From: Mr. Benn on
"METWO" <metwo(a)hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:6KWdnTqGu9iqQQHWnZ2dnUVZ7oednZ2d(a)bt.com...
> "Mr. Benn" <nospam(a)invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:hniamj$k46$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257809/Record-number-motorists-prosecuted-driving-using-mobile-phones.html
>>
>> When are people going to get the message?
>>
>> Even hands-free calling can be a distraction to driving but using only
>> one hand to steer a 1+ tonne vehicle is madness.
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> There is no more distraction than talking to a passenger so do we all kick
> out the passengers ?
>
> if it is that bad to drive with a phone etc then stop the Police using
> there two way radio's, this would reduce a lot of accidents as well !!
> This country we are getting obsessed with money making scams like speeding
> camera's and it nothing to do with safety,its just a rip off
>
> so don't come on here saying about phone usage, its about time they
> dropped these stupid laws
>
> metwo

Note that the study mentioned below was carried out by the Transport
Research Laboratory and funded by Direct Lone (and not the government).

http://www.directline.com/about_us/news_27022009.htm

A study by leading car insurer Direct line, carried out by Transport
Research Laboratory (TRL), has revealed that driver reaction times, such as
the time taken to apply the brakes or steer away from danger, are 30 per
cent slower when driving whilst using a hands-free mobile phone than when
driving whilst over the legal alcohol limit.1
When travelling at 70 miles per hour (mph) the affect on reaction time
caused by the hands-free mobile conversation means that the vehicle travels
26ft further than one driven under 'normal conditions'2 before the driver is
fully engaged and able to take the appropriate action. In contrast, someone
driving slightly over the legal alcohol limit would travel just 13ft further
than someone driving under normal conditions before they responded - half
the distance of the hands-free mobile using driver. The extra distance
travelled by the car before the driver responds due to not fully
concentrating on the road ahead is illustrated in the diagram below.


From: Conor on
On 14/03/2010 15:48, furnessvale wrote:

> So your considered opinion is that the use of a hand held mobile phone
> while driving has no effect whatsoever on the concentration of that
> driver to the primary task in hand.
>

No, it is my considered opinion that the number of incomptent fuckwits
doing this that are likely to actually have an accident is so low as to
be statistically insignificant and said people are still likely to do it
no matter what law and penalty is in place.

> That would explain the huge number of stone lorry drivers I see on the
> A6 using their phones on the MT return trip making multiple calls to
> book the next best profitable loaded trip.
>

Do you see any of them having a crash?



--
Conor
I'm not prejudiced. I hate everyone equally.
From: Ret. on
METWO wrote:
> "Mr. Benn" <nospam(a)invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:hniamj$k46$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257809/Record-number-motorists-prosecuted-driving-using-mobile-phones.html
>>
>> When are people going to get the message?
>>
>> Even hands-free calling can be a distraction to driving but using
>> only one hand to steer a 1+ tonne vehicle is madness.
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> There is no more distraction than talking to a passenger so do we all
> kick out the passengers ?

Take a look at the research. Your comment is just plain wrong.

>
> if it is that bad to drive with a phone etc then stop the Police
> using there two way radio's, this would reduce a lot of accidents as
> well !!

Police officers rarely have 'conversations' over their radios - in fact they
are specifically expected to keep on-air dialogue to a minimum.

Kev

From: TJ on

"Adrian" <toomany2cvs(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
news:803p6gF834U4(a)mid.individual.net...
> "Mr. Benn" <nospam(a)invalid.invalid> gurgled happily, sounding much like
> they were saying:
>
>> Even hands-free calling can be a distraction to driving but using only
>> one hand to steer a 1+ tonne vehicle is madness.
>
> So will you be calling for a ban on drivers with only one arm; on manual-
> gearbox vehicles; on car CD players, radios etc; and on drivers having
> conversations with passengers?
>

I would look at the disability side of things and the current Motability
scheme.
If a person completes a form for enhanced disability living allowance, to
have
this granted to be able to get a free car they must be fairly disabled.
Unfortunately
if they have restricted movement to the level that enables them to get this
free
benefit, that means they do not meet the requirements to be in full and
proper
control of a motor vehicle. They can't be disabled outside a car and then
suddenly
have full and unrestricted movement inside a car. If they do they have lied
on the
forms and the benefits agency are now filming people getting in and out of
cars!
They do it to prevent fraud. If a person can not bend, move properly or
can't
bend their knees, how is it they have no problem performing all those
actions
without help near a car?
It's about time that the Motability Scam was stopped and people who are not
genuine cases are prosecuted.
My local Benefit Agency caught a number of people after setting up a
camera in a van in B&Q, ASDA and Tesco, also at a local shopping centre.
They filmed people loading up their cars, carrying heavy material and
walking
around shopping centres for hours - then prosecuted every one of them.
All of them shouted, "I'm disabled" as usual. All this does is ruin the
benefits
in place for people that need them, genuine people!
A one armed person wouldn't be allowed to drive a manual car and would
be prosecuted. He would need to have an automatic and could face serious
criminal charges over this.

> Or would, p'raps, a nice little bit of catch-all legislation to hit those
> who aren't paying any attention with a properly serious offence, one that
> might make 'em actually think, be a good idea? We could call it "Driving
> without due care and attention" or "careless driving", p'raps?

If the police wanted to catch people they wouldn't have done away with the
Trafic Police across the country. Also how many police cars and vans do you
see
speeding and driving in a way that is not in accordance with the driving
licence?
I see lots of them abusing their position and have filmed them for a
documentary.


From: furnessvale on
On Mar 14, 5:55�pm, Conor <co...(a)gmx.co.uk> wrote:
> On 14/03/2010 15:48, furnessvale wrote:
>
> > So your considered opinion is that the use of a hand held mobile phone
> > while driving has no effect whatsoever on the concentration of that
> > driver to �the primary task in hand.
>
> No, it is my considered opinion that the number of incomptent fuckwits
> doing this that are likely to actually have an accident is so low as to
> be statistically insignificant and said people are still likely to do it
> no matter what law and penalty is in place.
>
> > That would explain the huge number of stone lorry drivers I see on the
> > A6 using their phones on the MT return trip making multiple calls to
> > book the next best profitable loaded trip.
>
> Do you see any of them having a crash?

Frequently, including on one occasion my garden wall.

George