driving on the phone(fine to rise)

[red]

i hear the fine is to go up to sixty pounds for driving while on the phone they will also now be giving out three points on your license .this i think goes ahead in march.

 

[Sandy M.]

Yes, as from 27th February 2007, the penalty for using a handheld mobile telephone while driving is increased by £30.00 to £60.00, plus 3 Penalty points endorsed on the drivers' licence.

 

[nobber]

so all blond BMW convertible drivers will automatically have 3 points on their license from the 27th feb then?

 

[HPLP]

Whats the issue with CBs then??? Me and Guy were discussing it the other night.


H

 

[Bernie]

Me and Guy were discussing it the other night

By mobile phone or CB?

But seriously folks ... I don't see the point of this at all. Round here, all day every day you see drivers merrily chatting away on their hand held mobiles. The current law is impossible to police and therefore not enforced, so they might as well increase the penalty to life imprisonment, they aren't going to deter or catch any more people than they do at the moment. Are they? Yet another pointless piece of legislation designed to keep brainwashing us that the govt is 'doing something' about things, when in fact all they are doing is feathering their own nests

 

[Satancom]

Cb's are legal, so are the hand held radios (2km range etc) you buy from argos etc.. Its how the cabies get away with chatting on their radios, likewise with the police.

Its something to do with the fact that its not a continuous conversation or something.

Although if your on a cb and stick your car into a tree, the police can still do you for driving without due care, i believe. Sure that someone can confirm

 

[Alane]

Got there before me Bernie, Another un-enforceable law.

I can't see the difference in using a mobile whilst driving and staring at a dash mounted SatNav yet SatNav is fine to use and not a distraction at all??? yeah right

 

[Bernie]

Got there before me Bernie, Another un-enforceable law.

I can't see the difference in using a mobile whilst driving and staring at a dash mounted SatNav yet SatNav is fine to use and not a distraction at all??? yeah right

Exactly. When we had the courtesy Vectra that screen was an incredible distraction, quite scary sometimes how much road distance you could travel before you realised you were focusing on the toys rather than the road ...

Then there is that other great one, eating an apple or drinking from a bottle of water, people get stopped for, but smoking = OK? ie Getting the fag out of the packet, lighting it, then constantly taking one hand off the controls to smoke the thing, find somewhere to flick the ash etc etc ...

 

[nobber]

i think this new law will only come into effect after an accident.
'officer when he hit me he was on the phone at the time'.
'well thers 3 points and a 60 quid fine for him then'.

 

[Mogwyth]

Actually I wonder why there is a specific law for mobile phones, it is proven that doing anything in addition to driving be it retuning the radio, munching a bag of crisps or having a smoke increases the accident rate. All of which could result in a charge of careless driving or not being in proper control of a motor vehicle or dangerous driving, if your driving is affected.

 

[nobber]

but a bag of crisps cant tell you devastating news at 100 mph.

 

[redhand]

but a bag of crisps cant tell you devastating news at 100 mph.

Was reading about someone who spotted a speed camera van and whilst driving withing the speed limit. Took both hands off the wheel and flipped double Vee's at the van. Police car pulled him further up the road and did him for dangerous driving and no seatbelt.

Seems the camera operator had photographed him and reported him to police. This is probably the way the new law will be enforced. Hence the call for more "speed cameras" even though they don't reduce speed related accidents.

 

[P00DLE]

over here the maximum fine is £1000 and 3 points

if mobiles are so dangerous what about smoking whilst driving?

I use sat nav and it is setup before i start and i can see it out of the corner of my eye and not need to touch it. but a mobile you have to find the phone and then mess around to answer it.

 

[Alice]

The law is what it is but it doesn't stop such questions on what denotes a dangerous distraction whilst driving.
Some distraction such as winding down the window to increase air flow or talking to keep the brain active are often considered safe.

 

[nobber]

The law is what it is but it doesn't stop such questions on what denotes a dangerous distraction whilst driving.
Some distraction such as winding down the window to increase air flow or talking to keep the brain active are often considered safe.

i find terry wogan to be a huge distraction whilst driving and i quite often lunge at the radio with both hands to turn him off..

 

[Sad User]

i find terry wogan to be a huge distraction whilst driving and i quite often lunge at the radio with both hands to turn him off..

Oh really?

 

[landydoctor]

I think it should be extended to nobends who insist on playing with their sat nav whilst on the move!!

 

[redhand]

I think it should be extended to nobends who insist on playing with their sat nav whilst on the move!!

I've never understood that either. Surely you get in the car tell it where your going then start the car up, and that's it till you reach your destination. Occasionally you may have to tap the screen to respond to a change of route. but that takes less time than changing gear would so is hardly dangerous.

 

[Underdog]

I think it should be extended to nobends who insist on playing with their sat nav whilst on the move!!

.....add to that the clowns who insist on driving with their front fog lights on. Why?????????