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Original poster

People using mobile phone whilst driving

93 replies

CouldIBeAnymoreHungry · 12/12/2018 16:24

What is the mentality behind people still using their mobile phones whilst driving despite the dangers & the fact it's illegal?

Casually chit chatting without any thought that they are putting other road users lives in danger.

AIBU to wish these people a slow painful death?

OP posts:
Boyskeepswinging · 12/12/2018 18:46

My DH calls it natural selection ... I just worry about innocent bystanders.

boringlyboring · 12/12/2018 18:48

What’s the issue with handsfree? You function in the same way when using a satnav, or talking to someone in the car, changing songs/station etc.

bert3400 · 12/12/2018 18:51

Lorry drivers are the worst, we drive a Motorhome so are quite high up and the number of scary things I've witnessed lorry drivers doing , make me fearful being on the roads ...reading a newspaper , watching an iPad and texting ....but they can't be seen in a normal car ...it's so scary

badlydrawnperson · 12/12/2018 18:51

I am astounded by how many people still do this.

What I find most amazing is seeing people driving brand new upmarket cars around with a phone jammed to their ear, jabbering away and ignoring everything going on outside the car. These vehicles must be fitted with bluetooth and yet it's being wilfully ignored.

WhyDontYouComeOnOver · 12/12/2018 18:53

If you zoom out on Snapchat from the camera screen, you can see the world map. When you click on the blue areas, you can see people's public stories for that area.

The sheer amount of people filming themselves while driving along is terrifying. It also serves no purpose whatsoever.

NewFreshStarts · 12/12/2018 18:54

I have lost so many friends to this. I've had people try to "reason" with me and say it's only on a small back street or whatever. Funny enough the only time I've almost hit someone is on a small back street because a child came out behind a van.
If someone is looking down long enough to type in a number, change a song, or send a message, they're looking down long enough for an accident to happen.
I wouldn't wish them death but I would hope they'd end up having a minor crash, enough to shake them up enough to stop doing it. That's the only way some people will learn I think.

NewFreshStarts · 12/12/2018 18:55

To clarify - I've lost them by refusing to be friends with them. They haven't died, although I am surprised they haven't with what some of them are doing on their phones. One even on a motorbike sending Snapchat's 🤦‍♀️

MiddlingMum · 12/12/2018 19:04

Lifetime ban, car crushed, and remains of it exhibited in a prominent place, eg town square, along with name, address and photo of driver.

That would deter a few people maybe.

Anyone who has injured/killed anyone to be forced to walk the streets with a sandwich board giving details.

JustABetterPlayer · 12/12/2018 20:03

Boringlyboring

Hands free is distracting just the same as holding a phone to your head is. I’m on a bike most of the time and the amount of drivers (most) that are oblivious is astounding. It’s also against company policy for various public sector workers nowadays.

boringlyboring · 12/12/2018 20:18

just but so is having a conversation with someone in the car, or typing an address into the satnav. I guess the latter is less common whilst driving, so it’s not seen as bad but I’d say its just as distracting in the moment.

I suppose it depends on the person but I tend to stop mid conversation with dp if I’m coming to a busy junction or going round a bus for example. Personally atleast, I don’t find much of a difference between the how distracting it is speaking to someone next to me or to someone on the loudspeaker.

DGRossetti · 12/12/2018 20:37

What’s the issue with handsfree?

After i saw that, I stopped using handsfree. My phone is now set to auto-reply when the bluetooth in the car is connected.

NoShelfElf · 12/12/2018 20:41

I think that all professional drivers (lorry, taxi, coach, bus etc) ought to have their phones locked in the glovebox or other safe storage whilst driving. Bluetooth will work, but no glancing down to read or send texts. Obviously you then need to have police to police it though Confused

IRememberSoIDo · 12/12/2018 20:51

We were stopped at traffic lights last week and could see on the dashboard of the car in front of us a phone in a holder with Netflix on!!! The person was watching it whilst driving........

AllenBolts · 12/12/2018 20:57

@JustABetterPlayer why is hands free so bad? Genuine question

ohhelpohnoitsa · 12/12/2018 21:10

Isn't it something like, on hands free your concentration levels are as poor as if you were twice over the drink drive limit.

Soggiemoggie · 12/12/2018 21:16

I counted no less than 5 drivers on a big main road junction doing this the other day. I hope they burn in hell...sooner rather than later the way they are going. It's terrifying how trivial this world is becoming where people are so addicted to their phones that they can't even live without their phones for a car journey.

BeardofZeus · 12/12/2018 21:27

I wish there was a way of reporting social media posts of mobile phone use to be used as the evidence required for the points and fine... I don’t see how it isn’t. I’ve had to unfollow people as their driving videos infuriated me

Sarcelle · 13/12/2018 06:36

Set up another anonymous twitter account. Post their video and who they are online and copy in your local police twitter account.

footballmum · 13/12/2018 06:53

Interesting experiment on hands DGRossetti I drive a lot for business and often take calls on my hands free. I think I’ll stop now. Honestly didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. My car is fitted with CarPlay so I can actually received and send test and WhatsApp messages!! I don’t use it because it’s all spoken/dictated and is a bit weird but it did occur to me how distracting it is!

footballmum · 13/12/2018 06:54

I also see lots of van and HGV drivers actually holding mobile phones. Sooo dangerous-the carnage that can be caused by a HGV if they someone is devastating.

ForalltheSaints · 13/12/2018 06:55

The police should have the powers to confiscate the phone, and upon conviction, the phone number be lost and no contract be allowed with the phone company. A few points on your licence and a fine is insufficient.

DGRossetti · 13/12/2018 07:07

Interesting experiment on hands DGRossetti I drive a lot for business and often take calls on my hands free. I think I’ll stop now. Honestly didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.

Legally you're not. But now you know ... I know I couldn't live with myself if I were to be involved in an accident and there could be a shred of doubt over whether I could have done anything differently.

If you look for "Driving Mode" apps - they almost all trumpet how easy they make it to use your phone/text/email while driving. Which I think is wrong.

I found drivemode.com/ - which allows you to setup an SMS autoreply if anyone tries to contact you when you are driving (which it knows either by a bluetooth connection with your car, or by working it out if you start moving fast Grin )

The existence of such apps - along with BT headsets and inbuilt to cars - really does mean that there's no excuse for wanking away with your phone when you should be driving*.

I suspect we'll have autonomous cars (and a lot more deaths) before people stop dicking about.

footballmum · 13/12/2018 07:16

No I totally agree. I’ll have a look at that website-thanks 🙂

skyfullofstars · 13/12/2018 07:39

I can't bare people on their phones whilst driving.
I once saw a guy in a works van with the name printed all over it, go straight across a roundabout whilst on his phone.
As soon as I parked up, I googled the business and spoke to the boss. He was horrified! Hope the employee learnt is lesson!

DayManChampionOfTheSun · 13/12/2018 07:52

I think there is a special place in hell for people who use their phones while driving however, whatsthecomingoverthehill I'm sorry, but that was the fault of the cyclist. Why is he chasing someone and screaming at them? That is way more distracting in my opinion. He had the footage, he had the lisence plate, why carry it on any more than that? Hand the footage to the police and carry on with your day.