Texting whilst driving?

fracster

fracster

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Watch this, may have been posted before, but not everybody will have seen it.



 
A chilling video. Speaking on the phone while driving is one thing but texting is completely different. The scary thing is I probably see someone doing it virtually everyday on the way to/from work. Someone texting almost rammed me a few months ago. I wasn't impressed so say it mildly.
 
I see them doing it round here. Oh, for a sniper's rifle....
 
Bloody hell that's frightening hopefully it will stop someone doing the same thing
As said texting is far worse than talking on phone but Isee people doing both
 
It's a compelling and shocking video, however for many people a mobile phone is like an addiction ... they cannot ignore it, let it ring or not respond to messages, unless they can deal with the addiction they run the same risk.
 
Before I start I want to say I don't agree or condone phone use, but.

By banning mobile use all the people in power have done is make texting a much less risky task, I drive while working a lot and you wouldn't believe the amount of "can't talk now I'm driving"

Simple fact of it, people see less risk from police if they text in their lap were police can't see, but from my point of view I would rather they picked up the call and kept their eyes on the road.

In an ideal world none of it would happen, but we don't live in that world do we.?
 
On a side note, it is still legal to use a CB isn't it.?

What's the difference.?
 
Certainly shocking, that is what it aims to do.

If it stops people texting,, then so be it, it has done its job.
 
scott199 said:
By banning mobile use all the people in power have done is make texting a much less risky task,
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I've read that over several times but can't get how you have reached that conclusion! :thinking:
 
scott199 said:
On a side note, it is still legal to use a CB isn't it.?

What's the difference.?
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Another point, blue tooth headsets are cheap enough now, most cars have built in bluetooth, so why do people still natter with the phone next to their ears?

Dunno about CBs to be honest.
 
gramps said:
I've read that over several times but can't get how you have reached that conclusion! :thinking:
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I basically mean that, people are dead set on using or answering their calls, but most are more afraid of getting caught by police and fined/caught that the reason for the ban.

So they keep the phone below window height where police can't see it and text, but this just means they spend more time looking down at their phone than just answering and saying "I can't talk"

It's just an observation, and in a way the ban of use has almost made it more of a problem than it was before.

My personal opinion, if I had to make a decision of what I would prefer other road users to do (assuming they are going to use it anyway) pick the phone up and keep eyes on the road or keep the phone in their lap and look down to text. I vote take the call and watch what's going on ahead.

Again like to say I'm not saying any of its right, but I live in the real world where it will never ever stop, people "think they are to busy or needed" so that call has to be taken.
 
You can add women on the school run looking in the back seat to sort the brats out :ty:
In general the standard of driving is poor at the best of times so yes shocking advert but that's all.
 
I once saw a woman on not one, but two phones while driving. Children in the back too. 
 
LCPete said:
Bloody hell that's frightening hopefully it will stop someone doing the same thing
As said texting is far worse than talking on phone but Isee people doing both
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You'd think texting is far worse than talking on the phone but both can have the same end result. http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC4Q-AsoATAA&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-26085400&ei=nzr2Uv7KA4ythQeQh4HwCg&usg=AFQjCNEylG6x-3ZspOU4k52dDy8Srlok-g.
Just as bad as people who drive along reading. Just yesterday I was on a dual carriageway where a car was driving along inexplicably slow. It took the same slip road as myself and again drove slow and almost stopped in the middle of a clear road. As I overtook the driver started to pull away again totally oblivious to what was going on around her and more interested in reading the piece of paper she had over her steering wheel.

As for the video, was the driver of the Fiesta texting or talking on his phone also?
 
