Bad driving in calvo

[bobby's girl]

I think car manufacturers could halve the cost of car production if they did away with indicators, rear vision mirrors and side mirrors. So few people seem to use them they wouldn't be missed. Do you have the same problems over there with people texting on their mobile phones while driving? Unbeleeevable!!!

[crayford]

its the same over here, and its against the law but is hard to enforce, i see it every day, as i do a lot of driving with my job,and there's no way it can be enforced, its like speeding everyone does it sometime, and 99.9.999% of the time they will get away with it.

[bobby's girl]

I've never texted while I'm driving. I don't answer the phone if it rings while I'm driving. I've seen too many near misses. I hate mobile phones. They're only good for emergencies in my opinion. Why do people have this overhwelming need to be constantly in touch with other people when they're driving, shopping, on the loo? And why do they think we need to be included in their phone conversations?

[badger]

If mine rings whilst driving I always answer it although I would never make a call or text. I see nothing wrong with talking on a 'phone, what's the difference between that and talking to your passenger? As for one hand on the wheel, well people eat/drink/smoke/change gear.. what's the difference? It's getting like Big Brother in the UK and I don't like it..

[mustapha phag]

ask some of the relations of people killed by morons using a mobile phone while driving and killing their loved ones

[expat]

There was some research showing that talking on a mobile phone takes the attention away from the road much more than speaking to a passenger.
Not worth the risk, I`d guess!

[bobby's girl]

You've got to look away from the road even if it's only for a split second to answer it. That's all it takes to rear end somebody. People talking on their phones tend to meander all over the road. Not good when you're doing 100kph or more.

[badger]

Interesting observations.. I'll try and explain my reasoning:

I served 22 years as a traffic officer during my time with the police. During that time I must have dealt literally with thousands of injury and fatal road accidents. Most were caused by excessive speed in the wrong circumstances, usually by young inexperienced drivers who were immature and reckless, many caused by old people who frustrated drivers by their poor and slow driving, causing others to take chances to get past them. many caused by excessive alcohol consumption or by drugs. Often caused by people driving too close to the vehicle ahead on various roads and unable to react when something occurs ahead. Very rarely there would be a mechanical defect with the vehicle but basically the cause of most accidents is speed in the wrong location, pure and simple. In all my 22 years I never once dealt with an accident caused by someone talking on the telephone. I concede that they are much more popular now but they were quite common when I retired.

I agree that texting or making a call is dangerous and I would never do it, but answering the 'phone? don't see the problem, you don't have to take your eyes off the road because all I have to do is push any key and I am connected, no fumbling about trying to press the right key. Bobby's Girl.. you have to take your eyes off the road for a split second probably a hundred times a minute, checking the speedometer, the rear view mirror, road signs, watching for pedestrians, dozens of reasons, split second distraction is a part of driving.

Before hands free devices were common we used to use a normal radio handset. I have lost count of the times that I have been single crewed in a traffic car and had to answer the radio, didn't seem to be a problem then, if I needed to contact control room all i had to do was press a button but I still had to hold the handset in one hand. How do you explain the many high speed pursuits? when I have chased stolen cars at speeds around 140+ m.p.h. holding the handset in one hand? In 22 years I never once heard of an accident involving a police vehicle because of the use of a handset.

Today of course they are not trained properly and there are too many accidents involving police vehicles but this is not down to talking on a telephone or handset.

As for research... well I have no time for this sort of thing, if you took notice of research you wouldn't leave the house, eat anything with certain colourings in them, you wouldn't even buy a green car because they are supposed to be more likely to be involved in a road accident... utter tosh!!

Your comments would be appreciated but the whole thing is a knee jerk reaction by a half witted government, probably in an effort to increase their revenue from the poor bewildered motorist....

[P-Artist]

Very good badger.The only thing i can add from my 30 years of driving is -you can smoke, answer phones, listen to music,in fact loads of things and as far as i am concerned, if you have a good level of concentration and awareness you should be able to drive alright.

[mustapha phag]

perhaps Badger if Joe public were trained to your police high standards,they would also be as safe as you answering phones wwhile driving

[bobby's girl]

Yes, I agree with all of the above. My hubby is a sales rep and spends most of his days driving and doing business on the phone. He has a hands-free and his latest (company) car has blue tooth and the dial pad appears on a computer screen so he doesn't have to fumble to dial or answer. He's a pretty good driver and doesn't have a problem with driving and talking on the phone. I'm happy to say I have a good driving record and the only accidents I've ever been involved in have been cause by other drivers being at fault. Nevertheless it worries me when I see people (especially young inexperienced ones) driving, texting, smoking, eating and chatting to people in the back seat and their attention really isn't on the road at all. When I was learning to drive my instructor told me that I should always drive for the driver in front of the driver in front of me. They are the ones who usually cause the accidents by sudden stops, changing lanes etc.

[badger]

Good replies from everyone, I agree that texting or dialling a number is very dangerous and something I would never do. Unfortunately it happens a lot and there are so few police on the road and most of them can't be bothered!! Not long got back from USA, we hired an SUV and had a great view inside other cars, the number of people texting in one hand and smoking/eating/drinking in the other was unbelievable. I was followed by a girl along the M4 2 days ago, she had a book or map on the steering wheel and was engrossed for about a mile whilst reading whatever it was.

Unfortunately the UK is very badly policed and unless you go through a camera there's just about no chance that you will be prosecuted for anyhting. The UK police are badly trained and lazy and if it means getting their backsides out of the car they willl look the other way..

[P-Artist]

The police are that lazy they have made burglary a minor crime now so they don't even come out to it.I think they should just stop in the house and not bother doing anything.

[P-Artist]

Just had a bloke practically touching my back bumper as i went down thorndale road,so i slowed down and peered in my rear view mirror at him.He was having a fit because i was going slow.If you are reading this and it was you i'll just tell you next time you do it i will slam my anchors on and you can have a more expensive insurance policy(if you have got one).

[P-Artist]

Anyone else think we should have a law passed that you have to have full lights on at all times from say 1st oct ----- 1st april.