On the phone whilst driving

[dobbslc]

Many vehicles now have touch screens. Try stabbing at a button when you are driving and hitting potholes or bumps - not easy! And these days many basic functions like heating and demist etc are controlled on screen. Definitely just as dangerous as using a mobile phone.

You are right about the stupid touch screens and buttons that control everything, they are very hard to use when moving! Have you seen the size of a Tesla screen? Utterly stupid and at night the brightness distracts from the road outside, to be fair most Tesla drivers don't seem to care what's going on outside their oversized cage.

There's a tube guy who cycles around catching drivers on their phones...submits the vids to plod. Most of the drivers seem to get fined plus 6 points!

Just not worth doing...I believe hands free is allowed but I don't risk it.

There's a guy in a van that catches cyclists in London jumping red lights, if that all got given to the Po Po they'd need a massive recruitment drive to deal with it all

 

[Pete.]

Touching your phone is an instant fine and points.

It's not, actually. Blackbelt Barrister analyses the regulation quite thoroughly and concludes that if it's cradle-mounted there's no offence, although he does say that it's yet to be tested.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

There's a guy in a van that catches cyclists in London jumping red lights

I think they all need to have reg numbers and insurance so they become accountable too.

But some car drivers in London need to be removed from the roads for everyones safety!

 

[Pete.]

You are right about the stupid touch screens and buttons that control everything, they are very hard to use when moving! Have you seen the size of a Tesla screen? Utterly stupid and at night the brightness distracts from the road outside, to be fair most Tesla drivers don't seem to care what's going on outside their oversized cage.


There's a guy in a van that catches cyclists in London jumping red lights, if that all got given to the Po Po they'd need a massive recruitment drive to deal with it all

The Guardian published "statistics" that as many motorbikes jump red lights as cyclists. They must have been doing a survey in Richmond Park I reckon coz I was sitting at one red light last week and counted 16 cyclists piling through it at full trot. I doubt I see 16 motorbikes jump a red light in any 6 month period.

 

[mtt.tr]

It's not, actually. Blackbelt Barrister analyses the regulation quite thoroughly and concludes that if it's cradle-mounted there's no offence, although he does say that it's yet to be tested.

I meant in hand.

 

[Mikey D]

I drive a truck for a living and it's crazy the amount of people I see on their phones , mostly looking down at texts or texting ....
As for the infotainment screens , we have a new MAN TRUCK ..to control the **** nav there are is a knob with 2twisty dials and a joystick affair with 4 buttons on it !! Absolutely crazy . It's just a damned distraction as your not concentrating on the road fully, just as bad as phone usesge in. My opinion .

 

[brightspark]

Wonder how long it will be before he gets a slap?

i replied to his u tube clip at gandalf corner . one of these days you will get a rather large mong on drugs that will give you a good hiding or knock you of your bike and not bother about the consequences

 

[Rudi McAnichal]

In my opinion the whole touch screen set up is inherently dangerous & should be stopped. Frightening if you travel with someone that’s constantly looking at it & fiddling.

Totally agree. A person who watches the road ahead while holding a mobile phone to his ear does at least have the option of dropping the device and putting both hands back on the wheel. A driver who looks away to operate a touch screen is probably far more of a menace, but very unlikely to be prosecuted.

Not so many years ago I had a car radio with a row of buttons allowing me to select from three pre-set channels without taking my eyes off the road. My present car offers dozens of channels, but operating the radio safely requires help from the co-pilot, unless I can find a lay-by.

The RoSPA stance is so wishy-washy that they can think of nothing better than a research programme. Are they in the pay of the motor manufacturers?
"..... RoSPA believes that the law and the Highway Code, governing in-vehicle driver distraction, should be reviewed and updated. The first step to this is to conduct a research programme to assess the type and level of driver distraction caused by new vehicle technology, such as infotainment systems, and to identify potential countermeasures to this distraction."

https://www.rospa.com/media/documents/road-safety/factsheets/infotainment-systems-factsheet.pdf

 

[mtt.tr]

I drive a truck for a living and it's crazy the amount of people I see on their phones , mostly looking down at texts or texting ....
As for the infotainment screens , we have a new MAN TRUCK ..to control the **** nav there are is a knob with 2twisty dials and a joystick affair with 4 buttons on it !! Absolutely crazy . It's just a damned distraction as your not concentrating on the road fully, just as bad as phone usesge in. My opinion .

Scares me when you see artics being driven with the driven on the mobile. All over the carriageway

 

[Bornfree]

Iam on hands free for several hours a week. I hope it's legal

 

[Mikey D]

HScares me when you see artics being driven with the driven on the mobile. All over the carriageway

There prob not on the phone ,there prob trying to figure out the Stupid MAN infotainment system !

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

The Guardian published "statistics" that as many motorbikes jump red lights as cyclists.

In London red means 2 more cars I believe!...I've had a few occasions where people simply refused to stop at their red and I'm on a green and half way thro a junction when the come ploughing through!

The video callers scare me the most...they must cause some horrific accidents.

 

[mike os]

Handheld phone use is easy... detain, remove and destroy phone at the scene, regardless of make or model or owner, caution and move on to next vehicle

Don't care if it's a company or private phone, who pays the bill or picks up the tab.

Personally as it's up to you if you use it you get to carry the can

 

[Kayos]

Quick question to those saying the touch screens are dangerous, any of you saying that actually driven a car with one?

I'm about 11k miles and so far have avoided crashing, killing a pedestrian or being so distracted I've driven over a squirrel

 

[redlig]

Handheld phone use is easy... detain, remove and destroy phone at the scene, regardless of make or model or owner, caution and move on to next vehicle

Don't care if it's a company or private phone, who pays the bill or picks up the tab.

Personally as it's up to you if you use it you get to carry the can

Problem with that is they will just claim on insurance and carry on . I agree with instant retribution but it needs a swinging fine and/or banning as well.

 

[mike os]

Problem with that is they will just claim on insurance and carry on . I agree with instant retribution but it needs a swinging fine and/or banning as well.

So add it to things you can't claim for ... that's about £1k a phone fine

 

[addjunkie]

Quick question to those saying the touch screens are dangerous, any of you saying that actually driven a car with one?

I'm about 11k miles and so far have avoided crashing, killing a pedestrian or being so distracted I've driven over a squirrel

I was out in a new Isuzu the other day, awful poor quality touch screen, but several things didnt work while the car was moving, which I thought was a good idea. Some of other stuff under the safety banner was awful.

 

[Kayos]

I was out in a new Isuzu the other day, awful poor quality touch screen, but several things didnt work while the car was moving, which I thought was a good idea. Some of other stuff under the safety banner was awful.

The VW one is great, haptic feedback and laid out like buttons on a dashboard

Can't program the satnav while driving

 

[not done it yet]

I watch the ‘London Dash Cam‘ youtube channel. He seems a more-than-decent driver. I think cyclists should be fined for breaking road rules. No payment - impound their bike. They should also be insured and responsible for damage they do. Vehicle drivers who don’t give them room are poor, but cyclists don’t seem to need any, when undertaking at speed…

 

[Bobupndown]

Quick question to those saying the touch screens are dangerous, any of you saying that actually driven a car with one?

I'm about 11k miles and so far have avoided crashing, killing a pedestrian or being so distracted I've driven over a squirrel

So far.......