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Neil B said:
You can add women on the school run looking in the back seat to sort the brats out :ty:
In general the standard of driving is poor at the best of times so yes shocking advert but that's all.
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Better add men shaving while driving on the motorway as well. When I'm driving, I'm too busy watching the road to pay much attention to what other drivers are up to but over the past months, I've been a passenger so have time to be nosy! I now know that a "Baby On Board" sticker means "Driver Distracted" in most cases, "Dad's Taxi" means the same (as well as inferring that the driver may be a little irate too...), zig-zag yellow markings outside schools mean free-for-all drop off/pick up at busy times and it's far easier to pull out across a lane of traffic and nudge into the opposite side than to wait for a gap. I wouldn't go as far as Suz and use a sniper's rifle but a paintball gun............. :D
 
however for many people a mobile phone is like an addiction
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Totally agree with that statement, still can't understand why they become so affected

I saw a driver (male) pour out a bowl of cereal whilst driving with their knees then steering one handed when eating it on the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge
 
There used to be a joke doing the rounds in Joburg that learners had to demonstrate a wide range of skills to pass their test. These included exceeding the speed limit, jumping red lights, unsignalled lane changes and simultaneously adjusting the radio, lighting a cigarette, applying make up, eating and chatting on the phone whilst drunk. I suppose we can add texting now.

The UK had about 1750 road fatalities in 2012 (the last statistic I could find). We killed over 1300 people in December 2013 alone, and that figure has probably been manipulated downwards.

No-one - including the public - really seems to give a damn and most cops just see these as opportunities to get a bribe.
 
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The thing that struck me about this was the fantastic response from the emergency services we benefit from in this country. I know this was an exercise but I'm sure it was somewhere near the truth in terms of the response.

There would be a lot of countries where you'd be lucky to be chucked into the back of a truck and taken to a small hospital with no proper ER facilities.

David
 
scott199 said:
On a side note, it is still legal to use a CB isn't it.?

What's the difference.?
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The difference between using a mobile phone and two way radio is that the police use two way radio, which means that they can legally do what we can't. Even though the sound quality can be quite poor and requires more concentration.
 
Shocking. They'd almost made it out of Tredegar too.
 
Mugs game. Costs lives. Fact!!
 
Problem is though Brian, it may be a mugs game, but it may not be your fault that a cars drives into you or your loved ones,.
 
fracster said:
Problem is though Brian, it may be a mugs game, but it may not be your fault that a cars drives into you or your loved ones,.
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Yeh, that's what I said - Costs lives - keep up:rolleyes:
 
Not watched the video, don't need to.

I have, through my employer, been fortunate enough to go on a half day seminar about risks while driving. Even though I always thought I was a safe driver, that half day changed by driving for the better.

They mentioned texting while driving as part of the section on distractions. A key figure was how it takes at least 3 seconds to read a text message - this includes time to focus on the phone and then the message. Now I had a think about this, and did some sums (My mind works like that) and the output was depressing. For that entire time your concentration is purely on the message - ie you are driving blind. And for that period you are driving blind for at least 50 metres. Long enough to not realise a traffic light is changing, long enough not to see the person accidentally step out in front of you. And for those of you who may now be thinking 'well they shouldn't have stepped out' that is of course true, but to the police, and their grieving family, you texting makes you a killer. End of.

If anyone reads texts while driving, just stop. If you are so tied to your phone that you must read them asap, well put your phone out of reach when driving. If you ever consider replying to a text while driving, you should hang your head in shame.

As a side note, I released that it is not just texting that is risky. Something as simple as changing the heater controls in my car takes my concentration off the road. Not every car - but the design of mine is such that you have to look at a display while you manipulate the controls. I now wait until a standstill before I make those changes, and will be getting shut of the car this year. The biggest risk in driving is distractions.
 
And I never realised quite how strongly I have come to feel about this until that post!

Stay safe folks, keep those risks to a minimum.
 
Some people do actually pull over and stop to use their phones. I just wish they wouldn't do it on slip roads which are for slowing down to turn off from a dual carriageway or speeding up to merge onto a dual carriageway.
 
