To gesture like a lunatic at people using mobile phones while driving?

[givemushypeasachance]

I'm not even that bothered about it being illegal - just that it's bloody dangerous and they could quite easily injure or kill someone while they are jabbering away on that obviously life-or-death important conversation. Every day on the way to work [disclaimer - by bike, but I do drive, and no I've never used a phone while cycling or driving even before it was illegal] I spot at least one of the dangerous eejits, and if I'm stopped at a junction and they are passing I've taken to waving at them and trying to gesture in a phone-miming/head shaking way that what they're doing is not a great idea.

Several times I've been told to basically f-off, and one woman in a rammed supermarket car park started having a lengthy debate with me about how it's not illegal because it's not a public road. Well maybe so - but there were lots of pedestians wandering in the middle of the aisles, small children, cars darting in and out of spaces - maybe she'd like to actually focus on her driving? She was steering around the ends of the aisles one handed, chatting away, and I was literally wincing as she did it. Why isn't mobile phone driving socially unacceptable in the same way that drink driving is now? Why do some people think it's a perfectly normal thing to do in broad daylight as they drive around busy city streets?

[ExitPursuedByAKitten]

Course YANBU. I do this, and beep my horn as well (no doubt I will get flamed for this) but it really really gets my goat when you see people on the phone executing quite difficult turns - I live in a very hilly area with some very difficult corners/junctions. And I never understand just what people have to say to each other that simply cannot wait.

[BlackShuck]

Perfectly ok and I wish more people would do it.

I am entirely for freedom of choice if the only person your actions could affect is you. If no-one else was in the car and the only thing you are likely to crash into is a wall, then go ahead.

But given that you become a huge danger to other road users when you're on the phone, then I think those road users have the right to request that you pack it in.

Anyone else tried this? think.direct.gov.uk/drivingchallenge/index.html

[JumpOnIt]

Last week I was walking to our local Co-op with my three year old (on the pavement I hasten to add) minding my own when some complete DICK came across the junction while texting, completely misjudged it and mounted the pavement. He very narrowly missed my DD and I. Needless to say I did a bit of
gesticulating of my own. Said DICK flipped me the finger and drove off. So am I a busybody or a stickybeak?

Yes, you have to be prepared for the backlash but YANBU in any way. I can't believe the amount of posters who seem to think it's ok to text or talk while driving.

[Salmotrutta]

LoonyToon, fit2drop and JumpOnIt posts say it all really

Idiots who use their mobiles whilst driving are everywhere and I'm fed up of seeing lorry drivers negotiating roundabouts and junctions with one hand. Selfish, selfish ba**ds.

[MirandaGoshawk]

I'd agree with this. The police are not always there when someone breaks the law, so if we see wrongdoing we have a choice - step in, or look the other way. Do we want to live in a society where people never get involved? Obviously not to put ourselves in danger unnecessarily, but to let these people know that society won't tolerate them putting others in danger by phoning/texting at the wheel.

[BelleDameSansMerci]

Do you also do it when you notice people speeding? Or when they fail to use their indicators? Or when they are eating or smoking at the wheel? Just wondering why it's particularly mobile phone use that seems to prompt this behaviour?

FWIW I do use my phone while driving - with a proper handsfree kit etc and I never, ever hold the phone while driving. Never have done. I was almost run off the road today but some arse in a white van using his phone and I agree it's wrong but I think you should be consistent and gesticulate and shout for all wrongdoing

[ExitPursuedByAKitten]

Yes - I am consistent. Failure to use indicators, driving like a twat, all likely to incur my wrath

[Donki]

BDSM
Are you aware of the research that shows that mobile phone use - handsfree as well as handheld - results in a fourfold increase in the risk of having an accident......

[BelleDameSansMerci]

Thank you Donki, I am aware, yes.

I believe, also, that other distractions such as talking to passengers; having a noisy child or pet in the car; reading a map while driving; looking at sat nav; tuning the radio; eating and/or smoking while driving etc also contribute to an increased risk of having an accident but these activities do not seem to get the same airplay as phone use. I guess it's harder to prove?

[alemci]

I think you are right and it is selfish and dangerous to use a mobile phone whilst driving. I would not do it. you are not a busybody.

[Donki]

Of course other distractions are a problem - but the research showed that talking on a mobile was more of a problem than listening to the radio, or talking to a passenger. Partly because the driver was more willing to switch attention away from the radio and the passenger, partly because the sound quality was often lower and so needed more attention to understand.
Children can be the worst in my experience (anecdotal...), but I suppose it would be a bit impractical to ban children from the car. DS was the proximate cause of my only accident to date.
I pull over and stop to read the map.....

[hogsback]

I occasionally do it when I pull up at traffic lights on the bike. If they haven't heard my deafening gently purring Speed Triple they clearly aren't paying attention and need a gentle kick tap on the window.

On the move though its best to avoid the idiots using mobile phones, playing with their satnav etc. Likewise cars with only one functional brake light, drivers with no idea how to signal or even go round a roundabout, any vehicle missing a bumper or other major bits of bodywork. Oh and people who drive at 40mph on an NSL road because they are invariably the same feckers who drive at 40mph through 30 limits too.

Just give them all a wide berth because eventually they will crash into something and you need to make sure it isn't you.

[BelleDameSansMerci]

Donki I just typed a fabulous rant about crappy driving in general (and agreeing with you) and I lost it. Probably a blessing... In short, I used to drive about 25,000 miles a year (down to about 10,000 now, thank heavens) and I'm sure you can imagine some of the shockingly dangerous things you see...

I'm always surprised when I see someone holding the phone to their ear but compared to seeing people reading newspapers while having a coffee (and driving); shaving while driving at 70mph; having sat nav stuck to screen right in driver's forward facing view; weaving in/out of traffic at speed; undertaking; etc, etc it just ends up sort of catalogued in my head as "yet another idiot."

[BelleDameSansMerci]

About the only useful bit of advice my father gave me was to drive as if every other road user is a complete idiot with erratic tendencies and you'll probably be ok...

[theinet]

it is so , so dangerous. I was nearly run into the other week at a roundabout where the driver approaching was on his phone and came straight over, not seeing me on my bike. i took down his number and reported him to the police.