Increased Sanctions Proposed for Mobile Phone Use

[OldTimer66]

Ahem.

I made the point in my original post that the problem (imo) is not the size of the sanction to be applied, but that the chances of being caught are vanishingly small.

How, exactly, would banning the use of all communication devices - whether hand held or not - make one jot of difference?

That's a sensible response.

I think that use of a non-handsfree mobile phone is to be deplored, but the chance of being caught are negligible. There is already a law against it but it is ineffectually enforced. So the chancers out there will just continue to chance it.

Without proper enforcement extending any law (leaving aside the merits and demerits of doing so) is pointless.

 

[Red C220]

Cockerney?

The sat nav in our previous C class used to refer to Watford as "Wart-Ford" and Reigate as "Rear-gate".

It always raised a chuckle.

 

[flango]

I did a girl a short while ago,

I hope you wern't on duty ?

 

[Carrsey]

I'm not talking pursuit training that's different training all together as not all class1 drivers are pursuit or TPAC trained. I'm talking about the course you take to become a traffic or RCU driver. At no point is radio commentary used in that training it's all to the instructor next to you and yes if it affects your driving then you fail. Pursuit training and TPAC is done mostly over the radio but that training comes later as you build experience in car control. Also for these sort of stops it is preferable to use double crewed cars but I agree this is not always possible. Again Its preferable that the ground commander car should be double crewed so the driver can do the driving and his passenger the commentary.

Cant speak for other forces but Cheshire and surrounding forces pursuit training is part of the standard advanced course these days, (even standard response drivers are initial pursuit trained) then later you move on to TPAC. As for double crewing, ah if only, (in Cheshire) due to the cuts we can barely put out enough patrols let alone double them up, so 99% of the time its all on you the driver..

 

[flango]

Cant speak for other forces but Cheshire and surrounding forces pursuit training is part of the standard advanced course these days, (even standard response drivers are initial pursuit trained) then later you move on to TPAC. As for double crewing, ah if only, (in Cheshire) due to the cuts we can barely put out enough patrols let alone double them up, so 99% of the time its all on you the driver..

Times change and that's good to hear there is more training on the initial course. I hear what you are saying about double crewing two of my pals are serving traffic officers and their biggest moan is single crewing and dealing with incidents that are not traffic or road crime related.

Tough job you guys do in these times of cutbacks can't remember the last time I saw a traffic car on a motorway on routine patrol

 

[Carrsey]

I'm not talking pursuit training that's different training all together as not all class1 drivers are pursuit or TPAC trained. I'm talking about the course you take to become a traffic or RCU driver. At no point is radio commentary used in that training it's all to the instructor next to you and yes if it affects your driving then you fail. Pursuit training and TPAC is done mostly over the radio but that training comes later as you build experience in car control. Also for these sort of stops it is preferable to use double crewed cars but I agree this is not always possible. Again Its preferable that the ground commander car should be double crewed so the driver can do the driving and his passenger the commentary.

Also forgot to say, giving commentary to the instructor in the car is still the same, as in concentration required, only difference is your not pushing a button on the steering wheel.

 

[DSB SL AMG]

Agreed... I better put the pop corn away

Four pages in and this has remained a pretty reasonable debate, which is refreshing.

 

[Carrsey]

Times change and that's good to hear there is more training on the initial course. I hear what you are saying about double crewing two of my pals are serving traffic officers and their biggest moan is single crewing and dealing with incidents that are not traffic or road crime related.

Tough job you guys do in these times of cutbacks can't remember the last time I saw a traffic car on a motorway on routine patrol

Indeed mate, 18mths ago we had 125 traffic officers (including motorway) in Cheshire, there are now 60 of us and often assist the short staffed local patrols with routine jobs pulling us away from what we are trained to do.

The other issue with single crewing is safety, trying to deal with a live lane incident on the motorway on your own is nothing but dangerous..

 

[GLK]

I purposely setup a different SIM / phone to be linked to the car hands-free system. It's got emergency numbers, a few local independents, AA, RAC, MB Road Assistance, MB Service Care, my wife's and my own mobile numbers, and not much else. The only person who might call me on this number is my wife, the only time I might call using this phone is if something happens ... That's about it. I do not answer my main mobile in the car, although I can, if I want to, on long journeys - Garmin (voice controlled) satnav takes care of that.

 

[paul_f]

I ride to work on the cycle path alongside a dual carriageway a road.
The amount of people driving and texting in the traffic horrifies me.
It does tend to be younger drivers doing it.

The other week I saw an AMG GT being erratically driven by a bloke in his early twenties. Handset held to his ear - obviously couldn't work out the bluetooth

 

[cb1965]

I purposely setup a different SIM / phone to be linked to the car hands-free system. It's got emergency numbers, a few local independents, AA, RAC, MB Road Assistance, MB Service Care, my wife's and my own mobile numbers, and not much else. The only person who might call me on this number is my wife, the only time I might call using this phone is if something happens ... That's about it. I do not answer my main mobile in the car, although I can, if I want to, on long journeys - Garmin (voice controlled) satnav takes care of that.

