Ouch-but serves him right!!

[jeannieblue]

Just heard today of someone caught using their mobile while driving. :D

They were all ready to accept the 3 points and the £60 fine - but was told instead by the police officer, that he will have to go to court and will receive either a £2,500 fine or 2 months in prison - plus of course, points on his licence.

Seems they are getting real tough now - and thats fine with me as regularly get twits swerving about too near my car whilst they chat away.

[LandyAndy]

Just heard today of someone caught using their mobile while driving. :D

They were all ready to accept the 3 points and the £60 fine - but was told instead by the police officer, that he will have to go to court and will receive either a £2,500 fine or 2 months in prison - plus of course, points on his licence.

Seems they are getting real tough now - and thats fine with me as regularly get twits swerving about too near my car whilst they chat away.

Fortunately in this country the police don't have any say in sentencing, its left to the courts. I presume the policeman was emphasising the maximum sentence.

I agree its something that should be clamped down on though.

[jeannieblue]

Fortunately in this country the police don't have any say in sentencing, its left to the courts. I presume the policeman was emphasising the maximum sentence.

I agree its something that should be clamped down on though.

Thats apparently why he has to go to court. It would seem that the £60 fine is no more..... It's now 2.5k/or prison.

I'd like to know if others have heard of this too - to confirm it - as this was related to me via another person. Chinese whispers and all that :D

I'm hoping that they'll be tougher on things like, putting your make up on whilst driving - especially mascara - just one other sight I've seen on my joyful commute to work.

[Wig]

If he was a heavy goods vehicle/bus/coach driver then the max fine is 2,500, but it is only the max fine and highly unlikely to get that unless the cop has him on video crashing through the central reservation and hitting other cars in head on collisions with subsequent decapitions and limb amputations.

If it was a joe bloggs in a car the max fine is 1000 (under similar conditions).
http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/mobilephones/mobilephones.htm

It is still the officers discretion to issue a fixed penalty of £60 + 3 points

[jeannieblue]

If he was a heavy goods vehicle/bus/coach driver then the max fine is 2,500, but it is only the max fine and highly unlikely to get that unless the cop has him on video crashing through the central reservation and hitting other cars in head on collisions with subsequent decapitions and limb amputations.

If it was a joe bloggs in a car the max fine is 1000 (under similar conditions).
http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/mobilephones/mobilephones.htm

It is still the officers discretion to issue a fixed penalty of £60 + 3 points

Not forgetting the petrol tanker which then careers off down the embankment, exploding into flames and crashes onto the railway line......:eek:

Sounds like the driver in question possibly embroidered his story then..... to say the least. Esp as it was a sporty little number he was driving.

[anewman]

I don't understand why people can't buy a cheap bluetooth headset. You can get them for £30 easily these days (still legal to use handsfree?) Or do what I do and never touch the phone while driving.

[jeannieblue]

Having looked at the site that Wig found - bit risky with handsfree in certain circumstances.

My mobile is tucked away when I'm driving - and the mascara too. :D

[cyclonebri1]

Having looked at the site that Wig found - bit risky with handsfree in certain circumstances.

My mobile is tucked away when I'm driving - and the mascara too. :D


So is mine:confused:

[victorias dad]

iIwonder if the dangers of mobile phone use while driving are not a little exagerated we have all seen drivers on the phone in fact if you watch a busy main road you will see many drivers doing just on a road near me i lost count of drivers talking away on the phone but watch the same road and wait for an accident or a near miss and you will wait a long time i am not advocating mobile phone use i am just makeing an observation it may be true that a particular accident can be claimed to be caused by phone use but given the number of cars on the road and the number of mobiles in use something does not add up

[goldspanners]

iIwonder if the dangers of mobile phone use while driving are not a little exagerated we have all seen drivers on the phone in fact if you watch a busy main road you will see many drivers doing just on a road near me i lost count of drivers talking away on the phone but watch the same road and wait for an accident or a near miss and you will wait a long time i am not advocating mobile phone use i am just makeing an observation it may be true that a particular accident can be claimed to be caused by phone use but given the number of cars on the road and the number of mobiles in use something does not add up

i was waiting on this thread,youve asked for it now victorias dad! just you wait the do gooders will be out soon enough.
i don think they are as big a threat as they are being made out to be either,surely sat navs,radios,traffic warning systems and passengers should all fall under the same brackets as mobiles in this case?

[Stephen Leak]

I have no problem with the ban on hand-held mobile 'phones.

