Using mobile phone when driving

[40andnotsofabulous]

Hoping I can get some advice. I received letter this morning asking me to confirm if I was driver earlier this week on set road at set time as I had apparently been using my mobile phone.

It was definitely me driving and I was on phone at that time- checked records and I was on a works teams call. However, my phone set up is blue tooth to come through car, and as it was a phone call I can’t see why I would have been touching my phone at all (it sits in the central bit of car). I don’t play with phone in car, but even still I have double-checked messages etc and as I expected there is nothing sent. Am a bit confused- unless I literally moved the phone, but even the am not sure why I would.

The letter doesn’t give other details or say what the evidence is. I don’t want to dispute if it’s true, but I also don’t want to say I am guilty without checking it.

has anyone been in this situation? Do they send the photo or evidence after you confirm you are driver?

Posting in AIBU for traffic. Fully appreciate if using phone while driving then it is unreaonable behaviour and so makes sense to get the fine, but this is not what I am disputing! Thanks in advance.

Most of my team’s meetings could have been an email. I pay more attention to a podcast 😂

Statistics show that hand-free calls are still very dangerous, and I don't think that any company should allow their employees to join team calls when driving.

Some don't. Because you can still be vicariously liable for a lawful act, should it result in loss or injury to a 3rd party.

There is no law anywhere in the UK - England and Wales or Scotland, that says you are not allowed to spin a golfball on a string around your head and just left go when you feel like it. Fill yer boots.

But should your ballistic golfball harm someone or break something, just try telling the court "but it's not against the law" and see how far you get.

It's rather depressing how many people are so cavalier about throwing a tonne of metal around at high speeds. I suspect there is a statistical correlation with those dog owners who haven't a clue about what their beast is capable of.

What are you defending yourself against exactly

Some of us have posted some research thats all but for some reason post posters have chosen to call it 'bullshit' as if posters are giving their own opinion or making things up. Its not some random, out there, extreme viewpoint or anything, its just research about statistics, phone use and accidents.

Whats the counter argument exactly? That the researchers got it wrong? In what way?

🤔

The fact that using a hands free mobile is safe
The fact that is not as dangerous as drink driving
The fact it doesn’t mean there is “something wrong” with us
The fact that we don’t need to “disqualify yourself”, (my particular favourite 😆! )

Hopefully you'll get 6pts and a large fine.

Driving and on a teams call is the height of irresponsibility, its shite you are looking to get out of this offence.

Was your phone in a holder or cradle or just laying in the console? Is it's not in a holder and you touch it then that's an offence.

The moon is made of cheese.

Clearly and they can use hands free mobiles up there as well?

How does that work when the earth is flat ?

Not sure, maybe you could get me some “statistics” on that?

Maybe. It’s more that’s its work. Surely if you are driving while on a work meeting you aren’t giving 100% to either task, where a conversation with a passenger feels different.

I often give a max of 5% attention to work meetings. Most of them are pointless and could have been emails. I’d never do a meeting that needed interaction and attention.

But that does not describe most Teams meetings I’m in!

Yes. Definitely moreso than someone on the other end of a phone.

If we step through the mirror here (warning: imagination needed), I wonder how many people would sit in on a meeting where a participant was driving and dialling in ?

I know that I would have asked they leave the meeting and rejoin when not driving. But in the years I have spent in meetings both as participant and organiser it never once happened. Even when I worked for a 6 person company (so you couldn't blame faceless departments for what some here would see as pointless rules). Mind you the MD of that company was an ex policeman who had a fair share of picking up body parts from RTAs. So probably not the best person to judge road safety.

I’ve been on quite a few meetings where people dial/phone in. I’ve also been a passenger when my DP have been in work calls/meetings. I don’t see what is “through the mirror” about it.

Several times I've found that the person I'm speaking to, was driving. In every case I've said we'll reschedule. At best I knew I wouldn't have their full attention (and nor should I if they had their eyes on the road) and at worst, I didn't want to be complicit in an accident.

I find it astonishing that people are ignoring the research that says that it's dangerous to have such calls while driving, and much more dangerous than taking to a passenger.

It's like re-living the days where it was common to drink and drive. I heard every excuse back then, with people saying that it didn't really affect them/it made them drive better, etc. Basically people will make up any excuse to do something they've got used to.

Talking-on-the-phone-while-driving-supplementary-doc.pdf https://share.google/HqybAzat8nScvDBad

Hands-free phones not risk-free for drivers | New Scientist https://share.google/6Us6ernXLlEXWw57g

So.........

1. Driving is the one thing most of us do that is safety critical and we run a rick of causing death/injury/damage to ourselves and others when doing it
2. There are some things that the law says you must NOT do when driving eg use a hand held phone or be intoxicated
3. While there are a lot of things that are not specifically illegal eg using a hands free phone or consuming alcohol BUT which raise the likelihood of becoming involved in a Road Traffic Collision
4. The OP has admitted to being on a work Teams meeting using her hands free while driving something that the science suggests raises the risk of a RTC
5. Points 1 to 4 are factual unless anyone would like to dispute them.
6. I would suggest given the FACTS about the additional risk associated with using a phone even hands free when driving AND that a lot of the people on this thread - I assume are in jobs which require skill and judgement taking a phone call when driving suggests a lack of judgement incompatible with their current job even if its legal

Feel free to disagree

Well this escalated far from the original question, however did give some interesting reading!

i think there are a lot of valid points on taking a call when driving- and in an ideal world this wouldn’t happen. Howver, we don’t live in an ideal world, I work full time and have kids. Calls on commute (while legal) will remain.

The push to have a holder is a good one, I don’t have today, it just sits on the middle console. Genuinely have no recollection of touching it but maybe I did. Having in a holder would remove this flexibility which is better.

@JohnofWessex, I am genuinely sorry for whatever past incident has you so enraged that you have left so many odd comments on this thread! Hope you make your peace!

If your phone wasn't in a holder and you touched it then you broke the law.

Pot and kettle

I find your attitude equally disturbing especially in view of the evidence that has been provided in this thread

Who want's evidence based policies though ? That way madness lies.

6pys for what? It's not illegal as long as hands free

Lol depends on the passengers doesn't it. My 2 girls fighting and arguing in the back I think was far riskier than any call. Or my 1 year old grandson crying in the back.

What ”evidence”