What a lot of faffing, I just don't answer the phone while driving!

 

[DSB SL AMG]

I do appreciate the impact on Government 'cuts' on the level and quality of service the traffic Police can provide, unfortunately this is a consequence...

Nearly every time I go on the UK motorways I see someone on a mobile...the really crazy thing for me is many of them are driving highly expensive SUV's (RR/Cayenne/Q7 etc) with OEM in-car hands free systems that link easily to any smart phone....so why not use this???

Indeed mate, 18mths ago we had 125 traffic officers (including motorway) in Cheshire, there are now 60 of us and often assist the short staffed local patrols with routine jobs pulling us away from what we are trained to do.

The other issue with single crewing is safety, trying to deal with a live lane incident on the motorway on your own is nothing but dangerous..

 

[Giantvanman]

The only section that addressed this was commentary to the instructor whilst driving.

It could be argued that talking without break for thirty to forty minutes is good training for driving and talking. Is there a difference between the driver commentating to an instructor/examiner continually about what is going on in/around the car to a driver using a PTT stalk/button to talk to microphone, commentating about what is going on in/around the car occasionally?

Agreed, it isn't direct training but maybe there is unintentional training?

 

[Giantvanman]

Indeed mate, 18mths ago we had 125 traffic officers (including motorway) in Cheshire, there are now 60 of us and often assist the short staffed local patrols with routine jobs pulling us away from what we are trained to do.

The other issue with single crewing is safety, trying to deal with a live lane incident on the motorway on your own is nothing but dangerous..

It wasn't that long ago that the Met NE Traffic put out nine double-crewed cars just for the M25/M11/A406 plus a dedicated 4WD and two solos for the Blackwall Tunnel in addition to a dozen cars plus at least ten solos for off-motorway work.

Now, for the whole NE area of London including motorways, they are lucky to put out half a dozen cars and maybe a couple of solos for all of it and they are primarily tasked with ANPR with actual 'Traffic' enforcement a poor second to answering calls.

But that's what happens when the public, senior officers and the government start categorising offences in leagues of seriousness or the "haven't you got anything better to do like catching real criminals" approach.

Glad I am out of it and I feel for everyone who is still stuck but still trying to their best.

 

[Giantvanman]

Yawn. Go make a cup of tea or something but stay off threads that don't interest you.

Maybe he is…….. You never ****** NO FRIENDS ****** MY OWN AGE ****** UNDER 30 ***** OLD PEOPLE ****** Vauxhall Man?

 

[Druk]

Tough job you guys do in these times of cutbacks can't remember the last time I saw a traffic car on a motorway on routine patrol

Dumfries are out in force lately on the 74 and they're all double manned as are all Scottish traffic cars. That might change but afaik at the mo all pulls need corroboration under Scottish law.

 

[zipdip]

Well with so few traffic cars out on our roads what are they doing with all the mugs money they get from these speed awareness courses,it is 10's of millions

 

[Carrsey]

Glad I am out of it and I feel for everyone who is still stuck but still trying to their best.

I could quite happily leave, as would a hell of a lot of others given the chance.. Real shame, use to be a job for life.. just need to find a decent job..

 

[Giantvanman]

I could quite happily leave, as would a hell of a lot of others given the chance.. Real shame, use to be a job for life.. just need to find a decent job..

Three guys I worked with who were in the 16-18 year service range have left and i don't blame them. One now a mini cab driver, one works for a funeral director and the other for his father.
Judging by what the Chief told one of them, there is a degree of consternation about the numbers who are calling it a day…WTF did they think was going to happen? Knobheads.

I feel sorry for the public because in a a few short years there is going to be very little experience around as most of the 'middle service' guys will be specialising so not many around to show the youngsters the ropes.

 

[tangey]

If it ever goes all the way in court and it's determined that using handsfree whilst driving is illegal, does that suggest the manufacturers would have to consider supplying UK cars with modified bluetooth functionality ? For example not only phone calls, but what about those recent (is it Seat, Ford ?) that can read out and reply to text messages ?

Puts the maufacturer in an awkward position if they are making a salespoint out of something that is actually illegal.

Yes you can argue that they supply cars that can go in excess of the UK speed limit etc, but when they actively promote potential illegal behaviour and design the user interface around it (there is zero ned to have an answer button on the steering wheel, if it is illegal to answer when the car is moving, just put it on the dash), I think it's different.

Frankly, I think society is so ingrained into social media and always being available and connected, that it would be difficult to ban handfree. If you ban handsfree, should you ban sat nav ?, both trying to follow the onscreen map and also listening to the instructions, could both be determined to be distracting.