To think phone drivers should receive an immediate 3 month ban

[JacquesHarlow]

That's it. That's the thread.

In seriousness, I am sick to the back teeth of seeing people where I live (Surrey, before everyone says "oh I don't see any phone drivers where I live, OP) using their mobile phone while driving.

It's endemic here, but I suspect it's the same anywhere in the UK.

I'll start from worst to most serious:

• WhatsApp gap People in traffic slowing down to a crawl. They take their phone out and glance at it on their lap and start texting. Then the car takes off in front of them seconds before the light changes. Do they move forward? Do they heck. Now this isn't necessarily as dangerous as the next few examples, but it's bloody irritating when you're behind them, you can't move, and then the lights change. They're essentially saying "My time is more important than yours".

• Slow urban texting People using phones during slow urban driving. I see it every day - they're on a 30 mph road, its a two lane carriageway in town. They glance down to type, then up to maintain their progress before the next set of lights. It's disgusting, but they get away with it because it's a big enough road and no one is crossing at that point.

• Pulling out without looking People on our school run who literally are holding their phone to their ear or texting, AS THEY PULL OUT of the space. So they're not even looking or paying attention in case a child darts out (and before people say it, yeah I see children dart out all the time. It's wrong, it's not my fault, but their parents are.... guess what, on their phones while walking). These folk then get really angry if I or anyone else points it out, as if I'm deliberately victimising them.

• Motorway driving This one really gets my goat because of the speed. I have driven in lane 1, gone to change lane safely after indicating, only to find the person in front has suddenly slowed down inexplicably. I slow down myself, I check my speed, move around safely to 3, then indicate back across 2 and into 1. While doing that, I glance over... OF COURSE SHE'S TEXTING. I've even seen someone holding their phone on a video call (Christ wept).

My point is, why do any of these people deserve the luxury of six points?

I think there should be a 3 month ban for these folk.

.I'd like to hear their usual self-centred 'hardship' stories in court "I have to drive around my 3 year old and work, how do I do this now, I can't afford cabs?!"

I cannot stand the self centredness, the myopic " I can multitask" bullshit that exists around driving in this country. We've all got way too comfortable in these massive things, wandering around with our phone addictions, knowing there's not enough police to stop this.

If you're a driver and you do this? Shame on you! Seriously. I can't stand it. If either of my DDs were injured or killed by someone using their phone, I would be apoplectic with the pointlessness of it.

AIBU? I can't wait to hear how much I am "too invested, OP" by the usual apologists for this kind of thing.

Ban for life. There’s no excuse for using a phone in the hand.

I am liking your thinking @ButterCrackers and I agree.

I think the difficulty is that a lot of legislators, police etc, know that there are most likely legal mitigations people could and have used.

But I agree - why the fuck is it in your hand when you are moving a vehicle at ANY speed?

people survived in cars without mobiles years ago, so they should now

look like at least one person disagrees

I agree. I'd also love to see harsher punishments for other driving offences too. We've really gone too soft, and the standard of driving etc has nose dived because there's no longer any effective punishment. Go back a couple of decades and "normal" police would stop you if they saw you doing something illegal, including section cars, dog vans, etc. Now it seems that the non-traffic police don't care about traffic offences anymore. The traffic police are only interested in serious accidents or when they have a particular "initiative" and just ignore other bad/illegal driving as they can't be bothered at other times.

Mobile phones are just the tip of the iceberg. Same serious punishments needed for jumping red lights, wrong way down one way streets, speeding, not stopping at junctions, middle lane hogging, etc. Also more enforcement and more penalties for the "minor" offences like obstructing pavements and dropped kerbs, double yellow parking, etc., blown bulbs, obstructed and illegally spaced number plates, etc. Then we also need more serious penalties for no road tax, no insurance, no MOT, etc - personally, I'd crush the cars!

It's been a slippery slope for the past 20-30 years. More and more drivers see others get away with things, so they start to do it themselves, and hey presto, no one seems to care about the traffic laws anymore, all because they know they'll get away with it unless they're unlucky enough to be caught by a random/rare "initiative" or be involved in a serious accident!

I'm totally in agreement. I see it all the time, and I always think WTF, just put your phone down before you cause an accident.

I've recently changed my car and was pairing my mobile up to the screen. I very rarely answer calls whilst driving anyway. DH talked about connecting my phone so I could use WhatsApp. My response, "why would I do that?" A message can wait until I'm not driving and if it's that urgent i/they can ring.
TBH I think the whole thing with touch screen controls in modern cars is far too distracting and one of the things I looked for when changing my car was one where the heating and fan was controlled with a knob rather than flicking through multiple screens.

