Using a Telephone Whilst Driving

rustyboy21

As a side topic, what also annoys me is pedestrians crossing the road,whilst conversing on a telephone. They do not look at what is happening around them.

The amount of times I have had to slam on when turning into my road after work, due to someone who is engrosed in their conversation or text and not looking at whether the junction is clear to cross.

Also mothers who decide to cross a road where there is no crossing, who then push the kids prams into the road, thinking that a car will see them and stop immediately. There is a pedestrian crossing 20 feet away from my road, but they still want to cross on the junction itself.

makes my blood boil. The driver is the one that gets the blame, when it isn't their fault.

Peater

If hands-free kits are just as bad as holding a phone because its the conversation thats the distraction, then surely that casts questions over the eligibility of carrying passengers?

Because, heaven forbid, they may converse with you......

Peater

Azari wrote: »

Anything can be dangerous unless you give driving absolute priority but something you can do automatically, without thought, such as smoking is very unlikely to be as dangerous as something that inherently requires some concentration and with a non hands free kit, also interferes in a major way with the mechanics of driving.

The fact that you have something that is ON FIRE in your hand is of no distraction? If you have to concentrate soley on driving, then surely you will negate to notice the smouldering ash that is about to fall off into your lap, burning through your clothes...

Anyway, this is all tosh because driving is full of distractions that people seem to prioritise over driving safely:

Azari wrote: »

Anything can be dangerous unless you give driving absolute priority but something you can do automatically, without thought, such as DRIVING

Nothanks

I had a conversation about this very topic the other day with a chum who is a rozzer. He believed that you could in theory be nicked for driving while smoking, eating or drinking (and obviously being on the phone) under (if memory serves, which it seldom does!) driving without due care and attention.

vyle

Nothanks wrote: »

I had a conversation about this very topic the other day with a chum who is a rozzer. He believed that you could in theory be nicked for driving while smoking, eating or drinking (and obviously being on the phone) under (if memory serves, which it seldom does!) driving without due care and attention.

I've had some scary moments in a car where the driver thought it would be a good idea to open a sandwich and try eating, and they had both hands off the wheel, legs failed to keep the wheel still, so they veered into another lane while they spent a few seconds trying to open the packet without looking at the road. It was stupid.

shaun_from_Africa

Peater wrote: »

If hands-free kits are just as bad as holding a phone because its the conversation thats the distraction, then surely that casts questions over the eligibility of carrying passengers?

Because, heaven forbid, they may converse with you......

Conversing with passengers may well have caused many accidents, but how would anyone go about proving it?
No one is likely to state that an accident was their fault because they were talking or having an argument and weren't concentrating properly.
At least with a phone, it is fairly easy to prove if it was being used at the time of an accident.

I wonder how many people have seem parents in a car who are shouting at their kids, or turning around to talk to them whilst they are driving.
I know that I've seen this many times.

Azari

Gavin83 wrote: »

Surely the danger with mobile phones is that you have to use a hand, therefore only leaving one to drive. On this basis smoking while driving would be more dangerous. Both require you to hold something but the difference is one has the potential to burn and cause further distraction. At least you could drop a phone in an emergency.

Not really. You hold a cigarette between two fingers and it does not impede you in performing any driving task.

Peater wrote: »

The fact that you have something that is ON FIRE in your hand is of no distraction? If you have to concentrate soley on driving, then surely you will negate to notice the smouldering ash that is about to fall off into your lap, burning through your clothes...

Firstly, a cigarette is not 'on fire'. It merely has a very hot tip. Secondly the ash that falls off a cigarette is not at all hot - you can easily flick it into your hand without noticing any heat. - it will not burn through or set fire to anything.

It simply isn't a problem.

Do you not think that if it were, there would not have been a big stink about it?

I'm not, of course, saying that no one has ever causes an accident as a result of smoking but compared to the many other things that people do whilst driving and definitely do cause accidents - eating, being tired, being ill, talking to children, indulging in sexy times, etc, the number is, statistically, insignificant.

In fact, although I have no evidence to back this up, I'm pretty sure it would be the case that more accidents have been caused by people looking for their cigarette packet or lighter whilst driving than the actual act of smoking the cigarette.

eyelinerprincess

Nothanks wrote: »

I had a conversation about this very topic the other day with a chum who is a rozzer. He believed that you could in theory be nicked for driving while smoking, eating or drinking (and obviously being on the phone) under (if memory serves, which it seldom does!) driving without due care and attention.

Or blowing your nose apparently...

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/810723-driver-gobsmacked-at-60-fine-for-blowing-nose-at-wheel

marleyboy

Personally, I think those who use a phone whilst driving should have their licence revoked, no ifs or buts. There is no excuse for it in this day and age as handsfree is cheap, commonly available and as easy as plug n play. Moreso it is illegal to use a phone whilst driving, claiming you just didn't know is not going to wash.

Eating an apple, drinking a beverage, talking to passengers or smoking a cigarette, albeit not advisable, is still currently legal.

Originally Posted by Gavin83
Surely the danger with mobile phones is that you have to use a hand, therefore only leaving one to drive.

It has more to do with the distraction of both holding, using and conversing on a phone whilst driving, than using a hand. You use a hand to change gears whilst driving, I am sure the majority of accidents do not involve changing gears.

Using a mobile phone whilst driving is illegal, that should be enough of a deterrence for a driver. Simply saying "I forgot" or "It was important" is not nearly good enough as an excuse. You would not use those excuses if you were caught jumping red lights.

I have NEVER used my phone whilst driving, I wont even drink or eat when driving, controlling a vehicle is distracting enough for me to risk throwing anymore distractions into the mix. Particularly if they are illegal distractions.

Azari

eyelinerprincess wrote: »

Or blowing your nose apparently...

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/810723-driver-gobsmacked-at-60-fine-for-blowing-nose-at-wheel

Lest anyone should be concerned at this absurdity, the case was dropped.

BBC report