VegasPhil
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Jan 05
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: Octavia VRS
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I thought everyone ignored the mobile phone rule still  I see loads of people every journey on the phone - me included tbh.
Corsa 2.0 16v Vegas - Sold
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mwg
Member
Registered: 19th Feb 04
Location: South Lakes
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Most people do ignore it. You just have to be wary of police
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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quote:
Originally posted by FlamingCorsa
i dont have a watch so i use my phone as a watch so if i am driving and take a look at my phone for the time does this mean i could get points?!?!?
bit scary!
also can you get done for eating and driving?
yep because thats basically what my offence amounted to
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nathy_87
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Registered: 14th Aug 08
Location: West Mids. Drives: koda Fabia VRS 5J
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Why are people looking at their phone for the time (whilst driving) does your car not come with a clock?
It really pissess me off people driving with their mobiles held up to their ear. Some twat killed my mate whilst he was on the phone, hence why I detest it. I've got a bluetooth kit for my car, £99 from Halfrods fitted, set my phone to answer automatically so I don't press any buttons to answer it, fantastic bit of kit. As for texts I answer them when I'm stationary and my engine is switched off.
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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not sure why people are arguinp the finer points of texting or talking whilst driving. I agree its silly however i was doing neither. My phone was in my hand for seconds to check a calendar and my driving was unaffected. However the law is you cant have your mobile in your hand at all so cant contest it. Ideally the law would be more specific eg making calls or sending texts. A phone is just an object until you use it in a distracting manner, last time i looked it wasnt illegal or dangerous to have an object in your hand for 20 seconds whilst driving
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mwg
Member
Registered: 19th Feb 04
Location: South Lakes
User status: Offline
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Does your car not have a calendar built in?
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gtitim
Member
Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: the boonies
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To answer a couple of points -
The offence is using a mobile phone whilst driving. Whether that be to look at the time, text, call, email, play games, whatever - if you are using the phone you commit the offence.
With regard to eating, drinking etc - no specific offence (unlike mobiles) however - may fall under failing to be in proper control of a motor vehicle - generally I would warn people if their driving standard was poor - however- people who seem to be able to eat ice creams, McFlurrys, burgers, etc whilst driving will get reported or ticketed - how can you control your vehicle in an emergency if your hand is full of icecream/burger etc and therefore not on the wheel and able to respond in an emergency?
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
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im clear what the offence is and the law. My point is that whats the difference between checking the time on a phone or altering a route on a sat nav? The answer, with regards to how it affects ur car control, very little, however one is illegal, the other is not. Willing to accept my punishment, just seeking some justification..
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
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i would also say the law is out dated. In 2003 when the law was passed, mobile phones were generally used for texting and calling, maybe a bit of internet. Now they are multi purpose devices. I can use my phone as a satnav if i wish. What happens if im using it as a sat nav and i pick it up to alter a route?
[Edited on 20-06-2010 by Steve]
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Scotty C
Member
Registered: 6th Nov 05
Location: Kidderminster Drives: 1.6 16v Sport
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I ALWAYS txt and drive 
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bubble
Member
Registered: 24th Jan 04
Location: Darwin, NT Australia.
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by gtitim
To answer a couple of points -
The offence is using a mobile phone whilst driving. Whether that be to look at the time, text, call, email, play games, whatever - if you are using the phone you commit the offence.
With regard to eating, drinking etc - no specific offence (unlike mobiles) however - may fall under failing to be in proper control of a motor vehicle - generally I would warn people if their driving standard was poor - however- people who seem to be able to eat ice creams, McFlurrys, burgers, etc whilst driving will get reported or ticketed - how can you control your vehicle in an emergency if your hand is full of icecream/burger etc and therefore not on the wheel and able to respond in an emergency?
how do coppers control their vehicles then in an emergency when they use their radios?
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Scotty C
Member
Registered: 6th Nov 05
Location: Kidderminster Drives: 1.6 16v Sport
User status: Offline
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I know of a bloke that got 3 points for drinking whilst driving.
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
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the more i think about this the more flawed the current law is. Obviously serves a purpose to stop idiots txting or talking whilst driving, but in the current era the mobile device has many situations where it can be used as a device eg satnav, that just happens to be able to make calls and send txts aswell.
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bubble
Member
Registered: 24th Jan 04
Location: Darwin, NT Australia.
User status: Offline
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if they think its dangerous to eat while driving cuz of using one hand only, then why is it completely legal for a one armed person to drive a car, with the correct disability adaptors?
as for mobiles being used while driving being dangerous, i think its bollox. people can crash cars through messing with radio etc.
