Driving while using a mobile phone!

[perksie]

It saddens me to hear that a thousand people were caught using their phones while driving in a two week period in Wales.

The attitude seems to be "Don't you do it, but it's ok if I do".

Your call or text just isn't that important and it will wait until you can deal with it safely:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20309819

One suggestion I've heard is that mobile phone companies be required to suspend your phone account if you are convicted of this.

What do you think?

[Anonymous]

i saw someone driving with her phone taped around her head once.....

[jonsie]

Cheaper than a handsfree I suppost!

[Anonymous]

freaked me the hell out.. thought she was one of those "crazy conspiracy" people. my daughter simply yelled out and laughed

[Anonymous]

I totally agree, for some reason some people find it so easy to break the rules. I think you've got to tackle the issue at source, bigger driving bans, re-sit driving tests larger fines and maybe a name and shame campaign by the D.V.L.A

[ComaChameleon]

How high is a fine in the UK for that?

We have 40€ (32 GBP) and one Point at our trafficregister. The Netherlands even have 140€ (112 GBP). But still with such high fines the people still use their phones. And we firefighters have to cut them out the wrecks -.-

[perksie]

£60 and 3 points, and it can be a lot worse:

https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law

[jonsie]

There should be an instant ban and a hefty fine so people would then maybe think twice.

[Liquid]

Agreed insta ban! Just as dangerous as drink driving.

I am an avid user of hands free but I will admit its not perfect by any means. Can be just as distracting especially if your telling someone off or a agitated phone call.


Seeing as how we're most Lilly tracked via GPS anyway via phones it wouldn't be a difficult thing to implement that as soon as speed reaches above 30mph (or lower) the cell switches to aeroplane mode.

I think even I could implement that into a os.

[Anonymous]

I'm a home delivery driver for a supermarket, so I'm on the roads 5 - 6 hours a day, and I see on a regular basis, drivers of vans, lorries and cars using their phones. Even worse, some of them drive through roundabouts or junctions nattering away on the mobile. I saw one van driver in a LWB hi-top Transit texting while he was driving. Madness.

[ComaChameleon]

"If you build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of 3 years, you can be disqualified from driving."

But the points go away after a while, don't they?

Over here you loose your license at 18 points and you have to do the idiot-test.

So UK is already way stricter, if you get 3 points (we get 1) and loose the license at 12 points.

But as you can see, even with harder fines (as you have them), the people keep doing forbidden things & risk other peoples lifes.

@Liquid

If you would do that aeroplane-mode, people on trains, busses, or people who're just in a car (but not the driver) would be affected.

People will only stop such a behavior, when they become aware over the things that can happen and start think themselves.

But when I see some Mercedes or BMW racing on fast track and still telephone there, I doubt that'll happen (as you may know, Germany doesn't have general speed limit, our Autobahn is a racing track). Unavailable rationality.