Phones and cars

[Steve]

This might be more for GD; I'll move it there if I decide it's better off there, but for now let's try here

Ladies and gentlemen, I've had enough. Driving whilst using your phone is illegal. Yet, daily, I see people flaunt this law. I don't go around actively looking for these people, I notice them because they do something wrong, and then it becomes apparent that they're on the phone either talking or texting.

The general scenario is this: I am walking somewhere (in Bristol). If my walk is more than 10 minutes and down a busy road (there are lots of them around here), I am more or less guaranteed to see someone do something stupid, and that someone will have been distracted by their phone.

When I used to work about a 20 minute walk from my house, and did that walk twice a day for five days, I saw somebody being a phone-knob nearly every time I took the journey. On top of that, once or twice in a month at this amount of walking, had I not being paying attention as a pedestrian, somebody using a phone whilst driving would have put me in serious danger. The usual scenario for this is somebody driving through a zebra crossing or running a red light at a pedestrian crossing.

I'm not exaggerating here - it's really that bad. Drivers sometimes push their way over zebra crossings and through lights because they think that being in a rush entitles them to bend the rules. Well they're being dickish, but at least they're paying attention whilst being a knobber. So when I cite these incidents I am talking solely about the people who do it, and who I can clearly see are using their phone, either in their lap reading/texting or held up to their head talking.

I know motorways are high speed and a collision is probably more dangerous, but it's airbagged metal cage vs. airbagged metal cage. About town it's metal cage vs squishy flesh and brittle bone. So I really think something should be done about it. The question is what?

So, what do we do about it? Do people agree with me? If so, what should we demand the police do about it to ensure the law is being enforced?

And finally, will any enforcement make a difference? There is some evidence to suggest that those who crash because they were on their phone were crap drivers anyway, who probably lack the attentiveness required to drive safely. But even so, the correlation of what I see day-to-day suggests to me that if nobody used their phones whilst driving, the situation would be a lot better.

TL;DR Bristol is full of imbecile drivers who should all be arrested.

[TeePee]

I don't agree with phone usage being illegal. Driving dangerously should be illegal. But you guys are so lucky to live in a country where people drive so well.

[Steve]

You're right - fannying around with a hairbrush or picking an Apple up out of the footwell are just as dangerous. But I don't see people doing that when they do something dangerous; I see them using a phone. If someone is stupid enough not to realise that they're doing something dangerous, sometimes they have to be told, explicitly, not to do that thing.

You're right that comparatively, the UK is pretty good for vehicle safety and driving standards. But that doesn't mean we should stop trying to improve.

[HSK]

I HATE it when I see someone on the phone while driving. I sometimes wish I could press a button and their car would blow up! Aha, ok that's OTT, but yes.

I see it all the time as well. I ride my bike to work, so I'm always looking around and trying to judge what the drivers might possibly do....and mainly from what I've seen, it's a lot of women?

Today, I saw 4 cars IN SUCCESSION, all on the phone, 3 women, and then one guy. One of them nearly clipped me (turned, but never indicated), and I shouted out a expletive (beeeeyatch).

[Larkspeed]

Phone usage is one of things that I see other drivers doing that really peeves me off.

I have a hands free in my car it took me all of about 20 minutes to install because it just plugs right into the back of the stereo, and the damn thing cost me about 50 euro to buy.

That's less than the fine I would get for talking on the phone while driving.

It even streams audio direct from my phone to the car stereo, this works with both music and sat nav on the phone.

And it connects automatically when I turn on the key so I don't even have to do anything

I just do not understand how people can still not have hands free.

IMO people who talk on the phone are just inconsiderate dicks that do not give a toss about anybody but themselves. I mean come on is your phone call really worth the life of someone else? How would you feel if your son or daughter gets killed by someone talking on the phone.

Yes all forms of dangerous driving are bad but phone usage seems to be on the rise and there is just no reason for it.

What I tend to do if I see someone talking on their phone while driving is get right next to them and then just lay on my horn, good luck holding your conversation while my horn is blaring in your ear and at the same time I am advertising to the person that you are talking to that you are a selfish dick.

I am a supporter of the Swedish system for traffic offences, means based fines.

If that dude in the big BMW and 4000 quid suit could not care less if he gets a 150 quid fine for talking on the phone, lets see how he reacts when its 5000 quid

[deejayburnout]

If I hate 1 thing about drivers is that they use the phone while driving.

If I had it my way I would chop there hand off and stick up there arse. Stupid F¥€»ers. Need a labotomy.

I see it far to often. When driving, I used to peep the horn and point at them but 90% of the time they don't even notice and when the 10% do, they look at mike like I am humping a small mammal.

Its a real shame that people still do it, its even worse that with most of them they need to be busted or worse kill someone before they will even learn not to do it.