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mwg
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Registered: 19th Feb 04
Location: South Lakes
User status: Offline
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Thing is though if you were messing with your radio/sat nav or whatever in such a way that it was affecting your driving you would be given a ticket for that too.
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bubble
Member
Registered: 24th Jan 04
Location: Darwin, NT Australia.
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by mwg
Thing is though if you were messing with your radio/sat nav or whatever in such a way that it was affecting your driving you would be given a ticket for that too.
yeah, but my point being, i can change a radio station perfectly well without affecting my driving, just the same as coppers can mess with their radios while they drive.
i might just give a copper a ticket for using his radio next time im out.
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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yep i agree. But there are clearly times when you can alter a sat nav or mobile nav in a safe way.
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gtitim
Member
Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: the boonies
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Bubble - Police radios and two-way radios ie walkie talkies are exempt, as are CB etc. Also - in our Police cars we have a button on the gearknob for radio transmission so I can drive whilst using it if required. Best practice is for the passenger to use it whilst driver drives, which is usual way, unless single-crewed
An adapted vehicle is just that - adapted to enable the driver to retain full control. I have not said it is dangerous. It is illegal and therefore my job to deal with it. Blame politicians for stupid laws - not Police. As you say - people crash while tuning radios, lighting cigs etc.
As an aside - I am off out now, and shall be using my phone as sat nav. It's legal as it's in a holder on the dash - if i hold it while driving it becomes illegal
[Edited on 20-06-2010 by gtitim]
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
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im interested to know if gtitim would give me 3 points if i was using my phone as a satnav and i was altering my route with it in my hand and my driving was totally unaffected. If he would then i pose the same question to if i was doing the same just instead of it being a phone sat nav was an actual sat nav. Id be interested in hearing the differences as to why one warrants 3 points and the other not so
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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ps its all very well saying blame politicians, but police can use discression to
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gtitim
Member
Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: the boonies
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Steve - I would stop you, explain i had seen you using your phone. Once you explained to me that you had been using it for satnav, I eould ask to see your call register and texts to check you werent calling or texting. Depending on the responses I got, I would make a decision as to whether to ticket or not. Most likely I would advise you to go and buy a holder - and that would be it.
I am not one for issuing tickets left, right and centre. I am a firm believer in suitable words of advice. However, I have a good memory and only give one warning. Caught by me a second time and you get a ticket no matter what your excuse may be, as you clearly havent learnt or listened from my previous encounter.
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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that sounds fair enough to me. Be good if everyone employed that attitude, how about if you saw my situation and was checking my calendar
[Edited on 20-06-2010 by Steve]
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gtitim
Member
Registered: 13th Feb 05
Location: the boonies
User status: Offline
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Steve -
From what I wrote earlier:
quote:
Originally posted by gtitim
generally I would warn people if their driving standard was poor - ?
If you think you can drive along whilst eating a McFlurry or icecream or burger etc and still remain in full control of your vehicle, you are wrong. You may still consider yourself to be safe and in control, but you never know what will happen.
Went to a fatal RTC. One vehicle, no passengers, no logical reason for collision. Investigators did their thing. The conclusion was the driver had been eating a bag of chips from his lap and had swerved for something (wildlife etc) lost control, flipped and ended up dead. Had he not been earting, he would likely have reacted better and not be dead.
Edited to add - with calendar - most likely same - check logs etc, warn appropriately. however, I am a Response officer, not a traffic officer with targets to meet.
[Edited on 20-06-2010 by gtitim]
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bubble
Member
Registered: 24th Jan 04
Location: Darwin, NT Australia.
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by gtitim
Bubble - Police radios and two-way radios ie walkie talkies are exempt, as are CB etc. Also - in our Police cars we have a button on the gearknob for radio transmission so I can drive whilst using it if required. Best practice is for the passenger to use it whilst driver drives, which is usual way, unless single-crewed
An adapted vehicle is just that - adapted to enable the driver to retain full control. I have not said it is dangerous. It is illegal and therefore my job to deal with it. Blame politicians for stupid laws - not Police. As you say - people crash while tuning radios, lighting cigs etc.
As an aside - I am off out now, and shall be using my phone as sat nav. It's legal as it's in a holder on the dash - if i hold it while driving it becomes illegal
[Edited on 20-06-2010 by gtitim]
i never seen buttons on gearknobs before when i worked on fleet cars-always had a pull switch by wiper controls.
the laws regarding doing stuff in cars is seriously outdated and benign.
they go way to OTT with some things and need to chill the fudge out.
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
User status: Offline
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wish you had pulled me
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