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On 2008-01-04 14:53:31, arvinlad wrote:
It's EXACTLY the same as drink-driving...
Only a few years ago many lads considered they were expert drivers after quite a few pints... perhaps evn better than when not having had a drink
- but it is proven that reaction times are slowed and ability is decreased. If you drink and drive mostly you are OK... it's when that unexpected thing happens - a small child runs out - some other road user makes a mistake or unexpected manouver - normally you would cope and avoid them... In this instance your reactions are too slow - you KILL someone - never meant to - but there is a family with a loved one missing
EXACTLY the same on a mobile phone... you can get intoi a heated discussion with someone who is not there... concentration lapses... another road user makes a mistake - your usual lightening reactions are not quite up to scratch... you colide... they are injured badly... it's not your fault - they made the mistake... BUT you know that if you had been concentrating on the road better you would have avoided that accident!
It's not the same at all. Every single person who drinks and drives has impaired reflexes. However every mobile phone user is different. Some people know how to be sensible while driving and talking some don't. What next, you ban people from talking while driving? What about taxi drivers they talk a mile to the dozen but they are one of the safest class of drivers around.
You can't ban mobile phone use while driving without pulling down all billboards, making it illegal to carry passengers, and banning mini-skirts.
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Posted: 2008-01-05 11:00:17
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Posted: 2008-01-05 16:34:59
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Love those pics Max
- there is very good reason not to have distracting billboards sited in dangerous places as well!
Previous Direct Line research has revealed that talking on a mobile phone whilst driving is more dangerous than being drunk behind the wheel. Tests carried out by scientists at the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) established that driving behaviour is impaired more by using a mobile phone than by being over the legal alcohol limit**.
from
http://www.directline.com/about_us/news_230207.htm on the 'Direct Line' website - if insurers are doing this research and finding that driving behaviour is impaired by conversing on a mobile it will have an effect eventually...
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Posted: 2008-01-07 01:08:24
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On 2008-01-03 21:29:19, Cocoa wrote:
I'm curious...how can they enforce this law? They can't monitor every vehicle on the road.
True mate but once found be banned or jailed.
Anyway, everyone I know uses the cell while driving.
I use headsets instead atleast that is leagally correct while driving.
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Posted: 2008-01-07 06:06:11
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I use headsets too, but the research reckons they are just as dangerous. I reckon the research is flawed. And when they say driving while over the limit, that's just stupid, since if you had 100 drinks and couldn't even stand up, I think no one would disagree that is more dangerous than driving while using a mobile phone.
That's why I'm suss about the research. I think they just included all drunk people no matter how drunk. Whereas people just a little over might be just as dangerous as mobile phone users, but those many times over the limit would be much more dangerous.
So until they explain what is meant be "over the limit" then in my book the research is biased and worthless and simply designed by mobile phone wowsers to discredit mobile phone use.
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Posted: 2008-01-07 07:40:23
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Just enough to be over the limit would obviously be the test level - we're not talking stuepified! ~ 1.5 pints for the average guy so I've heard
- it's enough to lose your licence for a year and be heavily penalised by insurers for ever after! - and it does affect your judgement! Obviously not everyone over the limit does get caught... but it is illegal and if you make mistakes or are involved in an accident it will be noted as a contributary factor and add to the evidence backing up the claims! - the same with using a mobile phone whilst driving... it does impair judgement enough to be statistically proven and now it is illegal every single accident that involves someone using a mobile phone will add to the weight of eveidence against mobile phone use - whether it was a genuine effect or not...
You could do similar work with blonde hair
- once it became illegal every time someone with blonde hair had an accident it would be noted and add to the evidence supporting the ban on blonde drivers
- sorry Max I can't see it ever going away now...
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Posted: 2008-01-07 15:57:15
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you could also look at it like this; 30 percent of accidents involve drivers with blonde hair, therefore blonde hair is a significant factor in accidents
(never mind that 30% of the population have blonde hair!)
It's the same with speed. They say speed is a significant cause of accidents because x% of drivers involved in accidents are speeding. But if you look at all the drivers not involved in accidents, probably the same x% are speeding!!
Likewise maybe 20% of accidents involve drivers talking on mobile phones. But if 20% of drivers use a mobile phone when driving then you can't single out mobile phone use as the causative factor.
You have to prove that the use of mobile phones in accidents is higher than the use of mobile phones generally, otherwise it can't be considered a significant affect on accident rates.
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Posted: 2008-01-08 02:57:25
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Apart from all that we have said, mobiles may be wrong but how about when police officers use them at work. They use their personal phones without headsets. How can they enforce a law which they cant even keep?
Yesterday I sported one writing an sms and I was shocked! The question is when does an officer call you and from which line and phone?
Then the next thing they wil do is to send you behind bars if you are seen doing the same act. No that is nonsense. Read this about
police and cell phones at work
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Posted: 2008-01-08 07:40:10
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@Cocoa
Well here in the UK we are very quickly entering big brother status many of the major roads and town centres are all covered by Camera's and these are modern camera's with amazing abilities to see the person clearly in the car.
@all
I am amazed to hear that someone was done for wearing a Bluetooth headset as my understanding of the law is it is OK as long as you are not touching or holding your phone. I wonder how many of you realise just how many accidents are caused by people either changing radio stations or a CD or even flicking ash in an ashtray whilst driving? more than you would think.
I wish i had a pound for every time i have had to avoid some yummy mummy in a 4x4 or other jerk talking into phone whilst drifting into the wrong side of the road. If these people kill or injure someone they deserve all they get prison included IMO.
Max i agree wearing headset and just answering a call or voice dialling should cause no extra danger but holding a phone or texting or looking for a number to dial means you are not concentrating on driving. A car is capable of killing and should be treated with the respect it deserves and any one that seriously believes they drive better and have better faster reaction times under the influence of alcohol seriously needs help
Marc
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[ This Message was edited by: Dogmann on 2008-01-08 07:34 ]
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Posted: 2008-01-08 08:29:14
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I agree. Driving under the influence is a mugs game, as is texting while driving. But what irks me about these studies is they are trying to lump ALL talking on the mobile (headset included) as dangerous. The research claims that talking with a headset is just as dangerous as talking without a headset. As far as I'm concerned that's BS.
People who swerve off the road while talking on a mobile are the same kind of people who would do the same thing changing the CD. I think it requires active policing where police actually pull up and fine anyone driving erratically regardless of the action. It's not talking on the mobile that is dangerous but the fact that some people allow the act of talking to distract them from the main task of driving. Anyone who can't talk on the phone and still concentrate on driving ought not have a licence.
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Posted: 2008-01-08 09:07:12
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