I see it as attempted murder, a car is a dangerous implement that in the wrong hands will kill someone. lock the ***** up and throw away the key.

Brap Brap

[ehhhhhhh]

This thread made me remember of the woman I saw in Tampa...She was dry shaving her face and talking on the phone while driving

I wish I had comparable multi tasking skills

[TeePee]

Driving while on the phone is legal in this state. I do it all the time. Completely safe.

Driving dangerously should be illegal. Many people drive dangerously. Many people drive dangerously when they are distracted. Many people drive dangerously when they are on the phone, because they are distracted.

Blaming the phone isn't the answer.

[stevie lee]

The same rules apply to mobility scooters, drink driving, driving while tired, on drugs. although the last two are harder to check due to the type of the people who tend to use the machines.

I've had people swearing at me, deliberatly walking infront of me while ive been out delivering, collecting, or even doing test drives (i work at shopmobility). the funny looks i get when i stand up sand start pushing them is priceless sometimes. the people who tend to walk infront of the scooter and then jump out the way and glare at you mostly tend to be people walking while on phones.

so the mobile phone distracted behaviour, isnt just limited to people driving cars, its pedestrians vs scooter/power chair users.

when ive been out and about in wheelchairs, everyone is nice as pie, they open doors, even offer help to push if its uphill.

the amount of hate towards vehicles is shocking sometimes. peoples attitudes need to change and its only the people whove been in big accidents, either on recieving end or were the cause of one whos attitude tends to change. from my experience anyway.

its not road rage that causes the bad driving, because ive noticed it while people are walking along. its just the way people are. angry, hate filled, inconsiderate, high and mighty, i'm better than you selfish twonks.

just my 2p's worth

[Steve]

Oh yes, pedestrians on phones are a PITA too. But, like I said, they're not driving a massive hunk of metal. Their own life is in considerably more danger for not paying attention, whereas a car driver who isn't paying attention, particularly in the city rather than on the motorway, isn't themselves in a great deal of danger, compared to a pedestrian or cyclist, at least.

I accept TeePee's argument to a degree. Like I said, some dangerous drivers would be dangerous regardless of whether they were on the phone. However, like I said, most of the time when I see people doing something wrong, it's because they're on the phone. So banning phone usage, as we have done, is an easy way to curb the problem, if not the cause. And as somebody else said, hands free isn't expensive.

So what do we do about it? Me ranting here is fine, but what do I do? Do I petition my MP to get something done about it? Or do I write to the local police authority to find out what they would do about it?

[jimbouk]

Take photo's using a decent camera? If they're in slow moving traffic / stopped then you should be able to get a nice clear shot from the front which will show the number plate, person, and the fact that they are on the phone. Pass them onto the police, then when they just ignore you start a website showing the offenders and drum up some public / media interest until someone does something.

[Steve]

Yeah, I don't particularly want to antagonise people. The sort of people who think they're entitled to break the law are probably going to react unfavourably to being snapped by a fellow citizen.

Taking a photo for YPLAC is one thing, but taking a photo of somebody actually in their car, in traffic, is something else. In the time it would take me to spot them (because they've done something to attract my attention), notice they're on the phone, get my camera out, turn it on, and take a picture, the driver that was five cars behind them will wonder why I've taken a picture of them.

[csgohan4]

Banning the phone while driving is one thing, enforcing it is another

[jimbouk]

Yeah, I don't particularly want to antagonise people. The sort of people who think they're entitled to break the law are probably going to react unfavourably to being snapped by a fellow citizen.

You need to wear a high-vis jacket, no-one questions what someone wearing a high-vis jacket is doing

I do agree though, it's not the most practical solution. You'd need a bunch of concerned parents with placard and cameras at the ready, and some PCOs within eye-shot for real affect.

Letters to the local paper to try and spark a debate and maybe a 'special report'? Try and dig up a tragic accident to engage with people. Police / council won't take much notice of individuals, you need to get a mob* before they'll do something.

* pitchforks optional

[csgohan4]

You need to wear a high-vis jacket, no-one questions what someone wearing a high-vis jacket is doing

I do agree though, it's not the most practical solution. You'd need a bunch of concerned parents with placard and cameras at the ready, and some PCOs within eye-shot for real affect.

Letters to the local paper to try and spark a debate and maybe a 'special report'? Try and dig up a tragic accident to engage with people. Police / council won't take much notice of individuals, you need to get a mob* before they'll do something.

* pitchforks optional

That's the sad thing, you need a tragic accident to highlight what already is enshrined as law. Real shame.

[AlexGTR]

It never used to bother me at all really, but as the years have gone by and i see more and more people doing it, without full control of the car it really does get on my nerves.