Mobile Phone Use.
 

Seems Government are to consider a proposal to "Increase Fines @ Points Awarded, for use when driving, personally i think thats pathetic, it should be an Automatic Ban in my view, its a very dangerous practice and needs proper action,

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

Quite agree Cashy, at least a 12 month ban, hefty fine and a retake of their test.

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Totall agree. There is no excuse now a days not to have a hands free kit in a car

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with further police cuts i highly doubt there will be more arrests just the same if not less arrests for it just bigger fines

the law gets enforced less but the revenue stays the same or increases

one thing you can always count on is the government getting their money

i would feel more confident if i didnt see coppers just watching red light jumpers and doing nowt about it on a regular basis its bad enough tehres a limited police force but when what little we do have cant be arsed doing their job nowt gets done

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a fiver will get you somat to go in your ear and a couple more quid will get you something that clips to your visor and provides audio from a little speaker

if yo can afford to run a car yo can afford a device that allows you to use your phone legally

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I think that the problem is the offence needs to be recorded before the Police can be sure of a successful prosecution. The answer is of course to have cameras, but the powers that be in LCC have decided that cameras at junctions could cause a problem for other drivers - who knows what planet they come from. London has cameras at most controlled junctions, also ones that cover boxed junctions - do LCC think that the technology that is widespread in our capital city is too advanced for us backward Lancastrians?

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you are correct Barrie they are concerned the second person going through a red light may hit the first one that jumped the red light if he brakes hard after been flashed

what they are not concerned about is a child that may set off at the green man , a bind person crossing because the beeps say he or she can or the poor sod obeying the law coming from the other direction and setting off on green

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There is no point whatsoever in having a law that is not policed......it might just as well not be on the books.
I regularly see drivers using mobile phones...and the more these drivers use their phone and get away without a penalty, the more they think the law does not apply.
Personally, I would not only ban them, but I would confiscate the vehicle too....and if that vehicle belonged to their employer or some finance company they ( the company ) would have to seek reparation from the driver.
I don't reckon it would take too many prosecutions for the message to get through.
There is NO reason for a driver to be on the move and taking a phone call.
How hard is it for them to park up if a call is really that important?

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

Must take a long time for our esteemed LCC to catch up on technology - the junction cameras in London don't need a flash and they certainly work.

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Am I right in thinking that the police cannot act if a member of the public reports someone has used a phone while driving? I seem to think the police have to have witnessed it themselves, but correct me if I am wrong. If, however, I am right, I would like this changed so that the police have to follow up on complaints.

By the way, I have voted for increased fines and points, but I would like this to be vigorously enforced. I would vote for a ban when using a phone caused an accident.

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

Yes, you are right Michael...a police officer has to witness the event.
They don't act on members of the public reporting such offences because there is no evidence.
I am not sure how this would stand up if you had video evidence. Our car has a camera in it......it faces forward, but could be adjusted to capture evidence of a driver using a phone whilst driving.

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

Not sure if the police have to witness use of a phone as the phone will have a record of a call being made/received at the time that the car was being driven. However, it is far more likely that if the police actually witness the event that there will be a successful prosecution.
Fines and points don't appear to be too much of a deterrent, which is why I voted for an outright ban, that way they are really hit and will not be able to cause an accident for 12 months at least - I am all for a hefty fine and double points as well.

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If a vehicle is involved in an accident the Police will breathalyse the drivers and also check whether the drivers phones were in use at the time of the accident.

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Please enlighten, How would it be vigorously enforced? They cant even enforce parking illegally, also should it be regarded as ok, if no accident occurs,? I seriously reckon,the threat of a ban will enforce with a lot more people than increased fines and points,

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

Not what I'm saying at all, Cashy, and I think you know it. However, I will clarify: no it's not OK to use a phone as long as there isn't an accident. I've voted for increased points and a bigger fine, which should be as easy (or as difficult) to enforce as an outright ban. Can I also add that hands-free equipment in a car can be distracting; I know from my own experience, which is why I no longer use one. I now always switch my phone off before driving.

