Using Mobiles in cars: Fines to double

[Cleoriff]

News out today that drivers caught texting whilst driving will face 'more severe fines'

These penalties will mean they have more points on licence (6) and fines will be increased to £200

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37389800

What a pathetic punishment! £200 to most people is 'peanuts' and who cares about 6 points?

This is hardly a deterrent.

Lives have been lost as a result of folk determined to use their phones and cars as a mobile office.

Earlier this month, a van driver was jailed for 9 years after he hit and killed cyclist Lee Martin while texting.

This van driver had at least six previous convictions for using a phone at the wheel.

[Bambino]

Texting or holding your phone while making a call when you're driving should incur a minimum of a one year driving ban. There's no excuse for doing either when you're behind the wheel. 

[adamtemp64]

What is needed is for the police to start actively checking for this and publicizing the results in the same manner they do speed checking at the roadside, Police with video cameras zoomed in on the drivers like radar guns. For evidance.

I see it all day whilst out driving for my job

But without the resources it just will not be enforcable

[Cleoriff]

I agree they need a much more severe deterrent @Bambino.

The way I see it, mobile phones are a way of life now. People run businesses via phones and many of them are driving from a to b. If they can't invest in hands free kits they deserve to lose their licence and be heavily fined.

Incidentally, the van driver who killed a cyclist was texting a friend.... to ask him to walk his dog....

I could also make a case for stating cars themselves are getting more technologically advanced and in many cases it's similar to driving with a computer on board...(but that's another discussion)

[Bambino]

There's just no excuse for holding your phone while you're driving. Most phones now have the ability for you to listen to and reply to a text hands free, and Bluetooth headsets are cheap as chips to enable you to make and receive calls hands free. Not only that, you don't even need a headset if you have a new car. It's all built in. There have been too many needless deaths and serious injuries because of this, and with all the technology available, anyone still holding a phone when they're driving should pay a heavy penalty for doing so.

[MI5]

It isn't beyond technological ability to disable all phone functions as soon as the engine starts and vehicle is moving.

[Bambino]

That's probably true, although I do like being able to use the phone for navigation. If they could disable phone and text functions while still being able to use GPS I'd be happy with that. Before the advent of the mobile phone we all drove without the need for any of this, although I have to admit that I find being able to use Google Maps an invaluable tool.

[MI5]

Yes it would be simple to just disable all radio functions.

[adamtemp64]

My gps works in airplane mode so as long as you have off line maps it should be fine like copilot etc

[Bambino]

Unfortunately, it would only be applicable to new vehicles. Anyone driving an older car would still have to use common sense. Not too hard to do, but some people just don't listen, and the only way to get them to is to impose much harsher penalties than there currently are.