What's my driving conviction code?

[Freefaller]

On that type of road you wont find me accepting a call. I don't care that I am obliged to do so by work, I'll worry about the excuse later and I agree with you that doing so is stupid.

On motorways, who said anything about doing the speed limit? I'll usually end up dropping down to HGV speeds and moving into their lane to free up a bit of processing time.

Taking a phone call while driving at 20mph? bad idea if it's a 20 zone, or a road that actually requires 20mph driving then there are going to be kids running about, old/blind/disabled people and idiot teenage mothers who push their pram out into the road so they can stand on the curb and look to see if there's any cars coming, not to mention speed bumps, traffic calming, pot holes and god knows what else.. no, just no.


These things can be done safely, by someone with a lot more skill and experience than me, who has been trained to do it properly, eg. the police. I wont do them myself but I accept that it is possible for others to do so. Knowing what you can and can't do within your own capabilities is the majority of the battle and something far too many drivers fail to achieve (whether we're discussing phones or any other aspect of driving)

Sounds as though you're a little more responsible than most, but I'd hazard a guess you're one in a million that actually does something like that: i.e. slow down into lane 1, to give more processing time, that's comendable - but I seriously doubt many of the many million drivers every day that drive whilst talking on their phones do any of that.

When I said 20mph, I didn't mean in a 20mph zone (I don't know where you think I said that?), I just meant in general, 20mph is probably slow enough to have a proper intricate conversation whilst driving slowly enough to be able to react to hazards on the road. It's an arbitary figure, but I'd hazard a guess it's not far wrong.

I'm a little confused by your posting. Now you're saying that people shouldnt' talk on their phones because they don't have the training or capacity to do it, furthermore you take great responsibility when answering a phone by slowing down or not answering the call at all.

So why are you fighting me that talking on the phone whilst driving is bad? You seem to accept that people shouldn't be doing it because that in majority of cases people don't modify their driving or people pay less attention to the roads/cars/people/hazards around them?

I don't thnk being trained specifically in how to use a phone or have a conversdation whilst driving is sensible either... as human beings we are amazing creatures, our brains are fascinating, but I honestly do think we overload ourselves when driving and using a phone. Sure there are people that have been trained in being able to do many things at once in complex situations, air traffic control, paramedics or surgeons, fighter pilots etc... but they are the exception that make the rule IMO.

 

[Lum]

It's rare, but no-where near as rare as 1 in a million. Most folk who make a living on the road have been doing it for years, even most sales reps do ok to some extent, apart from the ones that massively overrate their own self importance and ability.

The 20mph example. If you're slowing down to 20mph on a road that otherwise doesn't require it, this makes you an obstruction, a danger and a **** and your efforts to remain safe will likely result in you getting rear ended (possibly by a school run mum in a Nissan Navara who was on the phone!) or causing someone else to have an accident when they attempt a dangerous overtake after being stuck behind you. Again, not an ideal situation and not something I expected anyone to seriously consider doing unless the speed limit or other conditions required it.

I am not "fighting" with anyone. This just happens to be an issue that I feel quite strongly about. This government's response to any issue like this is just to ban things and create pointless legislation that appears to be addressing the issue while actually doing bugger all. I resent the notion that because a lot of people do something badly, everyone should be banned from doing it. By that logic we should ban people from putting Windows XP computers on the internet because most of them dont have up to date AV or patches and are rooted within minutes, causing problems for other internet users.

Instead of just banning everything, education is the key to improving road safety, and if education fails we already had an offence that addresses poor use of a mobile phone. It's called "Driving without due care and attention". All of the phone users that have annoyed you in the past could be done under that offence without the need to create a new offence that criminalises even the people who can do it safely and has the side effect of people being arrested and being done whilst parked up with the aircon on to make their call.

 

[Freefaller]

I use extreme examples to make a point.

I agree it's about education - but whilst it might reduce the numbers, you'll still end up with many idiots on the road who think they're driving gods with the ability to tie their shoelaces, eat, drink, talk on the phone and drive a car. Whilst I agree that cutting off one's nose to spite one's face is a daft way of controlling the method, but it's a cheaper and more effective way of policing it. I for one feel we should have more traffic cops on the road and more pro-active policing with discretion applied sensibly.

Unfortunately the way it's seen is one person isn't above the law no matter how good they may or may not be, it's tough, but unless you can prove that you're not any more dangerous when distracted then it's a hard one to get out of.

I personally don't believe any conversation is important enough to warrant a call whilst driving - but that's a personal opinion. But I enjoy driving, and would rather not be distracted by inane conversations.

I think the problem is people just don't understand the implications of talking on their phones, and think the ban is a waste of time/money etc... People just don't get the message.

 

[atpbx]

Its amazing, for years people managed to drive and talk on their phones, now 5 minutes after its illegal everybody that does it is a child killer.
I dont do it now, because its illegal and another wallet raping scheme from gordon and co, but before it was banned, when I was out on the road all day delivering, I used to (and had to )spend hours on the mobile while driving, I never came close to an accident while doing it.

 

[Lum]

Unfortunately the way it's seen is one person isn't above the law no matter how good they may or may not be, it's tough, but unless you can prove that you're not any more dangerous when distracted then it's a hard one to get out of.

I don't need to "get out of" anything. I have a handsfree which is now officially legalised and perfectly ok to use, if you take the message given by the mobile phone legislation.

I personally don't believe any conversation is important enough to warrant a call whilst driving - but that's a personal opinion. But I enjoy driving, and would rather not be distracted by inane conversations.

Me too, I'd also rather not be distracted by having to stop driving and go into customer sites and do actual work.

