I found this pretty shocking
www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8060577/One-in-five-motorists-uses-Twitter-and-Facebook-while-driving.html
"Those saying they take calls while driving has risen from 8 per cent to 28 per cent, while those admitting texting at the wheel has increased from 11 per cent to 31 per cent, the poll of 1,150 British motorists found."
"Almost half (46 per cent) of all motorists who receive calls when they are driving claim not to be distracted by them, and 47 per cent believe texting on the road does not divert their attention from driving"
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"Insurance premiums are on the up".
Hm. 6 points for a 'phone call or text? I daily see people involved in such. Just *sometimes*, it would be nice to be a policeman.
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Using the phone at your ear whilst driving is indeed bad, but texting whilst driving should be a hanging offence!
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Stopped for an alfresco coffee and sandwich on the quay at Conwy this lunchtime - reversing down a very narrow lane - reversing through the archway (in the picture below) was a Clwyd Refrigeration Transit sized van - I was impressed at the care and skill the driver employed given it was very busy with pedestrians on the harbour...
As he drove past me I could see he was in animated conversation on his hand held phone - he was clearly driving well, maybe we over-react to the phone/driver thing.
maps.google.com/maps?q=conwy&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:cy:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Conwy,+Aberconwy+and+Colwyn,+UK&ei=xT
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It's not the hands free user I'm bothered about, though when they start to try and write things down or reference something in the motor, that's different.
However, I don't think I'm over reacting when I'm being pressed along a country lane by some tart in a Audi Q7 that's left it late to take the kids to school and for whatever reason can't/won't use the hands free in the motor.
What with her and the monster car a few feet from my rear bumper, looking for non-existent opportunity to overtake, trying to control her cargo of brats whilst holding a mobile to her ear, trust me, it's not a nice situation.
On a few occasions I've pulled in to let her pass, more often than not I catch up as she's unloading the kids (on the school double yellows) still with the phone stuck to her ear!
She is a serial offender with an arrogant disregard for not only the law but all around her too. She and those like her are not afraid of a few 'points'!
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PU, safety policy isn't about the outcome of a single incident; it's about probabilities. I might run across a busy motorway and, through athleticism or, more likely, luck, avoid getting squished. Does that make it safe?
Similarly, your van driver may have been more than usually skilful and/or careful and/or lucky. That doesn't mean than combining a tricky manoeuvre with a phone call is big, clever or safe, any more than the occasional 95-year-old smoker is proof that fags are good for you.
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"it's about probabilities."
And the probability is that you can easily use your phone and drive without having an accident as hundreds of thousands of people do.
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>>more often than not I catch up as she's unloading the kids (on the school double yellows) still with the phone stuck to her ear!<<
Have you ever thought of stopping and pointing your feelings out to her?
Pat
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I'd get someone to come with you with a video recorder and record her doing it, then tell her to stop it in future or the tape goes to the Police... Or on uTube
Last edited by: hobby on Thu 14 Oct 10 at 09:39
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Women can multi task. I know as a guy when i see someone doing two things at once my first reaction is to assume that 1 of those tasks is being done to a crap standard. With women it really is different.
So while in general i don't think the average guy would fare very well driving and talking, probably it's not the same impact for the average woman. Of course there's no such thing as average...
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>> ...and talking, probably it's not the same impact for the average woman.>>
Probably because they never stop talking anyway...:-))
In fact for years I use to tell my missus to stop twittering, especially if I was at the wheel - perhaps I should have registered the Twitter name...:-((
Last edited by: Stuartli on Thu 14 Oct 10 at 10:40
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>> She is a serial offender
Report her and keep on reporting her!
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I wouldn't know a twitter or a facebook if I saw one!
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I've got no idea what Twitter is either and no intention of finding out.
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So how many on here will confess to typing in a postcode on their sat nav whilst driving?
Or lighting a fire at the end of a piece of paper close to their face whilst driving?
Or finding a playlist on the ipod, changinga cd, driving while stressed from work, whilst having fighting and screaming kids in the car, whilst trying to reach the sweets in the glove box, or drinking a bottle of water etc etc etc?
I accept that using a mobile phone can hinder driving standards, I await to see how they compare to some of the other distractions like the ones mentioned above.
Last edited by: BobbyG on Thu 14 Oct 10 at 23:10
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The smoking one is often brought up when discussing the phone ban, but even though I don't and never have smoked I would support those who do, it is VERY rare to hear of an accident caused by a driver who is smoking... however it seems very common to hear of ones where the driver has been phoning/texting... Of the others, yes most of them are daft things to do, but in many cases only momentary distractions rather than continual ones like using a mobile...
Incidentally my first second accident was caused by the changing cassette one (before CDs!), when the player was situated under the passenger's side shelf in an old Mini! Rather goes to prove that you're best concentrating on what you are supposed to be doing... Driving!
(The first was when someone ran in the back of me!!)
Last edited by: hobby on Fri 15 Oct 10 at 08:50
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>> it is VERY
>> rare to hear of an accident caused by a driver who is smoking... >>
Oooh I don't know. When I used to smoke I had many a near miss as the car fag lighter pulled the end off my fag and dropped it in my lap as I drove down the fast lane at 70 (ish) !!
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>> So how many on here will confess to typing in a postcode on their sat nav
Nope, haven't got one. Distraction from driving, lessens enjoyment of driving.
>> Or lighting a fire at the end of a piece of paper close to their face whilst driving?
No.
>> Or finding a playlist on the ipod, changinga cd
No. Don't have an "ipod", don't listen to music going along (distraction from driving,
lessens enjoyment of driving)
>> driving while stressed from work
Yes. Driving is a calming influence, it goes when you get in the car.
>> whilst
>> having fighting and screaming kids in the car,
Yes. Let them get on with it if you need to concentrate hard (or stop).
>> whilst trying to reach the sweets in the glove box
No.
>> or drinking a bottle of water etc etc etc?
A tin of beer... yes.
>> I accept that using a mobile phone can hinder driving standards, I await to see
>> how they compare to some of the other distractions like the ones mentioned above.
Probably not so distracting.
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when im bored i go watch the traffic passing by my place,yes its nice to get the odd friendly wave from past happy customers (i dodge the bricks) anyway im amazed at the amount of texting i plainly see and mostly by women
dont know the answer but i know its downright dangerous
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But it can't be, BB, because BBD says most people who do it get away with it.
Excuse me while I down five more Golden Champions to go with the one I had with my fish and chips, then try to drive the straight, wide and quiet half-mile of the road I live on without hitting anything.* If I make it, this will prove that the anti-drink-drive lobby are just PC-gone-mad hand wringers making a fuss about nothing. Oh, and it was a bit parky today, so that's climate change disproved an' all.
*Don't worry, only kidding.
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So show me where all these motorists are having all these crashes, because I don't see any. But I see drivers on the phone left right and centre.
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There'd be fewer crashes if they stayed on the left - or, presumably where you are, the right. Centre is always bad.
I've never seen an accident at all. Nor have I seen a blue whale. Does that mean they don't occur at all?
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"Does that mean they don't occur at all?"
Seems to be the case.
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>> So show me where all these motorists are having all these crashes, because I don't
>> see any. But I see drivers on the phone left right and centre.
>>
I see many cases of very poor driving, with drivers on their phones.
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>> >> So show me where all these motorists are having all these crashes, because I
>> don't
>> >> see any. But I see drivers on the phone left right and centre.
>> >>
>> I see many cases of very poor driving, with drivers on their phones.
>>
I see many cases of poor driving where the driver isn't on the phone so they have even less excuse :-)
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1 in 5 motorists using twitter/facebook - FotheringtonTomas
