Safe Speed Forums

Of course they are. It doesn't matter how many laws are introduced, they still need enforcing.
If you're driving without due care & attention due to using a mobile, picking your nose, changing CD etc., it's still one law that can encapsulate all these offences.

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

And/Or they don't think that it is actually dangerous? I've used a mobile while driving ever since mobiles first came out, and I can multi-task on this. Perhaps I'm extremely clever? I doubt it... I think the vast majority of drivers are capable of holding a conversation and drive at the same time.
The ones who can't are possibly the numpties that shouldn't perhaps be on the road in the first place?

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

Sorry Bottyburp, but self-assessment is no-assessment. By talking on the phone you are diverting your brain from its key task - driving the car !! What is more important, your and other's lives, or the conversation you are having ?

On British Rail, several track engineers have been killed whilst on and about the line when talking on their mobile phones. Now you might think a train is a pretty noisy thing and easily heard by those in the way of it, but not so ! So engrossed were these persons in their mobile phone conversation, they failed even to hear the train's horn of 120 Db ! !

In my opinion, even using a hands-free phone device is dancing with danger. Some may disagree, but I bet I'll see their funeral before they see mine.

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Good manners maketh a good motorist

Yes, I agree. We have als seen them, and contuinue to see them often. Someone driving erratically, usually a bit slower than the prevailing traffic so causing an obstruction to the traffic flow, and clearly not paying attention to thier driving. Overtake and pull alongside and what do we see - on the phone!
Many times when I couldn't see the driver, I have predicted that the person driving a particular vehicle was on the phone, and been proven right when I get to see them.
Having drivers who are obstructing others, driving erratically and not paying attention is clearly dangerous. That is why the government chose to legislate on this. If some of you feel you can do it safely, fair enough, but there are plenty out there who cannot. I have never done it myself and switch off my phone when I'm driving. Personally I would welcome some sort of technology that would prevent cellphones from working on roads or inside cars.

I'm anti this law as it seems to be a PR exercise at best and useless overlegislation. (hasten to add I have bluetooth in car, however, It is for emergency use only).

I say this as when the law was first proposed many of my clients were asking about this (funnily enough my rail and construction clients already operated a mobile ban when 'on site').

I contacted the traffic divisions at both Essex Police and Herts Police, Essex were quite helpfull with what the law was going to be. Herts also very helpful but also stated that they didn't feel that the law was going to be much use as they were already pulling mobile drivers over under the 'Due care and attention' banner and being quite successful at it.

So we now have a law that is a non-starter as:

A: The offence it is designed to control can be controlled by other (according to Herts Police at the time more effective) means

and

B: There are not the resources (read trafpol) actually out and about to enforce it.

Surely this brings the law into disrepute and weakens existing controls??

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Gordon Brown saying I got the country into it's current economic mess so I'll get us out of it is the same as Bomber Harris nipping over to Dresden and offering to repair a few windows.

Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.

http://www.wildcrafts.co.uk

Maybe the best people to answer that question are BiB.

I have lost count of the amount of times I have seen them (single occupancy) using their cellular radios (and a mobile phone is nothing more than a cellular radio) while driving.

How come they are exempt while we (Joe Public) aren't?

In general that seems reasonable enough to me, except that it's not a matter of being able to hold a conversation and drive at the same time in all circumstances. It does need the exercise of a bit of judgement.

BTW, is IG around this morning - or is he busy preparing his defence for Falkirk?

[/clowning mode]

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Obviously, driving safely is paramount. But to me, talking to a passenger in the car or talking to someone on a phone are one and the same. When I'm using my phone, I can still drive safely.

If road/traffic conditions are hazardous, then perhaps that's not the right time to make/receive a call, agreed.

It can't be as dangerous as TPTB make out, as the BiB are allowed to talk to other people...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

We are exempt for using PTT (push to talk) type radios on certain frequencies. My brother is into amateur radio and he carries around a copy of the legislation (as advised in ham radio circles) for the occasions he may be stopped by the police and accused of breaking the mobile use law.

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

Ahhh, I understand now. Talking on AM is safe, but talk to anyone on FM, the world will end?

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

"The paedophiles, burglars, muggers, etc will be celebrating with glee because there will be less space in jail for them when it's filled with motorists."

The sad fact is that your children are statistically far more likely to be killed by a inatentive driver with a mobile phone than any of the above

That is clearly not true!

How many children have been killed by mobile weilding drivers over the last, say, 5 years?

How many by the above mentioned miscrients?

97% of statistics are made up on the spot!

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Show your proof, don't just say it!

Yes inattentive drivers are a big problem, but very few are involved in accidents while wielding a mobile:
"Driver using mobile phone" = 0 (all accidents, all casualties)
Source: dft transstats 612594

I was under the impression they'd gotten rid of that exception now, banning CBs and PMRs and so on in addition to mobile phones.

If this isn't the case please let me know as me and my GF are about to get rid of our hand held PMR radios that we use when convoying and revert back to a system of hand signals and codes sent via the car's lights even though that's probably more dangerous due to confusing the hell out of other road users.

I'm not a radio ham (do they still call themselves that? Always makes me think of Tony Hancock) but my brother is, he was advised to carry a copy of the legislation with him in the car. It may be worth checking on a radio amateur forum for clarification?

[edit to add] http://www.aruk.org.uk/

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.