However, I, too, wonder just how many accidents have ocurred whilst a car radio/cassette player/CD player has been in use.

[sillygoose]

Sadly there are people moronic enough to even write texts on their phone while driving!! I suspect as its impossible to tell what someone is doing in their hand (texting or dialing) hence the 'hands off altogether' approach.

[Wig]

I think it is because of the idiots who use them for texting whilst driving. They spoiled it for everyone.

Ordinary phone use, "hello, I'm on the bridge now, home in 30 minutes" Is not a big deal IMO. On the face of it is is stupid to be allowed to
smoke,
Eat a sandwich/choccy bar
drink a can/bottle,
wind down your window,
Change gear
use a CB radio

Whilst not alllowed to use a phone (hand held)


And the idea that police can "do you" for not being in control of your vehicle (whilst doing any of the above) is open to abuse. For example when they did the driver who stuck his middle finger out of the window at the speed camera van for not being in control of his vehicle, I think that is an abuse of process and power.

[moonrakerz]

Sadly there are people moronic enough to even write texts on their phone while driving!! I suspect as its impossible to tell what someone is doing in their hand (texting or dialing) hence the 'hands off altogether' approach.

There was a "lady" convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, doing just that, in Southampton. She killed a cyclist who had ridden through a red light in front of her.
She is awaiting sentence.

[jeannieblue]

I just can't unerstand how anyone can hold a phone, change gear and hold the steering wheel at the same time.......... Are there three handed people out there then?

Changing cd or turning on heater - etc - well, one hand is still on the wheel and you'd do the cd changing thing in between changing gear.

I'm not a kill joy - but be sensible, what about bluetooth etc. Handsfree are given away with the phones these days. There is no excuse for driving dangerously - just because you've not seen an accident, doesn't mean one won't happen. Remember that next time someone cuts you up on a roundabout because they can't steer properly and cut across lanes, or swerve towards you coming from the opposite direction. I encounter this every day and it is nerve racking to say the least! Alot of them seem to be women too who are doing the school run for goodness sake. (Naturally in a large vehicle that they can't handle at the best of times).

Grumpy old woman signing off.................... :D

[robnye]

what about smoking in the car.........

[jillie1974]

last week on the motorway to work (i was in pasenger seat) i saw a lady talking on her moby in one hand and gestering with her other hand (like you do) so not only was she travelling at 60 miles and talking on her moby she didnt even have any hand on the steering wheel!!! :eek::eek::eek:

[jeannieblue]

what about smoking in the car.........

Its a one handed operation as far as I can see - can still hold the wheel with both hands and hold a ciggie.

Most smokers are well organised from what I've heard and have everything to hand not to two hands................ :D

[LandyAndy]

I just can't unerstand how anyone can hold a phone, change gear and hold the steering wheel at the same time.......... Are there three handed people out there then?

Changing cd or turning on heater - etc - well, one hand is still on the wheel and you'd do the cd changing thing in between changing gear.

I'm not a kill joy - but be sensible, what about bluetooth etc. Handsfree are given away with the phones these days. There is no excuse for driving dangerously - just because you've not seen an accident, doesn't mean one won't happen. Remember that next time someone cuts you up on a roundabout because they can't steer properly and cut across lanes, or swerve towards you coming from the opposite direction. I encounter this every day and it is nerve racking to say the least! Alot of them seem to be women too who are doing the school run for goodness sake. (Naturally in a large vehicle that they can't handle at the best of times).

Grumpy old woman signing off.................... :D

No but there are cars with automatic transmissions;) .

[jeannieblue]

No but there are cars with automatic transmissions;) .

Point taken. And I drive auto too - but my phone stays stucked away in my handbag. ;)

[Badger_Lady]

There was a "lady" convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, doing just that, in Southampton. She killed a cyclist who had ridden through a red light in front of her.
She is awaiting sentence.

She's just been sentenced :eek:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=771323

[lauren_1]

Eat a sandwich/choccy bar Illegal
drink a can/bottle, Illegal
wind down your window,
Change gear
use a CB radio

As for smoking and driving hasn't that become illegal?

[ailuro2]

Most people who smoke have, at one time or another, got their fag stuck to their lip when they moved their fingers away, and then the fag drops into your lap. It does happen occasionally, if there's a slightly damp bit on your lip and you don't notice, I think.

I did it when I smoked and drove.Thankfully I managed to pull into the side and rescue the ciggy before it burned through my clothes and started to hurt, but I can see how it could have led to worse things. Lighting a ciggy off of a cig lighter means you have to look at the end of it too, so not concentrating on the road ahead.