Which actually brings me to another reason why I do this, if I let all the calls roll over to voice mail and then respond to them once I actually get on site, it would mean an extra hour on my working day, meaning I leave an hour later and get home two hours later (Birmingham effect) at this point the main enemy of my ability to drive safely starts to rear it's ugly head... tiredness. Driving whilst tired in the evening has a much worse and more dangerous effect than a properly managed phone call(s) during the morning.

I think the problem is people just don't understand the implications of talking on their phones, and think the ban is a waste of time/money etc... People just don't get the message.

In it's current form the ban is worse than just a waste of time and money. By explicitly allowing handsfree kits they have not only failed to address the route cause of phone/driving accidents (the conversation) but they have sent out the message that it's ok to have the conversation, encouraging people to buy handsfree kits and use them. A complete ban would at least have had a positive effect on the number of accidents, but this ban is, IMO, making things worse.

 

[fullspizz]

When I go out on the bike, I'd say that of all the times someone has pulled out on me at a junction, 80% have been using their phone (not hands free, either)
They just cannot give the same concentration whilst doing this, it's difficult enough using a Hf kit. (I do this myself on longer trips, but tell people I'm driving and will call them back later)

saw a classic in the town centre last week.
Girl on phone in her car at a set of lights. Coppers in a car coming up to the lights in the lane next to her. She is in the wrong lane and with the phone still glued to her ear, she swerves in front of the police car as the lights change
Cue, blue lights and she gets pulled over about 50yds away from me.
I listened to her trying to plead her innocence by saying that she was lost and was getting directions on the phone. She was then taken into the back of the police car.

 

[Lum]

At a junction I'd tell the caller I'm at a junction and to wait until I've cleared it, put the phone down if handheld, then negotiate the junction in a normal fashion and resume the call once back on a straight road.

It's really not that hard. LOL at the stupid bint swerving in front of the police while on the phone though, even if that is an offence that could be easily dealt with as due care and attention.

 

[Freefaller]

Its amazing, for years people managed to drive and talk on their phones, now 5 minutes after its illegal everybody that does it is a child killer.
I dont do it now, because its illegal and another wallet raping scheme from gordon and co, but before it was banned, when I was out on the road all day delivering, I used to (and had to )spend hours on the mobile while driving, I never came close to an accident while doing it.

Whilst I'm against banning stuff for the sake of it - take smoking for example, I hate smoking, and the smell, and found pubs gross when it was filled with smoke - however, I thought a blanket ban was almost a little bit of facsism (I exaggerate) and unfair, however it's now the law and the work environment, and pubs and public places now are much more pleasant places to be, so it has had a positive effect.

Enforcing a law on this which were once ok (as you said driving on teh phone was ok in the past) was a lack of foresight. It didn't make it any safer when it was legal. Don't get me wrong I'm not a H&S or PC fanboy, rather to the contrary I think it's gone too far - but there are some things I do agree with, and one thing is that being distracted whilst driving is never going to be something which can lead to any good. However as has been alluded to in this thread, it's a lack of education rather than anything else - unfortunately people think that fines and bans are going to solve the problem... it doesn't really as people keep talking on their phones, keep speeding, and keep breaking driving laws. More often than not it's the good motorist that gets nailed. However in this case I'm quite pro the no phone ban and have no sympathy for people caught whilst doing it.

 

[Jokester]

It's really not that hard. LOL at the stupid bint swerving in front of the police while on the phone though, even if that is an offence that could be easily dealt with as due care and attention.

As far as I can remember the police asked for mobile phones to be made a specific offence as trying to prosecute people for due care is very hard.

 

[Freefaller]

At a junction I'd tell the caller I'm at a junction and to wait until I've cleared it, put the phone down if handheld, then negotiate the junction in a normal fashion and resume the call once back on a straight road.

It's really not that hard. LOL at the stupid bint swerving in front of the police while on the phone though, even if that is an offence that could be easily dealt with as due care and attention.

Yes - YOU would, but the majority of people don't, and don't care and plead ignorance, and think they're fine to talk on the phone.

As I said, your actions are commendable, if everyone behaved like you we wouldn't need the ban at all. However clearly this is not the case.

 

[Hatter The Mad]

Why? The chances of getting caught are close to zero. I use my phone all the time when driving.

It is dangerous

 

[PMKeates]

I just feel I have to make a few comments:

1. It's perfectly legal to drive whilst using a phone in Michigan, where I have spent over 100 days since April, and as such a significant portion of my time driving. Much the same as it's often perfectly legal to fly along at 100 MPH on the German autobahns, a practice that is accepted by every day society there. Driving and using a phone is "every day" in Michigan.

One hand on the wheel means you don't have full control of the car. Get a blow out at 60 or 70 while using one hand on the wheel and the chances are you'll be spinning to an early grave. I've nearly lost it when my car blew out a back wheel at 70 while having both hands on the wheel the back end just went loose on me and had a right fight with it.

A blowout with ESC and run-flat tyres is about as scary as the Groovie Goolies. Almost totally uneventful.

Your a self important idiot then.

I'm quite self important, but I'm far from being an idiot.

PMKeates in a not knowing how to drive responsibly and only thinking of himself shocker..........

You're mistaken in thinking I do not know how to drive "responsibly".

I have to say PM's attitude to driving is frightening

I've come to realise it's just about managing risk. The risk of certain activities that are absolutely villanized in this country, pales in comparison to the danger the abject stupidity and the lack of capability of 80% of road users causes. I am forced to take the latter risk, so I may as well take the former. At least the former is under my control.

What I always find quite surprising, is that everyone is quite quick to jump to attack my driving, yet practically none of you have ever been in a car with me. Those that have will probably say it's not that eventful or scary, just a bit fast. I probably drive no faster or more aggressively than most of the members of this forum; I'm just honest about it.