And people are STILL using their mobile phones whilst driving!

[Janey50]

AIBU (I don't think I am) to be getting totally pissed off with the number of drivers that I see driving and texting/talking on a hand-held phone? Despite the recent changes in the law introducing tougher penalties for those caught doing this,and all the publicity concerning road accidents caused by people using phones whilst driving,STILL it goes on. Barely a day goes by without me witnessing at least one incident,usually more. Only this evening I while I was waiting at a bus stop,I saw a man nearly drive through a red light because he was looking at his phone! Will people never learn?

They think they won't get caught (which in this area, where Police officers are rare as hen's teeth, isn't unreasonable). Presumably, like drunk people, they also think they are good drivers and it won't affect the way they drive.

Arrogance - a combination of thinking they aren't dangerous and that they won't get caught.

It amazes me seeing people in new cars holding phones and chatting. The cars will have Bluetooth connections. People are too lazy / stupid to set them up and be safe.

It's still something I see every day as well, I get really angry when I see people with their handset to their ear while driving but I am livid when I see them texting. I don't care if people's stupidity kills them, it's the damage they do to inoccent people.

They're more important than the law innit?

Most likely they're just the typical modern phone addict. Don't even know they're doing it.

So dangerous. A mobile should not be within reach whilst driving. I do know someone who has been fined though, for texting while stationery at red traffic lights, so the police are obviously trying to reinforce the law - at least on this one occasion!

I see it every single day.

I also see women brushing their hair while driving, and in one case last week, applying foundation with a mini roller while going down a dual carriageway.

Round here police have been riding on buses and looking out the window to catch people out. Seems like a good idea to me.

I walk along a busy road 4 times a day on the school run, and in the slow moving traffic, I can see so many of them on their phones. I am Mrs judgypants so always want to tell them off! So dangerous

Angelica88 I saw a woman put on mascara whilst driving. I was like this

I'm all in favour of the tougher laws, but until they are properly and consistently enforced, they are a waste of paper. On Friday DH had to do an emergency stop and use his horn to avoid a car heading towards him where the driver had the phone tucked between his right ear and neck whilst leaning across towards the glove compartment. This was outside an infant school at 3pm, just as the children were finishing school for the Easter break. The potential for injury and worse was enormous. Not a policeman or crossing patrol in sight.

I've just seen a Northern Gas Network van driving all over the road infront of me as I could see in his wing mirror he was on the phone with it up to his mirror.

I'm debating wether it's worth reporting it to them this morning as I took down the reg. If the police won't do anything surely his employer should.

I think they should run a tv campaign, plenty of people fiddle with play lists whilst driving and think it's ok because it's not texting.

I see at least one person every day either talking on the phone or texting. There's only a very slim chance that they would get caught...no deterrent at all really.

But then again I can sit at the wheel and open a can of Coke two handed and not be prosecuted? People can smoke in the car and it's fine (and then flick the rest of it out at my car behind them, dickheads). There was a huge campaign in my area when the whole driving with your phone new law came in and they stopped a few but now you never hear about it. Plus it's usually only traffic police that enforce a lot of road rules (phones, speeding, insurance) so all these panda cars don't really do that much as they're not equipped with the technology.

I once witnessed a woman sitting in slow-moving traffic with a mirror wedged into her steering wheel. She was using eyelash curlers.

I shit you not.

I agree, I see it every day. i think texting is worse as they look down at their crotch area and sometimes still moving in traffic! Surely there is technology available that would disable phones when engine is on/key is in.

Actually Blue you can be prosecuted for eating/drinking at the wheel as it could be claimed you are not in control of the vehicle. But I do see people setting their sat nav whilst on the move, surely as bad as using phones?

I'm sure that technology has already been patented for that kind of thing - however it would mean people couldn't use a handsfree kit or Bluetooth either!

I just think we need a bigger presence on the roads, more enforcement of the rules. I've drove the same route to and from work every day for the past four months and despite going past two police stations I've never seen a single patrol/traffic cars on the road at all. I could've driven illegally to and from work and nobody would've had a clue. No ANPR camera, no speed cameras, nothing.

I too get such rage when I see people texting/snap chatting/being a total fucking too whilst driving. I don't drive (live in London) so am tempted to snap them from the pavement but I always get worried that the situation could escalate if they get angry.

I watched the Rio Ferdinand doc the other day and 2 of the men featured in it lost their partners from people driving without care and it was heartbreaking. But as PPs have said, the idiot drivers don't think they're idiot drivers do they.

What gets me even more is seeing someone on the phone whilst driving when there's a passenger in the car. Surely the passenger could deal with whatever is so desperately needed to be dealt with on the phone, rather than the driver.

Ooh, and even more than that are people who set off driving whilst using the phone. Delaying the start of the journey by another 30 seconds wouldn't hurt at all.

We went past a car full of young women on a dual carriageway a while back. Four of them in a little Corsa. One of them appeared to be engaged in a phone call. Yes. It was the driver.

I still see many people on phones too it's scary. I only recently passed my test so my phone is nowhere near me in the car as it lose my license if it was determined that I may have been using my phone. There's do many people that think the law doesn't apply to them though.

Yanbu. I actually think more people than ever before are using phones and driving. And, yes, hiding them between their legs so they (think) they can't be seen and it's even more dangerous.

I have to turn off a very busy road into my drive and at least twice a week someone almost runs up my backside because they're on their phone and don't see me indicating, braking and turning carefully or having to stop altogether to wait for pedestrians.

DP is police and the other day we saw a woman on her phone, with a child in the car, at a roundabout and then a few minutes later in the bloody supermarket car park. He went mental at her. Her excuse? "But my mum called me."