Only 10 years?

[Sixense]

10 years is too short for 4 deaths. 20 would be more appropriate, he knew perfectly well what he was doing. Using phone should be considered same as drunk or drugged driving.

Although, to give you an example of justice system at work, 4 or so years ago a drunk cop mowed down 3 children during his day off back in my country, got 8 or 9 years. Should have been a life penalty.

Nothing will change until the punishments get harsh enough. Get caught while using phone = instant 3y ban + car taken + £2k fine minimum. Caught drunk = everything from before + jail time depending how drunk. Most people are stupid, and it's the ones left paying for others' mistakes. My 2p.

 

[Angilion]

I think the biggest thing that needs to be changed is social norms.

I'm old enough to remember when it was widely considered OK to drive when a bit drunk. One for the road. I'm also old enough to remember the brutally shocking series of TV ads which did a lot to change that attitude. I still remember the "just one more" ad even though it had no relevance to me because I wasn't old enough to be driving anyway. Driving while deliberately concentrating on something else needs to be seen as similarly socially unacceptable in order to reduce it as efficiently as possible. Changing social norms is more effective at reducing how often things happen than making up heavy penalties that won't be accepted anyway without the social norms being changed first.

 

[FurryLemon]

That seems pretty excessive, do you have sauce?

It was in a local newspaper.

Being in charge of a firearm whilst drunk is not a criminal offense in France....drinking wine during lunch is a French custom. 2+2 = bang!

It's not always the hunters fault. If they hunt on common land they put up signs warning walkers and the like, but being France these signs get ignored and people get shot.

 

[TheVoice]

As tragic as this is, natural technological evolution will mitigate these cases.
More and more cars are fitted with auto brake emergency systems, and perhaps when they make their way into 44tonne trucks, things will start to change.

You will not change human behaviour, regardless of what people think, so better to wait for the technology to come in to help humans in their braindead moments.

So just wait a few decades for the technology to eventually become widespread enough to make any difference rather than try to improve things now?

 

[G-MAN2004]

Not long enough imo,I still see lots of people on their phone in the mornings when coming back from work,And funny enough its mostly women..they just dont get it.
PUT THE PHONE DOWN!

Our laws regarding this need to be looked at i think,It should be so if your caught with your phone in your hand while driving = Driving ban for 10 years & Instantly loose your licence,Then you need to re-take your lessons after the 10 years.

Now thats a deterrent imo.

Deterrents like that don't work though. Just look at the death sentence in the US...

Most people are doomed to believe 'it won't ever happen to me' and will pay no attention to the potential consequences, no matter how severe they are. In their minds they are only checking their texts quickly, what's the worst that could happen and all that.

Educating people would be better. I seem to recall those graphic adverts putting people off to some extent.

 

[TrafficMaster]

a lot of this is down to intelligence.

I use my phone and tablet when I drive, but the difference is I know when it is safe to do so and am always in full control of the car. It seems the less intelligent somehow manage to become consumed with staring into a screen and crash, when their eyes should be on the road. If cars are near me when I have my phone or tablet in my hand, either device gets launched onto the passenger seat if I need both hands on the wheel.

One time I even made a sandwich while driving, no one died.

 

[diamount]

It was in a local newspaper.

Being in charge of a firearm whilst drunk is not a criminal offense in France....drinking wine during lunch is a French custom. 2+2 = bang!

It's not always the hunters fault. If they hunt on common land they put up signs warning walkers and the like, but being France these signs get ignored and people get shot.

Unless they are hunting bigfoot, I'm having trouble (even when sloshed) that they are unable to discern humans from animals.

 

[Dave2150]

It's not like he set out to kill them like a murderer would. An error in judgment was his failing.

 

[Pixel]

Self-driving cars will become the norm over the next decade, and we will have idiots who use their phone whilst driving to blame for our lack of freedom when self-driving cars are made mandatory to protect public safety.

 

[Meridian]

a lot of this is down to intelligence.

I use my phone and tablet when I drive, but the difference is I know when it is safe to do so and am always in full control of the car.

