That's it. That's the thread.
In seriousness, I am sick to the back teeth of seeing people where I live (Surrey, before everyone says "oh I don't see any phone drivers where I live, OP) using their mobile phone while driving.
It's endemic here, but I suspect it's the same anywhere in the UK.
I'll start from worst to most serious:
- WhatsApp gap People in traffic slowing down to a crawl. They take their phone out and glance at it on their lap and start texting. Then the car takes off in front of them seconds before the light changes. Do they move forward? Do they heck. Now this isn't necessarily as dangerous as the next few examples, but it's bloody irritating when you're behind them, you can't move, and then the lights change. They're essentially saying "My time is more important than yours".
- Slow urban texting People using phones during slow urban driving. I see it every day - they're on a 30 mph road, its a two lane carriageway in town. They glance down to type, then up to maintain their progress before the next set of lights. It's disgusting, but they get away with it because it's a big enough road and no one is crossing at that point.
- Pulling out without looking People on our school run who literally are holding their phone to their ear or texting, AS THEY PULL OUT of the space. So they're not even looking or paying attention in case a child darts out (and before people say it, yeah I see children dart out all the time. It's wrong, it's not my fault, but their parents are.... guess what, on their phones while walking). These folk then get really angry if I or anyone else points it out, as if I'm deliberately victimising them.
- Motorway driving This one really gets my goat because of the speed. I have driven in lane 1, gone to change lane safely after indicating, only to find the person in front has suddenly slowed down inexplicably. I slow down myself, I check my speed, move around safely to 3, then indicate back across 2 and into 1. While doing that, I glance over... OF COURSE SHE'S TEXTING. I've even seen someone holding their phone on a video call (Christ wept).
My point is, why do any of these people deserve the luxury of six points?
I think there should be a 3 month ban for these folk.
.I'd like to hear their usual self-centred 'hardship' stories in court "I have to drive around my 3 year old and work, how do I do this now, I can't afford cabs?!"
I cannot stand the self centredness, the myopic " I can multitask" bullshit that exists around driving in this country. We've all got way too comfortable in these massive things, wandering around with our phone addictions, knowing there's not enough police to stop this.
If you're a driver and you do this? Shame on you! Seriously. I can't stand it. If either of my DDs were injured or killed by someone using their phone, I would be apoplectic with the pointlessness of it.
AIBU? I can't wait to hear how much I am "too invested, OP" by the usual apologists for this kind of thing.