to eat and drink.

Couldn't agree more about the smoking, as they drive around with one hand on the wheel, the other leaning out of the window. What if they needed to stop in an emergency?

And of course there's always the chance they're going to drop it in their lap, which is sure to cause a distraction!!!

But I do think people should use hands free (wired or wireless), as they're not in control otherwise.

And why is it the always the BMW going down the fast lane at 100mph+ who's on the phone?! Or van drivers. You've got me started now! :winky:

[jsj24uk]

At the end of the day, I defanitly think it is going to affect your driving when using a phone, either hands free or holding it to your ear. If you were to take the learner test today, using a hands free kit with someone on the end of the phone, I am almost sure you would fail it. Some people might say that the learner test is very out of date and as a driving instructor I would agree with them. But, if you were to take your ROSPA advanced driving test with a hands free kit and someone on the end of the phone, you couldn't keep up a high enough standard of driving to pass the test. It is everyones responsability to drive to the best of their ability and using a phone whilst driving isn't going to do anyone any favours. It's downright selfish in my opinion and shows a lack of care and attention. I'm all for the law and the sooner it gets tougher in terms of penalty points and fine, the better. That's just my ten bobs worth.