Mobile phone use.

[E55BOF]

I have a Parrot in my car. It doesn't work, possibly because it's a Norwegian Blue...

 

[artyman]

Perhaps if cars were fitted with a six inch spike in the centre of the steering wheel, people might concentrate a little more whilst driving

 

[renault12ts]

Perhaps if cars were fitted with a six inch spike in the centre of the steering wheel, people might concentrate a little more whilst driving

The steering column used to be that spike...people died.

 

[dad4geer]

Why is holding a phone to your ear whilst holding a conversation more of a distraction than holding a conversation using handsfree? It isn't...they are both dangerous ... mobile phones should be completely banned in vehicles.

Just my opinion of course. There is so much self righteousness regarding those holding phones by those using handsfree.

While I fully support the idea and law of not using mobile phones whilst driving (unless it's handsfree and you are using it using voice commands) I would still not go for a kill banning them altogether. In case of emergency how are you going to cotact breakdown services or Police etc? Run along the motorway to find a phone booth?

 

[dad4geer]

Phones, touchscreens, apps and everything unrelated to driving from point A to point B should be banned

We may very well end up with a steering wheel and a gear box like cars in 40s...I will take you being sarcastic?

 

[DSB SL AMG]

This is the vid you mean...suggest all a few mins to view.

[YOUTUBE]E9swS1Vl6Ok[/YOUTUBE]

As for Nick, there's a horrid video on Facebook which I can't find, where teenagers are interviewed about using their phone whilst driving to which they admit and don't really find it serious. Then they put a young girl in front of them in the interview who suffered major injuries leaving her half paralysed, also the death of her parents from one accident caused by someone using their phone whilst driving. Perhaps if you saw that video your opinions may change

 

[190]

Perhaps if cars were fitted with a six inch spike in the centre of the steering wheel, people might concentrate a little more whilst driving

There is something in that if not taken literally. Modern cars and safety systems cocoon the driver to such an extent that they feel invulnerable and take more risks than if the spike was metaphorically present. It's human nature that they will.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

So many points here I'll probably forget to comment on some. Firstly someone tried to put the case for mobile phones by saying that they've probably saved lives because people have been able to immediately call for emergency services. I suspect the vast majority, if not all, of those mobile phone calls have been made by people who weren't driving at the time.

Then we have those who blame technology for the problems. As far as I'm aware there's no law stating that all the technology has to be used whilst driving. The technology isn't at fault, it's those who use it inappropriately who are at fault.

That brings us on to the call for technology that can prevent so many of the incidents, and questions as to why it's not installed in our cars when it exists in aircraft. A simple one word answer to that one: cost.

The "it's only 71 deaths when more people die falling out of bed, so why worry" argument is crass to say the least. With that sort of argument, should we let Tesco sell guns? After all, only a similar number of people are shot dead in the UK. They don't really matter do they?!!

"Why chase mobile phone users and ignore all the other causes of road deaths?" The other causes aren't being ignored, but most are harder to police. Telling people to concentrate on their driving gets treated with contempt; government interference, nanny state and human rights coming to the forefront. Drink driving still leads to about as many deaths as mobile phone use (comparative stats a bit vague on this), but the penalties are higher and prosecutions much greater. It's far from being ignored.

"I'm self-employed and have to use my phone whilst driving". Guess what, people were self-employed before mobile phones existed. Their businesses survived. And technology has been mentioned here; there are actually already in existence answer machines/services that we can all use.

It makes my blood boil that there are so many people who feel the need to defend the use of mobile phones whilst driving. They even take offence when anyone dares to criticise their decision. They simply don't want to listen to reason. They're magnificent drivers who can still drive perfectly when on the phone. In reality they prefer to ignore all the evidence because they see it as an infringement or interference. They're happy in their bubbles because they haven't killed anyone. YET. Those were exactly the thoughts of all those who killed or seriously injured people because they were on their phones.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

I wonder if manufacturers will incorporate a signal blocker into future vehicles but with a feature to use your phone for emergency calls only. It'd have to be across the board and compulsory. Joe public aren't going to buy a car with this feature unless they have no choice.

Very interesting thread to read all the different points of view. With the exception of emergency calls no one NEEDS to use their phones whist driving. We managed without them years ago.

Another point worth mentioning is that the screen on DVD players in our MB's goes blank once on the move. Maybe a similar system for our phones would reduce road deaths.

Ant.

 

[whitenemesis]

Many models already come with an SOS function built-in

 

[Deleted member 113659]

This is the vid you mean...suggest all a few mins to view.

[YOUTUBE]E9swS1Vl6Ok[/YOUTUBE]

David, thanks for posting that clip.

Best place for everyone's phone is in the boot. Removes all temptation to read texts, change music etc but it's there if you need it in emergencies.

