Record number of motorists prosecuted for driving while using mobile phones
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From: oldMaxim on 15 Mar 2010 02:06 On 14 Mar, 21:56, Conor <co...(a)gmx.co.uk> wrote: > On 14/03/2010 19:52, Ret. wrote: > > > There has been a lot of research done into the use of mobile phones and > > driving - in various different countries. All of it backs up the rest, > > in that concentrating on a telephone conversation reduces the > > concentration on the driving - and in simulations, reaction times were > > always affected. > > And? ITS A SIMULATION for a start. Secondly, it usually doesn't involve > those who drive for a living and finally, so does talking to a > passenger, picking your nose, looking at road signs... > > > The human brain is not good at multi-tasking. The TV is currently on as > > I'm typing this on my laptop on my knee. I cannot follow the TV > > programme *and* concentrate on what I am typing. I can concentrate on > > the TV programme - or on my typing - but not on both a the same time. > > I'm managing to. And I can do more than one thing while driving. After > over 1.8 million miles, its second nature. > > > Research has shown that conversations with passengers do not have the > > same effect because drivers tend to just stop talking > > How many drivers do you see turning their heads to look at the passenger > when talking? Shitloads or that is certainly my experience. > > > The research shows that it requires greater> concentration to make sense of what is being said by a telephone caller, > > rather than a passenger - and that greater concentration reduces driving > > attention. > > > There's no getting away from it Conor. Talking on a mobile phone *does* > > reduce the level of attention given to driving. > > But it doesn't mean there's going to be an accident. Like I said, if the > claims had real world substance, deaths from mobile phone usage would be > in the thousands. > > -- > Conor > I'm not prejudiced. I hate everyone equally. Was it Canning who once summed up this type of logic.... "I can prove anything by statistics except the truth" You've failed to convince me and I've failed to convince you, I just hope that if we should ever be on the same road at the same time - that you're not taking a call! Cheers Mac
From: Ret. on 15 Mar 2010 05:20 Conor wrote: > On 14/03/2010 20:01, Ret. wrote: > >> "The research mirrors other studies about the dangers of multitasking >> behind the wheel. Research shows that motorists talking on a phone >> are four times as likely to crash as other drivers, and are as >> likely to cause an accident as someone with a .08 blood alcohol >> content." > > I'll repeat it again. DD was the cause of 590 road deaths in 2004. If > using mobile phones was worse, they would be the primary factor in the > remaining 3000 road deaths that year. Yet strangely, the government > claim that speeding was for a great deal. So what was, speeding or > using a mobile? I suspect that there are many cases when mobile phone use caused an accident - but the driver, realising the implications, rapidly hid his mobile away somewhere so that no-one knew he had been using it. It is not normal to either arrest nor search drivers involved in road accidents and so unless someone actually witnessed a driver using a mobile immediately prior to the accident - there would be no accusation that he had. I have personally witnessed, on numerous occasions, the tendency for drivers in front of me to suddenly reduce speed for no apparent reason. When I've overtaken them - there they are with a mobile held to their ear. So that is at least one of the research findings that I have been personally able to confirm. Kev
From: Ret. on 15 Mar 2010 05:23 Conor wrote: > On 14/03/2010 19:52, Ret. wrote: > >> There has been a lot of research done into the use of mobile phones >> and driving - in various different countries. All of it backs up the >> rest, in that concentrating on a telephone conversation reduces the >> concentration on the driving - and in simulations, reaction times >> were always affected. >> > > And? ITS A SIMULATION for a start. Secondly, it usually doesn't > involve those who drive for a living and finally, so does talking to a > passenger, picking your nose, looking at road signs... > >> The human brain is not good at multi-tasking. The TV is currently on >> as I'm typing this on my laptop on my knee. I cannot follow the TV >> programme *and* concentrate on what I am typing. I can concentrate on >> the TV programme - or on my typing - but not on both a the same time. >> > I'm managing to. And I can do more than one thing while driving. After > over 1.8 million miles, its second nature. > >> Research has shown that conversations with passengers do not have >> the same effect because drivers tend to just stop talking > > How many drivers do you see turning their heads to look at the > passenger when talking? Shitloads or that is certainly my experience. > > >> The research shows that it requires greater >> concentration to make sense of what is being said by a telephone >> caller, rather than a passenger - and that greater concentration >> reduces driving attention. >> >> There's no getting away from it Conor. Talking on a mobile phone >> *does* reduce the level of attention given to driving. >> > But it doesn't mean there's going to be an accident. Like I said, if > the claims had real world substance, deaths from mobile phone usage > would be in the thousands. But as I have commented in another response. Unless someone has actually witnessed a driver involved in an accident using his/her mobile - how does anyone know that they *were* using it? Unless we changed the law to enable the police to physically search all drivers involved in accidents, and their vehicles, for mobile phones, there is no way to determine just why a driver lost concentration and crashed is there? Kev
From: ChelseaTractorMan on 15 Mar 2010 05:44 On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:36:18 -0000, "Mr. Benn" <nospam(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >When are people going to get the message? not yet, saw woman on motorway this morning struggling with a hand held and looking at it rather than the road. I will use the hands free to ring my partners mobile to say "be there in 5 minutes" beyond that, no way. conversations on the phone are distracting. -- Mike. .. . Gone beyond the ultimate driving machine.
From: Rob on 15 Mar 2010 05:52
Peter Hill wrote: || On Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:46:36 -0000, "Rob" || <rsvptorob-newsREMOVE(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: || ||| Mr. Benn wrote: ||||| ||| 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? ||| ||| What message? that motorists are nothing more than a permanent ||| reliable revenue stream for the exchequer? ||| Anyone who's been driving long enough will have already got that. || || Anyone that's been driving long enough but hasn't learnt how not to || contribute to the exchequer is too stupid to hold a licence. A bit harsh I think. With all the ANPR & CCTV about it's becoming more difficult to get away with driving untaxed cars, and even harder to get away with stealing fuel... -- Rob |