Garry Edwards said:
The difference between using a mobile phone and two way radio is that the police use two way radio, which means that they can legally do what we can't. Even though the sound quality can be quite poor and requires more concentration.
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the difference is that the police ,ambulance drivers ,fire engine drivers ,taxi drivers etc are ALL professional drivers and are capable of doing it safely either through training or experience or both .bimbo young mum who is texting mates or boyfriends or Facebook does not have the same skills or dedication.
see far to much of it these days and often wish i was driving a unmarked police car .

same as drink driving totally hate it after a 3 times over the limit drunk driver nearly killed me in a head on crash i rarely touch drink these days .probably no more than 6 pints a year ,and a few glasses of drink .if that
 
The difference between using a mobile phone and two way radio is that the police use two way radio, which means that they can legally do what we can't. Even though the sound quality can be quite poor and requires more concentration.
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The legislation exempts the Emergency services and some other groups. The reasoning being that a radio is a simple push button. There is no dialing, no texts etc. Besides, the reception may not be perfect, but it's just as easy to understand as a mobile. Your suggested comparison is therefore invalid.

The general publics driving standard is already woefully poor, so why add something else to distract them and degrade it further.
 
Bernie174 said:
The legislation exempts the Emergency services and some other groups. The reasoning being that a radio is a simple push button. There is no dialing, no texts etc. Besides, the reception may not be perfect, but it's just as easy to understand as a mobile. Your suggested comparison is therefore invalid.

The general publics driving standard is already woefully poor, so why add something else to distract them and degrade it further.
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Modern phones can be operated by voice, and have better reception by far than twoways, so are actually less distracting in use.
I've never quite understood why the legislation bans the use of handheld phones (except in an emergency) but allows hands free. It seems to me that the major distraction isn't holding the phone, it's having the conversation and thinking about that instead of concentrating on driving. Please explain why you think my comparison is invalid.
 
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Garry Edwards said:
Modern phones can be operated by voice, and have better reception by far than twoways, so are actually less distracting in use.
I've never quite understood why the legislation bans the use of handheld phones (except in an emergency) but allows hands free. It seems to me that the major distraction isn't holding the phone, it's having the conversation and thinking about that instead of concentrating on driving. Please explain why you think my comparison is invalid.
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This point, 100%.

Again, no direct experience, just an eye opener from my half day. I know it would give me more credence if I had experience, but I'm fortunate enough to be able to say I don't and wouldn't wish relevent experience on anyone.

This is a recap of a true story about a lorry driver that was interviewed. He was travelling along a dual carriageway and took a call from his mate, happily chatting away on hands free for a good 15-20 minutes. No laws were broken, he was totally within his legal rights. A few minutes after coming off an island he came up behind a slower vehicle and pulled out to overtake - and went head on into a van. He had lost situational awareness and didn't realise the road had gone from dual to single at that island. He was interviewed from prison while serving a sentence - the other driver was killed in the collision.

Fact is, even on hands free we are not concentrating 100% on the road. Ever tried to watch a tv program while on the phone? Thing if that tv program was you driving...
 
I had done 24 hour recovery for years and the amount of calls we got for accidents involving 1 car was rediculous, most causes were changing through the time/years , ie trying to put a cassette in the player, trying to put a cd in the player, trying to light a cigarette, then mobile phones came along, texting was a major concern in causing accidents, as others have said most modern phones and cars have hands free in them and can be operated without. the need to touch the phone, but even if your talking on hands free you can be distracted, especially if your having an argument, I've lifted a few cars which involved fatalites diue to this...not nice. However. I do make use of my hands free regularly but always have the memory in the back of my head of all those people who have had accidents and died over something so simple and stupid.
I suppose I would be in the fence in regards to thinking theres nothing wrong with it depending on the idiot using it and at the same time it wouldn't kill me if it was made illegal to use the phone at all while traveling, I never answer my work Mobile when driving simply because it has no hands free option well that and they'd probably tell me something I would like to hear lol. :-)
 
Yeah, OK. I don't text while I'm driving. It's dangerous and, apart from that, I can't see the keyboard or screen clearly without putting on my reading glasses which would introduce another risk. I do wonder how many other people are in the same position, and how many accidents and near misses are caused by people turning to look at their passengers when they're speaking to them?