Thank goodness I gave up smoking before they bring in a ban, it's pretty easy to justify it, especially when you see both parents in the front puffing away with two little kids in the back.:mad: At least they're likely to be strapped in these days...


As for people's comments on 'dogooders' talking about folk talking on their phones while driving, I put my hand up to that....someone tried to reverse out of their drive into the road while talking on his phone just last week. I parped my horn at him to make him stop, other wise he would have crashed into me and DD. He had the cheek to use his other hand to flip one off. Pratt.
Almost as bad as the teen girl driving down the dual carriageway at 50mph texting on her mobi, completely oblivious to me overtaking her.:confused:

[Badger_Lady]

I had a little kip in the back of my friend's car the other day... when I woke up, I was horrified to find us doing 80mph down the M4 with the driver playing "Boo!" with her baby (who was strapped properly into the passenger seat). You know the game - driver covers her eyes for a couple of seconds, then looks at the baby whilst shouting, "Boo!".

I think it's unrealistic to have a prescriptive list of "banned activities", but common sense should prevail - anything that distracts you is not acceptable.

[VincentVega]

The first and only time I used the phone whilst driving, I rear ended someone. Fortunately they had a towbar, so it was only my car that got damaged. I have no problems with the police targetting people who use their phones whilst driving. Now, if they'd only start going after morons who tailgate as well...

[banger9365]

smoking in private cars ect is not illegal yet mite be soon if the do gooder have there way.
i think it time to say no to the dogooders not just smoking they are the ones that get there way all the time ,it's time the normal person to have a say

[rob_da_bank]

talking about hands free bluetooth devices Im gonna have to do a bit of a dell-boy and say I have 5 nokia cr-7w advance kits ready to sell if anyone want to avoid the hefty fine, they are cheap and ain't hot. did have a few parrot kits but thay sold so fast. Pm me if anyone want one and i'll stick them on ebay.

[Wig]

Eat a sandwich/choccy bar Illegal No it's not
drink a can/bottle, Illegal No it's not
wind down your window,
Change gear
use a CB radio

As for smoking and driving hasn't that become illegal? No it hasn't, except in works vehicles

Of course if you have knowledge that I don't about those things being illegal, perhaps you could direct me to the new laws on those items.

[moonrakerz]

Of course if you have knowledge that I don't about those things being illegal, perhaps you could direct me to the new laws on those items.

Eating and drinking may not be illegal as such but many people have been "done" for various other offences related to this, such as, not being in proper control of the vehicle.

[zeon999]

I also agree with the mobile phone being illegal while driving, they just take to much of your attention.

Here is an article I read the other day about texting while driving I seen it their site when I was looking over the latest deals the other day.

http://www.lease-hire.co.uk/latest-news/item/251

As already mentioned although other things such as eating drinking and reading the paper while driving is not illigal if they are seen to be driving dagerously or carelessly by the Police officer following them they then can still get done for that.

[goldspanners]

As already mentioned although other things such as eating drinking and reading the paper while driving is not illigal if they are seen to be driving dagerously or carelessly by the Police officer following them they then can still get done for that.

i think these rules should apply to mobiles,if you are driving dangerously when on the phone then fair enough,points and a fine is acceptable,but if not then i dont see the difference between the police seeing you adjust your radio/eat a sandwich/smoke and still be in control of your car,or be on the phone but still be in control of your car and not drive dangerously.banning the mobile while driving should cover everything,but it doesnt so in my opinion its a bull*h*t law.

[zeon999]

Yeah true true I get what your saying, which is how it was before to be honest you could use your phone no problem but if you looked like you were not in full control of your car then you would get done for careless driving or dangerous driving depending on just what you had done.

[redrabbit29]

Thats apparently why he has to go to court. It would seem that the £60 fine is no more..... It's now 2.5k/or prison.

I'd like to know if others have heard of this too - to confirm it - as this was related to me via another person. Chinese whispers and all that :D

I'm hoping that they'll be tougher on things like, putting your make up on whilst driving - especially mascara - just one other sight I've seen on my joyful commute to work.

It's normally up to the police force regarding their policy on how to deal with these offences. E.g. there are other options:

1) Don't give them points or a fine, but send them on a course costing about £70 where they watch people die.
2) 3 points and £60 fine - as you say though, your friend was aware and it's known now to the police that people just don't care that much about it, otherwise they wouldn't be using the phone.
3) send them to court and let them deal with it.