Mobile use while driving

[FarAwayHills]

I am so cross and fed up of seeing people using their phones while driving I counted 5 today on a pretty short journey. Having read the news today regarding the tragic death of a mum and her 3 children due the a lorry driver using his phone, I am insensed that people continue to do this. What the hell can be that important.

I am not a technical person but could there be some way that devices could be automatically disabled while a vehicle is being driven. It seems like the only way because people just can't help themselves and fines and penalties are clearly not working.

AIBU to think more needs to be done about this?

I didn't say anybody has I'm just stating my pov like everyone else. A straw man oh yes I suppose identfying a dead man could be classed as such

Because the law is a system, and all systems need guidelines and parameters and limits to function

Identifying a dead relative is one of the most horrific things I can imagine doing. But it's not an important part of criminal proceedings or punishment. It doesn't in anyway influence those things. A crime doesn't become worse because a relative had to identify a body, which is what is being indicated by the frequent references to it.

Well I hope you never have to do it

It might be my age (over 40) but I just don't understand some people's constant checking of their mobiles - can't seem to leave the fucking thing alone even when at the cinema/theatre/concert for a few hours.

A straw man oh yes I suppose identfying a dead man could be classed as such

A strawman argument is misrepresenting someone else's views and then attacking the version that you have misrepresented. Which is what you appeared to be doing when you implied that those who proposed different solutions were condoning driving and talking on the phone.

I'm sorry you lost someone close to you and I don't think anyone wants to identify a body. Thankfully I've never had to do that but others on this thread will understand how harrowing that is. But I have to agree with matching dreadful as that experience must have been, it doesn't give you the right to try and dismiss or shut down people on here who disagree with your 'string 'em up' mantra.

I remember the guy who turned into the road I was coming out of, at speed, with phone to one ear, fag in the other hand. Obviously not indicating as he had no hands free for that. He missed me by an inch but sped on, oblivious to my presence. I could have been a child crossing the road with less road sense than an adult.
I'm still cross that I didn't report him but there were no witnesses and besides, who do you report tossers like that to?

The closest to disabling the phone when driving is to simply put it on silent!
I've turned off all notifications and all sounds on my phone because it was driving me batty. With no noise of incoming messages etc I have no need to take the phone out of my bag. The only noise it makes is the phone ringing (which happens rarely but could be the girls' school) but even then I would not answer it while driving and would check it when I've stopped the car (NOT at lights but finished the journey).

Personally, I'd be happy if someone was caught using a phone to confiscate - permanently - either the phone or the car. On the ground that owning either is a privilege, not a right, and if you abuse the privilege you forfeit the item.

I have hours of dashcam footage of the drivers behind me using their phones. Now the nights are drawing in they are easy to spot, as they crawl along with their faces lit up blue.

can't seem to leave the fucking thing alone even when at the cinema/theatre/concert for a few hours.

I check 'the fucking thing' when I'm out in case I've missed a call to say my elderly mother has fallen or that my mother in law, who is on palliative care in a care home, has taken a turn for the worse or died. Obviously I don't do that when I'm driving but I do when I'm out and about. I'm sorry if that offends people.

They had a specialist on PM last night on Radio 4. He said that with anything- drink driving and seatbelts- you need public support. It needs to become socially unacceptable for it to truly make a difference. People also need to believe that they will be caught and face consequences. I don't think the issue is the punishment, it is the unlikely probability of being caught doing it. With drink driving there was a huge increase in road side testing, for example. It became a real possibility that you would get caught.

Just to point out it isn't illegal to use your phone while driving if it is an emergency- for example reporting something that would otherwise cause great harm etc.

Also, there is clear evidence to show that Juries do not convict in dangerous driving cases. Studies interviewing jurors have come up with exactly what has been said- that people think that if it was a momentary lapse in judgment it could easily have been them and so don't convict. It's often why CPS go for a lower charge as more likely to convict. Apparently.

Its not just using the phone its taking up the power of the brain cells with wat you are doing and should be doing.

OK I've got a very good hands free system, you just press a button on the steering wheel say who you'd like to call she repeats the name says dial?,
I say yes and call is connected without taking hands off the wheel or eyes off the road. Conversely and incoming call just comes up on the instrument screen press same button and call goes ahead.

Now Texts different matter I will not look at them or read them they can wait till i no longer need use my addled brain to drive etc.

BUT. What the real problem is that in talking the someone your mind is taken off what your doing that's driving the bloody car and anything that distracts you from doing that is a bad thing even chatting the someone next to you note this next time see how many drivers turn around to look at the person their talking to same with fiddling around with the music player than that's what the lorry driver was doing on his phone.

The simple answer is do NOTHING that takes your mind of what our supposed to be doing thats driving the blinking car!.

Course its not enforced is it i mean if old Bill wanted to do that he'd just set upon a van like they use for speed checks but round here they'd just slow or stop the traffic and then everyone would be on the phone nattering away why they've been held up etc etc and so on!.

I have not tried to shut up anyone and yes I do know what a straw man is. My experience has obviously affected my view but I have the right to my view the same as everyone else.
I fail to see where I've tried to shut anyone up, I've expressed my opinion not a mantra LikeDylan
Because my opinion differs from others it doesn't mean you have the right to shut me up.

I'm not trying to prevent you from airing your view, I am just disagreeing with you. You were doing something very different.

Yes I'm disagreeing with you

No you implied that those who didn't go in for heavy (and I would say disproportionate) penalties somehow condoned driving and phoning when that is clearly not the case.

I didn't imply anything I stated my views.

I'm curious about the whole not talking in hands free. Is this not the same as talking to someone in the car with you? Listening to the radio/music? Should the drivers side be compartmentalised somehow so shut off from passengers? Music systems should not be allowed in cars?

Don't get me wrong, I agree with not talking with phone in hand. Just don't get the not at all even on hands free must be totally focused on driving car and car alone kind of approach...

Justaboy are you saying drivers should talk to passengers? If we're going to go that far shouldn't the radio be banned as well?

Alright if you want to get into semantics you stated your views and misrepresented those of others Portia

Surely posters can see the police can't do anything about you reporting people you've seen? How could they prove it?

By getting you to stand up in court and testify?

(Though possibly they could prove it from the phone logs as well. Google automatically logs your phone location and they can cross-reference that with the call log.)

This is the government's page

www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law

dylan Wasn't you reference to "string 'em up" and "lock 'em up and throw away the key" the actual straw man here? No-one was suggesting either.