Fines for using mobile while driving to increase

rich13348

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

On the 4 occasions in 20 years I have crashed and which I may have been to blame, I was sober, within the speed limit, not using my phone and there was no mechanical issues with my brakes or steering. And I was taxed, insured and the car was registered in my name.

So in the interests of road safety, I'm going to have to drive a stolen cloned car, with no tax or insurance, defective brakes, bald tyres, whilst rat faced off my skull on drink and drugs, at double the speed limit.

But I promise to never use my phone as Nuns, Kittens and babies will die, even if I question if it's actually that bad. Is it so bad ? Really ?

Well you crashed while not having you attention diverted away from the road and yet you think you will not be affected by the shiny shiny in your hand.

Maybe get the driving bit down pat first before introducing distractions.

bigjl

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

On the 4 occasions in 20 years I have crashed and which I may have been to blame, I was sober, within the speed limit, not using my phone and there was no mechanical issues with my brakes or steering. And I was taxed, insured and the car was registered in my name.

So in the interests of road safety, I'm going to have to drive a stolen cloned car, with no tax or insurance, defective brakes, bald tyres, whilst rat faced off my skull on drink and drugs, at double the speed limit.

But I promise to never use my phone as Nuns, Kittens and babies will die, even if I question if it's actually that bad. Is it so bad ? Really ?

Have you ever seen first hand what a pedestrian looks like when they are hit by a driver distracted by their phone?

You see examples of distracted drivers all the time and often the distraction is a mobile phone, wether being used to make a call or send a text/tweet.

You even see cyclists happily cycling along texting or talking on the phone, sometimes with no hands on the handlebars.

WellKnownSid

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

Tablets also seem to be creeping on the up for use behind the wheel too which is alarming.

Yes, but, at least I can drive AND keep updated with the MSE forum at the same time, like now. Saves me literally hours, and I've yet to be involved in any seriou%

forgotmyname

How many cars have you seen with a 9"+ tablet above the dashboard level?
Idiots.

They need to make the online driving licence data more useful and register on there if a driver got caught using a phone. Get caught once its a fine, 2nd time the car is impounded for 24 hours. Again its 3 or 7 days...

Take the cars away from repeat offenders?

Same with cyclists with no lights. Take the bike away and let them collect it bring a set of working lights.

bowlhead99

ElefantEd wrote: »

If they caught a higher proportion of people using mobile phones whilst driving that would solve the problem both more quickly and more fairly. As it is, the chance of getting caught is so low (does anyone have any data on the number of successful prosecutions?) that the punishment isn't really a deterrent (if you decide to do it in spite of it being both unsafe and against the law). But if you knew you would be fined, say, £30 every time you did it you would soon stop.

Yes, if you were fined £30 every time you did it, rather than every time you were caught doing it, everyone would stop, because reading a text or a news headline or making a call or sending an email while in a traffic jam is not worth £30.

Whereas at the moment, people can get away with one fine per 500 offences because only one of the offences was observed.

But to bring in technology to prove 'use' by the driver beyond reasonable doubt, without needing to be physically observed by a bobby on the beat or a passing traffic cop or camera van, is implausible.

wymondham

As cars are on the edge of driving themselves its removing the 'enjoyment' and interaction of the driver. People get bored and when they get bored what do most people always do!

System

bigjl wrote: »

Have you ever seen first hand what a pedestrian looks like when they are hit by a driver distracted by their phone?

You see examples of distracted drivers all the time and often the distraction is a mobile phone, wether being used to make a call or send a text/tweet.

You even see cyclists happily cycling along texting or talking on the phone, sometimes with no hands on the handlebars.

Do they look any different to pedestrians who have been hit by drivers who have not been distracted by their phone? Do they look any different to pedestrians who just step out into the path of a vehicle without giving sufficient space/time for the vehicle to stop?

I doubt it.

So that is a fail on whatever point you were trying to make

mcpitman

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

But I promise to never use my phone as Nuns, Kittens and babies will die, even if I question if it's actually that bad. Is it so bad ? Really ?

Unless the above sentence is a joke against your username.........

What a ridiculous statement, of course it is "so bad".:mad:

Equal in danger to drink driving, many many documented, proven and scientific tests to prove this available for your perusal just a google away.

bigadaj

mcpitman wrote: »

Unless the above sentence is a joke against your username.........

What a ridiculous statement, of course it is "so bad".:mad:

Equal in danger to drink driving, many many documented, proven and scientific tests to prove this available for your perusal just a google away.

All these elements both increase the risk of an accident and the likely severity of that accident should it occur.

The same can of course be said for speeding but when people get caught it's always bad luck and a terrible revenue raising measure that does nothing to add to safety etc etc

I personally think that missing what are often bright yellow speed cameras because you are so busy and important that you need to be somewhere a few seconds or minutes more quickly is a good basis for raising revenue, your time is so valuable that it's worth the risk of incurring that fine, job done.

NBLondon

Driving in London, I have seen people with tablets, newspapers and books propped on the steering wheel in slow traffic and open laptops and files on the passenger seat. Not to mention the bowl of cereal or the make-up bag.


Most frightening is when you check your mirror and you can see the phone because the f*ckw*t is looking sideways while rolling forwards or the back of schoolrunmum's head as she wipes up something in the back seat.


Now if the traffic cameras were sensitive enough to evidence this and the reg plate in one shot - then a few stiff penalties (bans for second offences) for driving without due care and attention might have an effect.