Would you believe it?!?!?!

[Natalie]

Concerned??? Understatement!

Just popped to local shops, pulled up at roundabout with a guy behind me in a vauxhall estate, emblazoned with BSM and RAC all over it. No problem with that, other than he was on his mobile phone!

When it was safe to do so I pulled over and wrote down his reg number and thought I'd have a quiet word with BSM and then I spotted him pulling into the local M&S car park which was where I was heading. Couldn't help myself in pulling up to him (this is whilst he's trying to maneouvre his vehicle into a space, still on the phone), making a right hash of it, to have a little chat.

Bless him, he kept the caller on the phone and I explained I'd taken his details, the phone number and would be reporting him as we all know it's ever so slightly illegal. He was terribly apologetic, but explained that one of his driving instructors had had an accident!!!!!

Oh dear - was that because they were talking to you whilst driving then I wondered?

Safe to say, I have to reported him to BSM / RAC and certainly won't be using them to instruct my daughter to drive in 6 years time, nor will I recommend them if that's what's promoted!!!!

End of rant

Nat

 

[sgtbob]

Good on you! I see more and more people on the roads these days on the mobile phone. Shocking when handsfree kits, of all different kinds/shapes/sizes etc, can be bought for a couple of quid and most phones come already with the headphone type kit, so there is no real excuse is there!

 

[Baron_Samedi]

Good Post!

I read the local newspapers and have never read of anyone being fined for using a mobile while driving....

 

[Frank O' Phile]

Well done Natalie, more power to you

Good Post!

I read the local newspapers and have never read of anyone being fined for using a mobile while driving....

Over the pas year there have been plenty of reports in the Derby Evening Telegraph 'Courts this week' section about convictions for mobile phone use.

 

[NewMB]

Good Post!

I read the local newspapers and have never read of anyone being fined for using a mobile while driving....

Come to Colchester..... Police is standing in our yard almost every week stopping those who can't stop using their phones while driving!

BIG business this.

 

[Uberwagon]

Do you also flash people who overtake you?

Shake your head when someone in a loud car is driving through a village?

Ever given anyone the benefit of the doubt?

I forgot that for many years when using a mobile phone while driving was perfectly legal there were no problems. Then as soon as the law said otherwise cars started exploding and anyone using a phone while on the move slammed into parked cars and rammed through office blocks.

I've driven at a far more than licence losing speed once when the situation permitted, if I knew my girlfriend or someone I was close to had been in an accident and saw them phoning i'd answer the phone.

Hey though, lets just presume everyone who ever breaks the law is a complete selfish idiot and give them a damn good finger wagging .

Dave!

 

[wemorgan]

I forgot that for many years when using a mobile phone while driving was perfectly legal there were no problems.

Really, no problems at all you say?
I doubt it somehow since the research says otherwise.

 

[recycled]

Bless him, he kept the caller on the phone and I explained I'd taken his details, the phone number and would be reporting him as we all know it's ever so slightly illegal. He was terribly apologetic, but explained that one of his driving instructors had had an accident!!!!!
Nat

What,you took his phone number !!!?

 

[timwood2000]

I am very much against it, but - UK is about the only place I know where it is an offence.

In most other countries, it is perfectly acceptable to use phones whilst driving. Either UK is ahead of the game, or wrong.

 

[recycled]

it is an offence in the netherlands too. I am very sure of that

 

[Uberwagon]

Really, no problems at all you say?
I doubt it somehow since the research says otherwise.

It used to be called driving without due care and attention. Many people on the roads can't look to the left or right without veering over, many people can't anticipate the air rush of a lorry affecting their car, many people can't understand that fog lights are needed when its foggy.

Mobile phones have become cheaper and far more popular laely so have become part of an issue of people driving without the proper care and attention needed to drive safely.

Going down a motorway at 70mph doesn't instantly become more dangerous due to a phone being in your hand.

I see more people driving too close to the car in front, which I believe causes FAR many more accidents in the UK than anything else, the M25 is a prime area to see this, but when was the last time you saw anything being done about this? You leave a safe gap, someone dives into it, the 2 second rule is hugely important, but it's far easier to make an issue about something which is much more easily proven.

Dave!

 

[UnMarked]

I am very much against it, but - UK is about the only place I know where it is an offence.

In most other countries, it is perfectly acceptable to use phones whilst driving. Either UK is ahead of the game, or wrong.

http://www.cellular-news.com/car_bans/

This says otherwise - although it's on t'internet so who knows if it's true or not?

 

[markmifsud]

Not sure you can rely on any road safety research, after all they have proven that speed cameras work in reducing road accidents, erm, I think 99% of us slow down when we approach them, and then revert to normal speed after we pass them, so how does that reduce accidents?

 

[wemorgan]

, I think 99% of us slow down when we approach them,

94.1% of statistics are made up anyway.

 

[markmifsud]

94.1% of statistics are made up anyway.

make that 95% cos I made up the 99% statistics

 

[Deleted member 11979]

I am going to admit it, I was on the phone once on the motorway, got overtaken by a car who the moment he saw I was on the phone slammed on his brakes trying to get me to pass him on the inside.

He then pulled in front of me slowed down to 50! I had by then finished the call and he gave me a brake test! I passed.

It seems that to a lot of people the ONLY offence on the road is using your phone, and they don't really understand anything much else.

I readily admit that you are less likely to be able to deal with an emergency situation of you are driving with one hand on the side of your head. I don't do it anymore.

It's an offence in sunny Italia as well.

 

[markmifsud]

I am going to admit it, I was on the phone once on the motorway, got overtaken by a car who the moment he saw I was on the phone slammed on his brakes trying to get me to pass him on the inside.

He then pulled in front of me slowed down to 50! I had by then finished the call and he gave me a brake test! I passed.

It seems that to a lot of people the ONLY offence on the road is using your phone, and they don't really understand anything much else.

I readily admit that you are less likely to be able to deal with an emergency situation of you are driving with one hand on the side of your head. I don't do it anymore.

It's an offence in sunny Italia as well.

Seems to me the other driver was more of a risk than you was

 

[SportsCoupeRich]

And in Spain.

 

[lynall]

Seems to me you have to much spare time on your hands

Like the people that have the extra mirrors on there cars i often wonder how long they spend looking in them instead of looking where they are going?

I very rarely look at other drivers when i am out unless they are doing something silly and thats usually me

The general standard of driving is terrible, why are poeple always afraid to overtake coppers who are doing 60mph on the motorway?.

Got followed the other day by nice copper but he couldnt go around corners, when he finally came into our works yard he was as nice as pie and thought we were pikeys 2 dirty smelly blokes in a beat up v reg nissan van um maybe he had a point. oh yeh and it was 3 am!



Lynall

 

[Dryce]

I forgot that for many years when using a mobile phone while driving was perfectly legal there were no problems.

There were problems. And lots of near misses.

There still are problems and lots of near misses.

Enforcement is still way too haphazard.