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

This is the vid you mean...suggest all a few mins to view. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9swS1Vl6Ok">YouTube Link</a>

That's the one

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

Perhaps they are but any control that requires the driver to take his eyes off the road for several secs at a time is a distraction and a bad idea in terms of car design. I still think these things are driven by marketing aimed at the younger generation. Driving is not a video game and car designers shouldn't be trying to make it look and feel like it is.

I slightly disagree with this

A couple days (probably hours) into ownership of a car with this function wheel and you subconsciously know how many clicks and which buttons select whichever menu/function without having to look at it or the screen, keeping eyes on the road at all times

 

[219]

Perhaps we should go back to the 1950's with fewer features?

Of course the cars themselves were more dangerous....

Not entirely : my Ponton had crumple zones front and rear , safety door locks , seat belts were an option , mine had radial tyres , excellent visibility , and less mass than later cars so would do less damage in a collision .

That it would generally be driven slower than later cars also reduced the potential for doing damage , albeit she could manage 100mph , not bad for 1957 . Steering , handling and roadholding were also good for the day - even with swing axles and she could easily keep up with modern traffic in the 80's and 90's .

The only electronic item in the car was the Blaupunkt radio which had thermionic valves and a lovely mellow sound . If you really wanted to splash out you could have a self seeking Becker .

 

[davidjpowell]

Wakey wakey folks. We are now in 2016, the phone genie is out of the box. Banning it is not going to make it go away...

There are other ways to deal with it, but as ever in the UK, the short sighted view is to ban ban ban without opening imagination to other ways to deal with this.

Knighterrant. I'm pleased your blood is boiling. Please consider other alternatives than simple banning...

Using technology inappropriately. Yup. No-one needs to read a text, write a text or facebook when driving. This goes nicely with my airplane technology. Those suppression features don't cost a lot. It's simple programming. But it does mean the manufactures and developers need to develop some cross over systems to make it work

It's only 71 deaths. I'm pretty sure that Nick is not saying the 71 deaths do not count. But why pick on phone use? What proportion of people don't crash? Why don't they crash? Why no ban all distractions?

Self -employed? Unfortunately there are people who won't wait. I lose business because I ask people to email details to me, as I can't write them down. Does that bother me? A little, but there is only so much one can do.

I'm certainly not saying that improvements can't be made - but banning is not working. We have modern technology - let's get it properly working in a safe way, instead of the half ****d ways at the moment.

I don't think personally, stepping back to 1970 is an option.

 

[davidjpowell]

David, thanks for posting that clip.

Best place for everyone's phone is in the boot. Removes all temptation to read texts, change music etc but it's there if you need it in emergencies.

I can make calls and change music with it in the boot. I think... Certainly the former.

 

[219]

I slightly disagree with this

A couple days (probably hours) into ownership of a car with this function wheel and you subconsciously know how many clicks and which buttons select whichever menu/function without having to look at it or the screen, keeping eyes on the road at all times

A bit like the Sony RM-X4S remote control for my car stereo - each function is operated by a different part of the control and in a different way , so there is no need to look down - a bit like the Mercedes multifunction stalk which has evolved since the 1960's

 

[Deleted member 113659]

I can make calls and change music with it in the boot. I think... Certainly the former.

Yes, me too. But with both hands on the steering wheel using steering wheel buttons. Not reaching across to passenger seat, picking up phone, trying to navigate through phones menu to get what you want, with one hand and eyes constantly switching from road to phone-phone to road.

Just my take on it David. Just throwing ideas around.

Ant.

 

[Alex225]

I have a quick question, this is genuine rather than stirring anything up.

If I get in the car, phone will go on the vent bracket. Now while the car is static, I'll use Siri to give dial my mum's number on loud speaker. All the while the car is not moving, the phone rings and she answers.

I then set off, with the phone on loudspeaker, total control of the car, I am merely having a conversation out loud. In the same way that i do if I have a passenger in the car.

I can hand on heart say that speaking via a speaker or side by side with someone doesn't distract me. If anything I'm likely to go quiet whilst I concentrate on a junction, manoeuvre etc rather than continue the conversation regardless.

My argument for this is that the phone conversation is no different to one with a passenger. Is chatting with someone else in the car as dangerous? As distracting?

Genuinely intrigued as for me, someone holding a phone to their ear (let alone texting) is not only concentrating on holding the phone but also not using their hands to control the car correctly.

 

[davidjpowell]

Yes, me too. But with both hands on the steering wheel using steering wheel buttons. Not reaching across to passenger seat, picking up phone, trying to navigate through phones menu to get what you want, with one hand and eyes constantly switching from road to phone-phone to road.

Just my take on it David. Just throwing ideas around.

Ant.

But that's using the phone legally. People are suggesting even that should be banned. That's what frustrates me.

I understand the argument and agree that something needs to change. I just feel that there is a way to vastly improve things without having to forget that modern technology never existed, but instead by using it to work better.