Mobile Phones and Drivers

[LuvPeckham]

This is an interesting BBC News report concerning the numbers of drivers caught on the phone not using a hands free kit.

It does beg me to ask the question of why, whenever I see a driver on a hand held phone, they are 90% of the time in expensive or flashy cars. I wonder if they have spent so much in buying their pride and joy, that they can't then also afford a simple hands free kit (bluetooth or wired) to go with their car.

Speculation I guess but frustrating to see when I flash past them at 70 mph down Barry Road (6)

[SeanMacGabhann]

arrogance is my suspicion - but keep quiet about it as I intend to "get knocked over" by one of these gobshites, do the claim thing and give up work :)-D

shhh

[LuvPeckham]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> arrogance is my suspicion

That too I think plays a large factor in it as well... and simply believing the law doesn't apply to them may well factor into it...

Good luck with your plans to get 'knocked over' but remember most of them drive big 4*4's but have no control over them so they may well feel a small bump and believe they have (yet again) run over a curb, cat, dog, local wildlife, local MP or something... ::o

[buggie]

Driver's doing this really annoy me - to the point where I've honked and glared at them (putting on my scary angry nurse face) + hoping by honking everyone will look round and see them on their phone.... sure this is prob really sad but makes me feel less angry!

[bignumber5]

Wot you all said above.

Isn't this the point where someone posts that they think it's a silly law and they do it and can't believe they got caught once...? Any takers? seanmlow? ;-)

[Brendan]

It could be that you are more likely to notice drivers of big flashy cars because of their big flashy cars.

[spadetownboy]

i dont think arrogance is the full answer, forgetfullness also plays its part. im not hands free and there have been 1 or 2 occasions when the phone has gone of and i,ve went to pick up and answer, only just to remember in time, its easily done.

[Keef]

I do agree that it's dangerous, but so are other things that don't have laws against them (I don't think), like idiots who insist on trying to read their A - Z off of their laps whilst driving! Grr

[Brendan]

Or just generally driving like a tit.

[KalamityKel]

Police officers/traffic wardens on and off duty are also big offenders... makes me grrrrrrrrrrrrr (6)

[lozzyloz]

I'm not sure that the type of car has anything to do with it, more the type of driver. Big flashy cars tend to have voice activated hands free systems built in. However, I think at least 99% of people that own a mob and a car have at some point used it manually in the car, even if it was just to say "I'm driving, I'll call you back later." Controversially I'm sure there's also a small minority of drivers who are quite capable of driving a car and using a mob at the same time very safely.

[Brendan]

There is also a small minority of drivers who are able to fucking drive properly.

[bignumber5]

But not many are aware of that, Bren, that's the real problem: everyone in the world thinks they're a great driver...

[CamberwellOz]

Or stopping in the middle of the road to chat to a mate thing (6)

[Guest]

Ms B's guide to London traffic light sequence:

Red - Stop, revving engine to encourage pedestrians to cross the road quickly; do not use handbrake as this will stop you rolling backwards and forwards like an idiot; if on a bike you may go straight ahead, swearing at all comers

Red + amber - go, spinning wheels and burning rubber

Green - go

Amber - accelerate

Just turning red - accelerate, staring straight ahead; if driving a bus or taxi, you have right of way.

[blinder999]

Ms B Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ms B's guide to London traffic light sequence:

>

> Red - Stop, revving engine to encourage

> pedestrians to cross the road quickly; do not use

> handbrake as this will stop you rolling backwards

> and forwards like an idiot; if on a bike you may

> go straight ahead, swearing at all comers

> Red + amber - go, spinning wheels and burning

> rubber

> Green - go

> Amber - accelerate

> Just turning red - accelerate, staring straight

> ahead; if driving a bus or taxi, you have right of

> way.

not bad, but you forgot the special rules for pedestrians:

green man: walk into road - mobile phone/ipod optional

red man: walk into road with mobile phone clamped firmly to right ear - do not under any circumstances look in the direction of oncoming traffic - swear furiously at anyone who alerts you to their presence

absence of traffic signals: see rule for red man

[CamberwellOz]

Or when turning you do not need to indicate. Everyone has now been blessed with psychic abilities. Especially the bike rider you nearly ran over.

[Guest]

Blinder999, you're right - I saw a guy cross the road just this morning yakking on his phone and swearing at the driver who was obliged to brake sharply to avoid hitting him.

Maybe Boris will grant Londoners the power to make a citizen's arrest when you see someone blatantly using their phone while driving. Actually, he probably would.