No you aren't. You just think you are. And that is the reason so many drivers keep doing it - because they think only other drivers are affected by using the phone while at the wheel. ALL drivers are. Every one of them. Without exception. There are so many scientific papers showing this that it's not funny. But no driver will ever accept that they are anything less than a good driver, and usually a brilliant one.

 

[Illgresi]

I consider myself as quite liberal, but this kind of thing has me reaching for the guillotine. How people can describe it as an accident is beyond me.

The blasé attitude towards car crimes in this country is shocking. Drink/drug driving, texting, etc, may not be a conscious attempt to kill someone, but is effectively accepting that it can/will happen and **** the consequences.

 

[TheVoice]

a lot of this is down to intelligence.

I use my phone and tablet when I drive

Exhibit A.

Self-driving cars will become the norm over the next decade

Perhaps (10 years is not a long time really), but only for those that can afford the high-end luxury cars with those features, and a self-driving car isn't going to save you from an idiot in a truck who isn't paying attention.

 

[Zatoichi.uK]

Whilst i don't condone the use of a mobile phone whilst driving, there's a world of difference between changing a track on your phone when waiting at a light or crawling traffic, to not looking up at where you are heading whilst travelling 70mph.

What struck me most about the vid was the fact that he didn't look up for such an extended period of time that he was already in contact with them before he noticed.

Other distractions such as changing the station, sat nav, smoking and eating can be just as wreckless in my opinion.

 

[Evian]

Not long enough imo,I still see lots of people on their phone in the mornings when coming back from work,And funny enough its mostly women..they just dont get it.
PUT THE PHONE DOWN!

Our laws regarding this need to be looked at i think,It should be so if your caught with your phone in your hand while driving = Driving ban for 10 years & Instantly loose your licence,Then you need to re-take your lessons after the 10 years.

Now thats a deterrent imo.

Will deal with some of the congestion too

 

[JBuk]

Whilst i don't condone the use of a mobile phone whilst driving, there's a world of difference between changing a track on your phone when waiting at a light or crawling traffic, to not looking up at where you are heading whilst travelling 70mph.

What struck me most about the vid was the fact that he didn't look up for such an extended period of time that he was already in contact with them before he noticed.

Other distractions such as changing the station, sat nav, smoking and eating can be just as wreckless in my opinion.

You might be less likely to have an accident whilst using your phone waiting at lights but you're still distracted to what is happening around you

 

[Zatoichi.uK]

Agreed, though the worst you're likely to do in that situation is hold up traffic.

I'm not saying mobile phone use when driving is okay, simply that common sense should denote the amount is risk involved in what you are doing.

 

[Sliver]

10 years for killing 4=30 months per life. Ridiculous.

 

[adey]

I've seen a couple of bus drivers blatantly looking at moble phones!

The first time the bus came over a humback bridge towards me halfway across my carriageway, after seeing this i wish i had reported him

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I'm old enough to remember when it was widely considered OK to drive when a bit drunk.

1975, Michelin Christmas Party at Trentham Gardens.
I was arguing with my very drunk mate, tried to take his keys off him and this was all done in front of a Copper. He drove off but hit a barrier and the Copper said "I'm sorry, I will have to get him to the station, if he hadn't hit anything I would have let him drive off". The following day they let him go with no charge, how times have changed.

 

[Destination]

aye and changed for the better, but yes, like with drink driving, the message about mobiles needs hammered home, to those that do, be they driving trucks, or girls with their r plates running about in their brand new car.

NI have adverts for this, do you get those in the rest of the UK?

Social vilification of the action is required, like with what has happened to drink drivers. Then you are left with a hard core, who remain committing the act, and those you then punish very harshly.

Problem is those who blatantly ignore it, like our nice joyriding squadrons, half of which are too young to drive, or already disqualified, have no insurance mot or whatever, and simply do not care. Locking them up for a few months, even for a year won't do very much. hard to see how to prevent reoffending, or a complete waste of taxpayers money without kneecapping the little scrotes.