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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is hands free really any safer?

28 replies

Ontheboardwalk · 03/07/2018 21:07

Driving to work this morning and spotted a woman in my rear view mirror clearly having a heated conversation on hands free. Face all screwed up and arms everywhere.

I thought to myself 'that’s an accident waiting to happen' 2 minutes later she hits the back of my car!

it was a touch rather than a bump and no damage done apparently she forgot to put her handbrake on and rolled forward. I told her she shouldn’t have been on the phone, her response was it was hands free and absolutely fine. In my mind however she was clearly distracted and not concentrating on driving.

AIBU? I never use even hands as I find it distracting

OP posts:
IPokeBadgers · 03/07/2018 21:18

I agree with you. It takes your attention away from the task at hand. I also feel the same way about sat nav screens, car-cams and the increasingly heavily digitised dashboards/consoles in more and more cars these days.

I may be a grumpy old woman. Aged 39.

dangermouseisace · 03/07/2018 21:21

YANBU. Studies have shown drivers are distracted. Hope you’re ok.

Notthemessiah · 03/07/2018 21:21

I tend to agree and I avoid answering the phone or making calls on hands free unless I really need to.

That said, it's kind of tricky because while hands free is still definitely distracting, so to a lesser extent is having a conversation with the person in the seat next to you. I'd also say having kids in the back seat mucking about is even worse than a hands free call.

specialsubject · 03/07/2018 21:22

no. I believe that the mass killing of people in a mini bus recently was partly due to a lorry driver on hands free.

a conversation with someone in the car isnt as bad because they will also be watching out.

the sooner mobile phones are made fully illegal in vehicles, the better. we can manage.

hopefully next time th is woman will learn a lesson with a tree. not another person.

Frustratedboarder · 03/07/2018 21:23

By that argument you would also say having a passenger talking to you is dangerous...?

Original poster
Ontheboardwalk · 03/07/2018 21:24

IPoke agree. I can handle noise, talking, singing in the car as everyone can see what’s going on

If the driver shuts up or turns the music down you all know you need to shut it. You don’t get that with hands free or things beeping at you or in your way.

OP posts:
reddressblueshoes · 03/07/2018 21:28

I think it depends. I use hands free in my car, and generally I will always stop talking/hang up if I'm on anything other than a straight stretch of road. I think it's v important people prioritise the driving, obviously.

In certain limited situations it can be safer sometimes- I've rang DH to check directions once when I couldn't safely pull over which meant I wasn't peering at signs trying to figure out where I was, but I guess the difference is I wouldn't talk to someone in any serious way on it: calling my DH to say I'll be home in ten minutes/running late/whatever, fair enough. Taking a work call, having a fight- really dangerous.

Racecardriver · 03/07/2018 21:29

@ontheboardwalk my children didn't get that memo. Could you let them know for me.

The thing that I find by far the most distracting is other drivers messing around.

Original poster
Ontheboardwalk · 03/07/2018 21:32

Ah Race you need to tell them that if the music gets turned off that’s serious business!

It usually means you’re well and truly lost - well it does in my case 😀

OP posts:
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 03/07/2018 21:32

I don't think it's safer at all. It's really distracting and I've seen drivers as you've described OP. They may not have the phone in their hand but their attention is all on the phone and not on what they're doing. Yesterday there was a driver indicating right to go into the outside lane, I waited, I flashed them out... nothing. I overtook and they were on their phone, oblivious.

I'm often pressured by my office to use hands-free but there's no point really. My calls are never yes/no types, I would have to take notes and I can't do that when I'm driving so I just let it go to voicemail and pick it up and services or when I've arrived.

LexiGray · 03/07/2018 21:41

I believe it is taken into account in court when assigning blame. Obviously holding your phone is an automatic crime but if you using something hands free means you kill someone you can go to jail.

Original poster
Ontheboardwalk · 03/07/2018 21:47

Lying I’m with you. When I got my first corporate mobile way back they offered hands free in my car and I refused . They weren’t impressed, I didn’t care. Nothing work related is that important to me when I’m driving, it can wait.

OP posts:
IamalsoSpartacus · 03/07/2018 21:50

YANBU. The Transport Research Laboratory researched this and found that it was just as distracting as hand-held - it's the conversation that's the problem, and it is different to a driver having a conversation with a passenger present in the car. It wasn't banned as it was felt it would be impossible to prove.

IamalsoSpartacus · 03/07/2018 21:51

Lexi sadly it's not automatic - a Special Constable had her phone on her knee and was speaking to her partner when she pulled out on a biker and killed him. Wasn't even charged.

AlbaAlba · 03/07/2018 21:52

No it's not safer. Back when they made the decision to outlaw driving with hand-held phones, I believe the initial idea was to outlaw handsfree too, as evidence pointed to it being similarly dangerous, but a decision was made that it would be easier to get the law through if it only targeted hand-held phones.

At work we all had to do advanced driver training (even through driving isn't part of the job, except to go to meetings). They did a demo that showed you how much road information you missed whilst distracted by a hands-free phone. It was sobering. We're not supposed to use hands-free on work time - if there was an accident the organisation could be sued, as well as the driver.

EstrellaDamn · 03/07/2018 22:02

A man local to me was on a call hands free when there was a crash. The guy in the other car died; there was a trial but because he wasn't holding his phone he was found not guilty - of what I can't quite remember, maybe death by dangerous driving.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 03/07/2018 22:14

It's just not worth it, you're right Ontheboardwalk and all the other posters agreeing with you. My phone is in my bag which is on the back seat, I have no access to it.

I'm no angel certainly, I have a lipgloss balanced for use at standstill traffic and I do use a satnav - but I won't use the phone.

Original poster
Ontheboardwalk · 03/07/2018 22:31

Spartacus that’s interesting. I can see how mobiles where the priority. Surely the next step is hands free?

OP posts:
Benandhollysmum · 03/07/2018 22:38

WErent they going to ban that as well?

Original poster
Ontheboardwalk · 03/07/2018 23:14

I don’t know. From what I’ve seen today I would hope so

OP posts:
ginghambox · 03/07/2018 23:18

No more distracting than kids in the back.

SerenDippitty · 03/07/2018 23:20

I can make phone calls with Bluetooth even if my phone is in my bag on the back seat but the only time I’ve ever done it is a very brief call to OH to tell him I’m stuck in traffic which I only do when stationary. Would never answer the phone while driving.

Terri84 · 03/07/2018 23:23

This reply has been deleted

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shouldwestayorshouldwego · 03/07/2018 23:30

No, it isn't any safer m.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/35831 Passengers talking will also be aware to an extent of the road conditions. Apparently the radio and satnav doesn't have the same effect. As Spartacus says it is the conversation aspect which is dangerous.

AlphaBravo · 03/07/2018 23:32

No thats why it was included a few years ago as chargeable under corporate manslaughter if someone has an accident using handsfree for work calls/in a company vehicle.