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'd quite like someone to invent a phone-signal scrambler that starts with the ignition, so that it's impossible to make or receive phone calls or texts while the car engine is running.

It seems the law is useless on this one. I counted five drivers in a row using their mobiles.

The worst offenders are tradesmen ime, in fact in commercial vans it's unusual for the driver not to be on the phone, in my area anyway.

Thumbwitch

My [Windows] phone has a "Driving mode" which can be triggered automatically when a specified bluetooth pairing is made. (Fascinating how few people here don't mention bluetooth as a way to get the phone out of the hand. It's only been around 15 years).

When in driving mode, calls are diverted to voicemail, and the caller gets a text saying "I'm driving, I'll call you back later.". You can also get it to auto-reply to text messages too. Even though my car has a bluetooth handsfree, I've set the phone up to go into driving mode when it (automatically) pairs with the car.

It's a waste of time looking for technological answers to problems with human behaviour. There's an engineering maxim about making things foolproof only to discovered they've invented a better fool.

My aunt was killed while crossing the road by someone using a mobile phone. A child was killed while crossing the road to school, in a village we used to live in, by a driver using a mobile phone.

There seemed to be less of it for a while and now it is back again.

People don't seem to realise that being behind the wheel puts each of us/them in charge of a killing machine.

You're obviously completely different then Janethegirl.

Maybe we should have one law for amazing drivers like you and one for all us mere mortals.

Or maybe not.

I see several people on their phones every single day while I'm driving to work. Yanbu it makes me so angry.

That's a good thing, Lurking, but relies on the sense and sanity of the driver involved - something which seems to be lacking in many cases - I was more after something that was fitted in the car that could not be switched off/bypassed by the driver, regardless. :)

Yes, I do see more people driving while using a mobile phone now since the new law came into effect, I also seem to see more people hogging the middle lane on a motorway since it was on the news that people would get fined.
I wish the penalties were a lot higher, and as an earlier post said "The rules don't apply to me" does seem to be what a lot of people obviously think.

yanbu at all
it just so dangerous.
it's different to text home a quick 'traffic jam' when at a complete standstill but anything else is unaccaptable imo.

they (police or whoever) should fine/ban anyone with anything other than steeringwheel/gearshift in hand whilst the motor of the car is running.

My phone is kept in my bag on silent!

My hubby's new car has this Bluetooth thingy which you can answer calls by a button on the steering wheel and can send text message by saying send message....I hate it!

Having seen an accident while a bloke was 'just sending a text' I'm all for heavy points and fines.

rosebug my car has a button on the steering wheel too.

Rosebug, I agree - car manufacturers should not make it so easy to use your phone while driving. It's dangerous and stupid and by fitting devices in the car it gives the impression it's not dangerous and stupid.

Pandering to stupid drivers is costing lives .

Sorry allotment I disagree. Complete hands free Bluetooth systems are perfectly safe, the ones with Siri are even better as they work on voice commands. A competent driver is fine using these systems when driving. I have much bigger issues with sat nav systems

LL12 - do you think there actually are more people using mobiles/middle lane or is it just that you notice them more due to you knowing about the new laws?

Research done has shown they are not completely safe - I'll believe the research rather than a driver who just likes the convenience of using them and has been lucky enough not to crash while doing so.

They are absolutely not "completely safe" - there are recorded incidents of accidents caused when people are talking on hands free, so they clearly aren't safe!

I don't use my phone. It's on silent and in my bag. However, I use my sat nav every day and it is distracting. I mostly map my journey so I have a vague idea but I visit clients all over the place, so I still rely on it a lot. Quite scary when I think about it tbh!

Some people are just rebels and don't like to do as they are told - thank god for them!! What fun we had in the 70s and 80s before all this H & S nonsense.

Why does everybody want to be safe, have you never heard of living dangerously!

Patsy, I assume those posts are intended to be no more than a rather childish wind-up. You know perfectly well that "living dangerously" is neither big nor clever when it puts other people in danger.

I have my phone on in my bag on the floor in the car whilst driving. I could link it up to the Bluetooth system in my car but I don't because I would find it too distracting to take calls and drive. Plus very little is that important that it can't wait for 30 mins or so.

Worst I saw recently was the car in front of me that had a woman driving while turning round to take photos of her toddler in the back. She nearly hit cars on the other side of the road a couple of times and then when she finally put the phone down, roared off at about 50 in a clear 30 zone. Some people just think rules don't apply to them or they are invincible.

HGV drivers are being clamped down on MUCH harder. The fine is going up to £100 minimum, and you'll be reported to the Traffic Commissioner. That's for phoning in a private car. 2nd offence you'll be called to a public enquiry as to your fitness to hold a vocational licence.

If you're actually driving an HGV, the licence suspension is automatic and if you were on the phone to your boss his operator's licence is at risk.

Oh, and using Maps on a smartphone is an offence as well.

You need to take a good hard look at yourself if you can't survive a car journey without using your phone.

If it's a long journey, pull over at the services.

A car/lorry can be a weapon. People don't take their responsibility for it seriously.

Patsyandeddie Some people are just rebels and don't like to do as they are told - thank god for them!! What fun we had in the 70s and 80s before all this H & S nonsense.

Why does everybody want to be safe, have you never heard of living dangerously!

Ahh yes, killing yourself and/or others. What fun.

Patsyandeddie - maybe that's what police officers should tell the relatives of the bereaved when their loved ones have been killed by an arsehole using their phone.

Living dangerously doesn't involve putting OTHERS lives at risks - it involves risking your own life. If anyone using a phone killed themselves then that's Darwin for you. If they kill anyone else who didn't ask to be a victim of their selfish twattish behaviour then that's a whole different ball game.

You're either on a wind up or not very bright.