I think a ban rather than a poxy fine is the only way to make people think twice about it.
And if you're spending £20/£30k+ on a car you can afford a hands free kit/ car play if it's not already included.

I agree should be a ban but for longer if caught on a motorway, automatic 6 month ban. Dangerous and extremely selfish.

And if you're spending £20/£30k+ on a car you can afford a hands free kit/ car play if it's not already included.

Well said @ohtowinthelottery but this is the mad thing:

The person who pulled out on the school run? She had an Audi Q7, a modern one.

She already had all the tech she needed, she just didn't want to / couldn't be bothered to use it.

I disagree, but only in extreme circumstances. There’s a few times I have been driving and my alarm has gone off and I havnt been able to stop so I have had to grab my phone to press the button as I can’t drive with that noise disturbance. However I use Siri if I need to make a phone call or send a message etc and only if it’s urgent so that I don’t have to hold my phone.

that type of situation aside I agree. It’s a big case of “it will never happen to me” (an accident). I think points is more effective than a ban. Once a ban is over they are back on the road thinking “I won’t get caught”. At least with points they stay on their licence long term

Decades ago in the 70s for example drink drivers often got off with a warning if a local police officer pulled them over especially if the driver was a “respectable” member of the community. It also used to be the norm if a person was going to lose their job for being a totter, a ban wasn’t issued or if it was it it was for a very minimum amount e.g a few weeks whereas now it’s a min of 6 months and losing your job is not considered a mitigation. Using a phone at the wheel has increased from 3 points to 6 and Police could also add driving without due care/attention as another offence or even dangerous driving if they felt the driving was seriously impaired or an accident caused.

No argument from me.

Alternatives are seizing and crushing the phone (if you can't be trusted to use it legally, you don't have it).

And on that basis, seizing and selling the car. After all, if you can't be trusted, why should you have it ?

However I suspect I am in the minority.

You can always find a place to stop or come off on the next motorway exit. Put your phone on silent every time you drive or turn it off completely if you can’t stop the alarms.

I hear you @Areyounotentertained on the alarm, I sort of get it... a 3 month ban would seem very harsh for that circumstance.

But for me this is where the 'whatabouttery' culture has crept in so deeply into phone usage, that "silencing notifications" could also be included in that category. Or switching to silent mode so as not to wake "baby".

There's just always a reason . We are addicted to these things, we are "summoned" by them so easily.

I long for the days where I can have a rational argument with people about phone usage; instead I'm normally met with "but I need to work?!" etc...

We were following a lorry that was all over the place.
When we overtook he was watching a film on an iPad while driving.

why not turn the phone off when driving ?

The sentences for drivers who kill through their own scumbaggery (drink or drugs) or sheer gormless inattention are pathetic, also.

@Areyounotentertained being banned from driving also stays on the offenders licence, and must be declared for a certain amount of years when taking out insurance.

That's not an extreme circumstance.

That is you failing to be a responsible driver.

The person you kill while driving at 70mph and switching your alarm off because you didn't bother to engage your brain and silence your phone before driving will not consider that a reasonable excuse

I'd like cars to be seized during the ban period.
Bans are regularly flouted.

I know that it might be jointly owned but maybe the grumpy other owner can help remind the driver never to do to again
If it is leased car, the leasing company can pursue the driver for damages.

First offence: three months ban and car seized for that period, fine of 3000GBP to cover cost of car storage.

Second offence: Lifetime ban. Car permanently removed.

Third offence: well, you were also driving while banned so definitely prison

Totally agree. I also live in Surrey and see it all the time. So tempted to video them on my phone and report to police, but I'm never quite quick enough! Also, I've heard that unfortunately Surrey Police aren't so great at prosecuting based on a witness video. London Met Police are much hotter on this, so worth reporting if you're just over the border in a London Borough.

Why are the police allowed to use their radios and phones? I was horrified when I saw this on a reality cop show.
In pursuit at speed and talking on the radio which he needs to press a button on and driving one handed. So dangerous.

Agree. Banned for life from owning or using a phone or portable device in any circumstances.

In theory they are trained.

Also the law allows it.

I agree. There is no excuse. Immediate bans would make them think twice

Not sure how a ban for life from having a phone would be enforced if that was even a serious suggestion. We can’t even effectively enforce a 12 month driving ban given the number of people who are convicted for driving whilst disqualified.

The problem with bans, if if you are moronic enough to break the law by using your phone, you are also moronic enough to ignore a ban. After all you've broken one law.

Hence seizing and crushing the phone is a much much better deterrent. Especially if it's done on the spot and the arsehole motorist has to set it up from scratch. That'll keep them busy for a few weeks.