I am slightly more ambivalent about using the phone if necessary - not just for a chat - and I don't buy the argument that it's quite safe for police officers to use their radios under the same circumstances. The risk is caused by the distraction of the conversation, not the physical act of using the phone which is mitigated by speed and voice dialling anyway. Most people I know do this too.

SA police officers are allowed to use their cellphones when they're driving and a lot of them - by the state's own admission - don't even have driving licenses. It's very difficult to persuade people that a fine for using their phone is anything more than another revenue collecting exercise, or an opportunity for the cop to solicit a bribe to "sort it out". Different country and different perspectives, but the offence is the same.
 
Please explain why you think my comparison is invalid.
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There is a vast difference between a conversation and

Control room: "Mike Tango 45, 26 The Old Kent Road, disturbance, believed a fight"

MT45: "Received"

Simple really, having done both, I can see the reasoning.
 
I accept
Bernie174 said:
There is a vast difference between a conversation and

Control room: "Mike Tango 45, 26 The Old Kent Road, disturbance, believed a fight"

MT45: "Received"

Simple really, having done both, I can see the reasoning.
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that
Bernie174 said:
There is a vast difference between a conversation and

Control room: "Mike Tango 45, 26 The Old Kent Road, disturbance, believed a fight"

MT45: "Received"

Simple really, having done both, I can see the reasoning.
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I fully accept that. But how about
"Mike Tango 45, white van part index yankee delta zero four eight now northbound Seamer road passing tesco, straight through red light now left into unknown road trying to see name of road I think it leads towards whitby not sure about that speed in excess of six zero now right into unknown road collision stationary car continuing now right again... etc etc etc.

I don't offer any solution for this, other than for all police and other emergency vehicles to be double crewed, but we know that this is never going to happen. Double crewing may be much better from both a road safety and officer safety viewpoint, but costs money, and the only way that the police could actually pay for it would be to get rid of all the high ranking officers who sit in their offices covering their arses.
 
I am a Traffic PC in London and all I can say is DON'T use your phone while driving unless it's not being held. This defence solicitor website gives a good explanation of the law regarding this. It is by far and away the most common ticket we give out and is the cause of many 'unexplained' collisions. If you should be involved in a serious injury collision the very first thing that happens is we seize your mobile phone(s). Even if there were other contributory factors in the collision you'll be prosecuted and very likely receive a custodial sentence.

Our radios are actually mobile phones that are adapted to be used as a two-way radio as well. If I were to use mine in the phone mode while driving I would commit the offence. In our cars at work we listen to three different radios- the driver will have our main working channel on, the operator will have the working channel for the borough we're in and the one in the vehicle will be on the pursuit channel. We'll also be having a conversation and both be looking out for offences etc. Sounds like a lot, but the radios are really sort of background noise and our brains are tuned in to listen for certain phrases, then the conversation stops while we listen to that particular message. I can tell you exactly what has been going on around me on the road while all this has been going on.

I rarely drive to work, as I am a biker, but on a couple of occasions I have driven and used a handsfree to have a phone conversation with my girlfriend. Each time I have been very shocked to realise that I remembered absolutely nothing of the journey while talking to her. I never now use a phone at all while driving now. No call, text, facebook message or tweet is that important.
 
Talking on the phone can be a distraction especially, if as mentioned above, the conversation is not going well. If the driver also has a phone in their hand then it is another factor that could affect the driver's ability to control the vehicle. I've seen drivers holding a phone to their right ear with their left hand, snatching at the driving wheel one handed while holding a phone in the other and looking like Quasimodo as they try to hold a phone to their ear with their shoulder. None of these appear to contribute to good driving.

Talking to a passenger is, in most circumstances, less dangerous as they are also able to see what is happening on the road, though there will be occasions when it is a major distraction - eg demanding child, having an argument.

Very few calls are a matter of life and death but it appears a lot of people cannot let the phone take the call.


Dave
 
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