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

In addition, I mentioned earlier about members of the public reporting these incidents. If the police could follow up on these complaints it might be a step forward in vigorous enforcement. Too often you see people blatantly using their phones when they know they are in full view of the public but out of sight of the police. If they knew the public could report them and subsequently receive a visit from the police, they might just think twice.

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I see drivers using their mobile phones quite often ... even seen HGV drivers using them .. coming along the road ... and its not just men using them either .. its women as well ... best is ive stood there taking photos of the sunset .. and all of a sudden the drivers slow down .. a lot ... all because they saw me taking photos ..

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

I don't think it would take many motorists to be banned, with a fine and points to be added when the ban is completed, and a re-test, for the message to get through. The ban could even result in termination of employment so the dipsticks really get hammered, but if it saves just one life or one serious injury then it will be worthwhile.

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i was told that wheni offered footage when reporting a local bus jumping red lights

yet on idiot drivers facebook page footage recorded by a member of the public was used to arrest someone driving dangerously while towing a trailer so either the law is different around the country or somones making a mistake somewhere

i wonder how the defense of a copper didnt see the crime been committed would go down when caught by a speed camera ?

personally i think those cameras at dill hall lane should be reviewed daily and every single one of them jumping red sent a fine and 6 points or the option to go to court and have dangerous and reckless driving added to the list so they can loose their license completely

sick to death of near misses because people jump red and the council and police's lack of willingness to tackle the issue

BUT

the council will be putting bus lane cameras in the area so we know where their priority is over safety ££££££££

make the penine reach a success no matter what the cost or inconvenience to everyone else

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I agree yon, there will be no difference regarding enforcing, the difference lies in the fear of the ban for many in my view.

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anyone who has a child at school or lives near a school will tell you the booster seat law isnt even enforced

when a new law is brought in the police spend a few weeks enforcing it to show willing and then forget about it

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Do you also ask all passengers to refrain from talking while you're driving? Personally I think using a full hands free system is less distracting than passengers talking. I see so many drivers taking their eyes off the road to look at the passenger they are talking to.

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This is also a valid point, as is using in-car entertainment such as fiddling with CD and cassette players, radios and Bluetooth voice messaging while driving. Smoking in cars must also be a distraction, especially when lighting up.

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I've seen parents putting 4 small children on the back seat of their cars when picking them up from school with no booster seats and obviously no seat belts. When reported to police with video evidence, they did not want to know

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So is operating the heater and other car controls. To answer hands free call is a button press, same as turning heating windscreen on if it starts to mist up. You have to be sensible and take responsibility for what you are doing as a driver.

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My problem with hands-free calls is I find the actual talking a distraction, especially if I am answering questions. The police once phoned me on my hands-free about an attempted burglary I had reported. Questions were coming fast and I was concentrating to give details, so I told the policeman to wait until I had parked up.

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Agreed, which is why I now switch my phone off when driving.

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I often tell my wife to shutup when driving, her constant waffling makes me miss junctions, go the wrong way etc...
It's certainly not my fault :)

Bah Humbug.....

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(Looks disbelievingly) yeah Bob!
Cherchez la femme!.....then you have found someone to blame.

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Haha I'm far to polite for that. I'm married so have selective hearing ;)

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I must admit, I can also discretely turn my hearing aid off as its for my left ear lol

I refuse to answer my works phone when driving unless I'm in a car that it's paired to for handsfree use (never happens) so they will have to wait until I can pull over.

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under 7 quid i got one for the other half it works brilliantly

no excuse for using a phone while driving illegally

Wireless Bluetooth Handsfree Car Kit Sun Visor Clip Drive Talk iPhone Galaxy UK | eBay

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

Retlaw, that is a huge generalisation.(and in my opinion...i know that doesn't count for much...a load of horse feathers......very sexist too)
I have given up driving, but when I did drive I could talk without looking at who I was talking to.
My husband used to tell me that I concentrated too much when I was driving.
That was rubbish too. When you are driving you owe it to yourself and your family to not use your car as a lethal weapon...you should take all measures to ensure your safety and that of other road users and pedestrians.......anything less than this is criminal.

Re: Mobile Phone Use.
 

I see it both ways round and have never noticed men or women worse at it.