6 points & £200 fine for phone while driving going live today

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Diddums

Diddums

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From today, the fines for using a mobile phone whilst driving will double to 6 points and £200. I'm sure most of you are aware of this, but I thought I'd create a thread as if any of you are like me, you won't be aware that it goes live today. I've also put this here because it affects anyone on the roads, not just drivers. I think it's bloody brilliant and not a moment too soon. The amount of people I see on phones around my area (Lambeth) is insane. It's like it's not even a law. Today there are apparently a dedicated force in play to catch culprits consisting of hundreds of officers.

Bout blood time.
 
Some bit i find confusing. It mentions internet connected devices as well? Does that include sat nav, what about using your phone via the car. I regularly phone people via the car or by voice commands to the phone. Is it still if you have the phone in your hands.
 
robj20 said:
Some bit i find confusing. It mentions internet connected devices as well? Does that include sat nav, what about using your phone via the car. I regularly phone people via the car or by voice commands to the phone. Is it still if you have the phone in your hands.
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I would've thought that it only applies to holding the handset. I'll wait for someone more qualified to confirm though.
 
Good ! It's about time. The amount of people I see driving while blatantly texting makes me angry. :mad: I'd never even consider trying to text and drive. Ridiculous.
 
Isn't it the case that it's actually having the conversation that is the most distracting part to driving, not particularly holding the phone?

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161213093104.htm

"The reaction time of drivers participating in either a hand-held or hands-free conversation was more than 40 per cent longer than those not using a phone.

"In real terms this equates to a delayed response distance of about 11m for a vehicle travelling at 40km/h.

"This shows hands-free and hand-held phone conversations while driving have similar detrimental effects in responding to a very common peripheral event of a pedestrian entering a crossing from the footpath."
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I do know some companies who have now banned any calls to employees while driving for this reason.

I know that would be even harder to enforce, but if we are going to stop this on the grounds of safety, then evidence based research says we should ban hands free as well
 
Using the phone via car is deemed as handsfree which is still legal to do so.

I think the bit regarding internet connected device is phrased slightly wrong but I believe they may be in about actually playing around with a sat nav whilst driving.
 
robj20 said:
Some bit i find confusing. It mentions internet connected devices as well? Does that include sat nav, what about using your phone via the car. I regularly phone people via the car or by voice commands to the phone. Is it still if you have the phone in your hands.
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And that is just as distracting / dangerous in reality
 
Freakbro said:
Isn't it the case that it's actually having the conversation that is the most distracting part to driving, not particularly holding the phone?

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161213093104.htm




I do know some companies who have now banned any calls to employees while driving for this reason.

I know that would be even harder to enforce, but if we are going to stop this on the grounds of safety, then evidence based research says we shoup ban hands free as well
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Ban passengers as well while they're at it, they can be distracting. Should be no heating controls either you have to glance down to adjust those.
 
robj20 said:
Ban passengers as well while they're at it, they can be distracting. Should be no heating controls either you have to glance down to adjust those.
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No, actually they found talking to passengers does not have the same distracting effect.

They think this is because much of our communication is non-verbal, you still pick up on body language / non-verbal communication from your passenger, whereas on the phone you have to concentrate on the conversation so much more

Also, a passenger can see what you see and can stop talking when coming up to a busy junction or sees that you need to concentrate, whereas someone on the end of the phone will just keep talking.

Also, it's not about 'not looking straight ahead 100% of the time' , in reference to your heating controls point (though accidents do happen when people are tuning the radio etc)
 
Freakbro said:
And that is just as distracting / dangerous in reality
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Whilst I agree it's only in certain hands is it more distracting. I can hold a conversation with a passenger and be just as focused on the road as I usual I am (I don't have a handsfree nor do I ever plan to because whatever needs to be said can wait till I'm done driving or I've stopped) It's the idiots that can only seem to do or only want to do one thing at a time. Many people are incapable of realising just how important paying attention to the road is.

Another example is having a drink whilst driving (not alcohol.) you see people just let go of the wheel and rummage down in there footwell looking for there bottle and then continue to not hold the wheel or pay attention whilst drinking it.

Tesla are going in the correct direction imo. In places where there self drive is legal the driver still needs to have both hands on the wheel at all times in order for the car to continue driving.
 
Shouldn't need a law just on phone use, it should just all come under dangerous driving. The amount of women i see putting make up on or brushing their hair while driving is probably higher than those i see on the phone, see a lot of van drivers eating a mcdanolds from the lap as well.
 
I've been in the accessory industry the whole time these bans have been coming and it's still not clear what actually constitutes a law break. I think it's having it in your hand but I'm not 100% sure which is mad.
 
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