Using a mobile phone while driving

This has been a bit of a strong point with me for a while for several reasons. I admit, one of the main reasons was about 6 years ago, I had a very near miss where I was using my mobile in the car, only for a second to answer a call and tell the other person I'd ring them when I got home as I was driving. As a result, I nearly had a collision and it brought it home to me how much you really miss happening on the road when using your mobile.

Since then, I have noticed so many near misses where things could have gone so badly wrong but today it really brought it home to me.

I had stopped at a traffic light crossing where a group of about 7 kids ranging from the age of 6 to about 12 had all stopped to cross. I stopped as did the car on the other side. The second the group had their back foot on the pavement, the car on the other side suddenly sped off at quite some speed. As I watched the driver in horror, I saw he was deep into a conversation on his phone to such effect, he had a vacant stare on his face, almost as if he didn't even realise he was in a car at all. It only added to my horror as I glanced back to the front of my car, the lights still very much red, another group of kids, wanting to catch up with their friends had run out onto the crossing to catch them up with no thought to look at the traffic on the road. Well why would they, the lights were red, all the cars had stopped surely?

If those kids had of been crossing from the other side to my side, the car that sped off would have mown them all down and I'm not even sure how far he'd have got before realising he'd even hit them. Kids of that age don't have a hell of a lot of road sense and it's our job to be the sensible ones. It is said and even supposedly proven in lengthy universaty studies that using a mobile phone while driving is more lethal than drink driving and I have seen a few examples as to why.

Those kids could have been mine or yours and may not have been so lucky. Is 3 points and a £60 fine enough or, in line with drink driving laws, should it be a ban or even worse?

Your thoughts and opinions please.

Edited by 540 V8

I also had a near miss about 4 years ago when driving home from work. I was giving a colleague a lift home and on the route there is a very sharp right hand bend. When approaching this bend a young woman in a fiat punto came around the corner towards me with her phone to her ear but as she only had one hand on the wheel she could not get enough lock on to turn the corner fully and so approached me on my side of the road. I had to take evasive action which entailed driving up the kerb onto the pavement on my left and coming to rest wedged against a fence. The woman just continued on her way and unfortunately I was unable to get her registration. Although our speeds were only 25 to 30 mph combined head on would have been 50 to 60 mph which would have resulted in a very severe collision.

A good hands free earpiece can be bought for less than £15 so there is no excuse for driving with one hand holding a phone. I agree that punishments should be more severe.

I don't answer or use mobile phones whilst driving.
Ignorance is bliss 
Using mobiles whilst driving is like running about with a primed shotgun in a busy street.
Maximum penalty for offenders

[rant on]The thing is, there are NOT enough resources to monitor this, as many of the offenders know, so it just continues regardless..

I see plenty of ass holes driving whilst using their mobile phones.[/rant over]

Peter Fenwick wrote: I never use my phone when driving but I think the law is adequate. If you get caught you get done. Seems ok to me.

Yes but if I was an a-hole who didn't have much care for peoples lives, I'd probably not worry about drink driving if I only got a small fine and 3 points, however, I might think more carefully if I was to lose my licence. The tougher the law usually means the less people likely to offend. To really push the example, (and I know it is unrealistic, but just as on OTT example) if you were to get an automatic 1 year prison sentance, how many less people would do it then?

Like I said and it has been proven, if using your mobile is more dangerous than drink driving, why is the penalty lighter?

hands free not against the law yet

I picked up a speeding fine for doing 70 in a 50 (A90
dual carraigeway at Laurenckirk )the road has around 750
metres where it drops to 50 mph and as I was on the
phone I didnt even notice the signs warning me.I drove
through the fixed camera at 70 mph with my cruise
control on and didn't even notice it flash....IMO no
phone usage while driving should be the rule as no
matter who you are there is no way you can concentrate
on the road around you.

A lot of it generally depends on the person driving the car, my last boss was thinking more about one project or other rather than the road.

I have been in the jeep with him while he is driving in the fast lane on the M50 doing 50mph while sending text messages, he even said I am a typical boy racer even though I wasn't breaking the speed limit once.

I have a wired hands free and use it generally to tell SWMBO I am on the way or call old collegues for a bitching session about the old boss, at all times I am concentrating on the road ahead.

It has been claimed that having a smoke whilst driving is just as bad as using a mobile phone. The whole argument about handheld phones is that you are not in full control of your car.

The driving authorities in the UK are looking at banning smoking while driving as you have to get the cig out of the pack, light it, smoke it, tap  the ash and put out the smoke, so in essence you are not in full control/concentration of the car.

dryle wrote: It has been claimed that having a smoke whilst driving is just as bad as using a mobile phone. The whole argument about handheld phones is that you are not in full control of your car. The driving authorities in the UK are looking at banning smoking while driving as you have to get the cig out of the pack, light it, smoke it, tap  the ash and put out the smoke, so in essence you are not in full control/concentration of the car.

Now your just trying to wind Nigel up!

I still think you all worry to much.

Concentrate on your own driving, leave others alone

I've had a phone in my car for over 20 years now, I've smoked whilst driving for over 30 years.

Here's an offer for you, this smoking phone using driver will happily give any of you a demonstration of my driving, how many of you would submit to an assessed drive, assessed by me, lets see how good those moaning about others are.

Any takers ?..... Pittsy your local !

We'll post the results of what we think of each others driving, it should be good for a laugh if nothing else.