Mobile phone awareness course

Aylesbury_Duck

AndyMc..... wrote: »

If you drink and drive at best it's poor judgement, you don't accidentally drive.

I agree. In the absence of zero tolerance in the law it's not asking much for people to apply it themselves. Anyone who "needs" to drink and drive has already got an alcohol dependency if they're honest with themselves. I am well aware that after one glass of wine my senses and reactions are slightly dulled. I'm not an expert driver when sober and one drink isn't going to improve things so it's easy to just abstain or get home another way.

wymondham

Surely those caught are aware they are using their phone?

Aylesbury_Duck

wymondham wrote: »

Surely those caught are aware they are using their phone?

Do you know, I do wonder. Phones have become so ubiquitous and they are the first thing people grab the second they're not fully occupied with something else. It's plausible that sitting in slow-moving or stationary traffic, the reach for the phone has become a subconscious action for some. I bet they don't even know they're doing it. We're increasingly losing our ability to occupy ourselves with anything else when not busy. Does anyone even daydream any more?

Mercdriver

I preselect music I want to listen to when I get to drive when Jeremy Vine is on Radio 2 (I don't mind him - I just hate rantline shows). Then I plug the phone into the USB. When Midday comes, I just select USB from the favourites. I don't have phones in my pocket, I don't like to feel notification vibrations come in. Although I have in car system, I will never initiate a call even on hands free, and will give only one or two word answers to questions if called.

Nobbie1967

When I'm feeling a bit drowsey driving home after a night in the pub on the beer, I like to pickup my phone and call or text people during the journey to keep myself awake, otherwise I could easily cause a crash if I fell asleep at the wheel. Always think safety first is my motto😉

Enigma80

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

Do you know, I do wonder. Phones have become so ubiquitous and they are the first thing people grab the second they're not fully occupied with something else. It's plausible that sitting in slow-moving or stationary traffic, the reach for the phone has become a subconscious action for some. I bet they don't even know they're doing it. We're increasingly losing our ability to occupy ourselves with anything else when not busy. Does anyone even daydream any more?

You see I totally think this. People always reach for their phones. If someone is sitting in traffic that hasn't moved for a good 10 minutes and their car is parked (handbrake on) but not off, and they take their phone out to maybe let someone (work/family) know they'll be late or whatever and put their phone away again, is that a bad thing? Surely the worst that can happen is that the traffic starts moving and they don't notice, at which point they put the phone away and start driving again.

We had this debate at work, someone said if it's cold they won't turn car off if they are parked somewhere like on the side of the road. For example, people drop their kids to school and they sometimes wait in the car if they're early, with the engine running to keep warm etc. Now if they had a phone in their hands or making calls, checking emails would that be wrong? According to the letter of the law it would be wrong wouldn't it?

Nasqueron

It is possible for someone to be over the limit without realising though rare


As an example, the general guidance is 2 pints of normal strength or lager or 2 small (125ml) glasses of wine in England/Wales. However, someone might be over the limit driving an hour or so after 1 large glass of wine (250ml) without realising because of their body - an ex work colleague had a 9 month ban for being over the limit when she had only had 1 glass of wine but she was very small and obviously affected her more than expected. The only way you could really be sure would be to either not drink or using a breathalyser to see how it affects you.



A friend of my other half had a proper breathalyser and we tried it after a night out and I had drunk maybe 4 pints, came home and only blew iirc mid to high 40s, a fail at the roadside but low enough I might pass at the station depending on whether it was going up or down

shaun_from_Africa

I find it strange that awareness courses followed by a reduction in the ban period are offered for drink driving offences but there is now no similar course for mobile phone use.

Why do I find it strange?
Well, there are circumstances where you can have a valid defense for using a mobile phone whilst driving but there is no valid defense for knowingly drink driving whilst over the prescribed limit so to me that says that the powers that be consider drink driving a more serious offence yet they may offer a course and reduced ban.

ElefantEd

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

I find it strange that awareness courses followed by a reduction in the ban period are offered for drink driving offences but there is now no similar course for mobile phone use.

Why do I find it strange?
Well, there are circumstances where you can have a valid defense for using a mobile phone whilst driving but there is no valid defense for knowingly drink driving whilst over the prescribed limit so to me that says that the powers that be consider drink driving a more serious offence yet they may offer a course and reduced ban.

If you have a valid defence for using a mobile phone then you wouldn't be convicted and thus wouldn't be offered a course (as there would be no penalty).


I can see why a course would be offered for drink driving to try and prevent it happening again (eg if someone was unaware of the effects of even a - to them - small amount of alcohol ). Though another part of me thinks that people ought to know in the first place and should be penalised heavily.


But mobile phone use? The law is that you just don't use it (except in certain unusual circumstances), so there isn't anything to learn that the person doesn't already know. What use would a course serve? A course isn't there to persuade people to obey the law, it's to tell them what the law is!

Car_54

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Why do I find it strange?
Well, there are circumstances where you can have a valid defense for using a mobile phone whilst driving

And those circumstances are?