To think that mobile phone use while driving has become so widespread that it's viewedby many as aacceptable?

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

It's so making.

I was stuck on traffic this morning and had noticed a few users, so decided to do a quick survey. NINE out of 47 drivers coming past were obviously on their phone just pulled off from traffic lights. Texting or touching on the screen in some manner or just chatting with it at their ear. One was on eBay!

That's awful isn't it? How do people justify it to themselves?

I was thinking this yesterday. I saw one woman in my rear view mirror with her head down. Obviously texting/fbing. Then one sat next to me, at the lights, quite obviously texting.
I definitely think a ban on driving for a period of time would be in order if caught driving and using the phone leaving the road clear for me muhahaha

Causing death or a serious accident because you are using your phone (and they check this through your phone company as standard when deaths are involved) should result in you having to sell your phone AND your car. NO EXCEPTIONS...none of this..'oh but it's for work' excuses that results in people getting let off...Outright, total, zero tolerance blanket rule.

Harsh, and people will moan about it, but you'll only be dumb enough to do it once if you weren't smart enough to not do it at all in the first place.

Hands free is the way to go particularly if the phone is voice activated, you don't need to touch anything. It's certainly less distracting than a small child or my dh in the car...

Janethegirl, it's just not necessary - I would like to see all talking on phones banned. My dh and I talk in the car but when he sees something ahead that may distract me he stops talking. The kids know I ignore them if I'm encountering some difficult motoring.

There is just no need for phone calls in cars. Too dangerous.

Makes me think the sooner we get cars that drive themselves the better!

Even the theory test tells you not to use hands free as it's still a distraction and your concentration level isn't where it's supposed to be - only if you have to.

My driving instructor has his phone on hands free through the car - he never answers it and send the call to answermachine but it is still a distraction for me, the driver.

Allotment Good work finding it! That was definitely it. Absolutely horrifying.

Mobiles used by other drivers is one of the few reasons I want a dash and back cam on my car. On a few occasions I've nearly been rammed up the arse or pulled out onto by an idiot on their phone.

Coolcat DP says the same. It takes away the human risk factor involved in cars.

Stand at any busy corner, and watch how many people are on the phone. Drives me beserk.

The other day, I passed a motorcyclist who was texting. He was resting his elbows on the handgrips of the handlebars, and was holding his phone with both hands, thumbing at the keyboard.

YANBU seriously a car stopped to let us cross only for another car to nearly rear end it he was on the phone i snapped get off your phone (his window was open) he snarled use the crossing bitch i yelled back there isn't one you idiot DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT ROAD YOU'RE ON!

Sorry, I know it's not the popular view but I find hands free, voice activated mobile phones excellent in a car, and I find passengers a much bigger distraction.

How on EARTH can anyone drive whilst watching an iPad themselves? You can't look in two places at once!

How does an iPad get involved with an in car phone system?

Gets worse when ipads are thrown in to the mix too..

There was an article online about someone sending a snapchat of them driving on the motorway with the iPad on. Caused a lot of debate obviously so the posters backtracked and said they were stopped. Someone noticed the speedometer though. Post was quickly deleted.

Idiots, they shouldn't be allowed to drive.

It's so acceptable to use a cellphone while driving in my home state that not only is it legal but the government will not ban it because it would be 'bad for business'.

Sigh...

Sorry Janethegirl, but it's your responsibility to sort your passengers out - and you would be horrified at the results of tests done on how distracting hands free sets are. There is little difference between hands free and hand held - it's not the act of holding the phone that is dangerous in itself it's the fact that you are being distracted by a conversation going on totally removed from the car that is the problem.

I hope you never find out the hard way that this is the case.

Please think again about using handsfree - they are not safer:

"Driving while using a handsfree cellular device is not safer than using a hand held cell phone, as concluded by case-crossover studies,[20][21] epidemiological,[1][2] simulation,[9] and meta-analysis.[11][12] The increased cognitive workload involved in holding a conversation, not the use of hands, causes the increased risk.[22][23][24] For example, a Carnegie Mellon University study found that merely listening to somebody speak on a phone caused a 37% drop in activity in the parietal lobe, where spatial tasks are managed.[25] The consistency of increased crash risk between hands-free and hand held cell phone use is at odds with legislation in many locations that prohibits hand held cell phone use but allows hands-free."

No I will not stop using hands free. I think I'm a good driver and I'd like the arseholes stopped that can't drive full stop. If you are a competent driver, hands free is not an issue. I am aware of all risks because I drive around 20,000 miles per year and am accident free. Last accident was in 1975 as a learner! So sort out the fuckers that can't drive irrespective of phone usage

I nearly got run over at a crossing by a woman who was in a Porsche Cayenne (so huge vehicle) who didn't stop or see me because she was on her mobile. It shook me up, now I always wait to make sure the cars nearby have stopped before I use a crossing. But I shouldn't have to.

It is shocking that they do that - but is it more or less shocking that people talk/text on their phones while crossing the road especially when pushing a pushchair?

I know someone who was killed by a van driver who veered onto the wrong side of the road whilst on his phone, he of course was fine.
I see it every day and it gives me the rage, I just want to scream at them to concentrate on the fucking road.
Hands free is no better imo. If you're on a call you are NOT fully concentrating on the road. I particularly hate it when I see the driver behind me on their phone as I will most likely be their victim should they not brake in time.

Yanbu, selfish and utterly stupid.

I use my hands free whilst driving, but generally to answer and say "Sorry, driving, call me back in an hour".

I don't think I am distracted, but then I've used radios and secure speech systems whilst driving for years. It's something you get used to.

I'm more amazed at the people who are fiddling with their sat navs or maps when driving. Or those people who haven't bothered to look at a map before their journey, relying on sat nav to get them there and obvs hopelessly lost. If you don't know where you are going you are more distracted than if you've planned the route before you set off.

I'll admit I'm more distracted by my nav system than my phone too

I would not say it is widely acceptable, we have all read about some horrific accident caused by someone not paying attention to the road due to phone use. If someone is stationary waiting at the lights the several minutes and I see someone using their phone I am less inclined to get in a flap over it, however, when I see twats doing 60+ down the motorway or driving down some residential street while trying to send a text then that makes my piss boil, the height of stupidity.