Mobiles & Driving

[fishpieface]

Last night, at about half past five, my son volunteered to go to the shop for me to get something I'd forgotten.

I said we could do without but he said he'd go 'cos he knows his Dad likes the meal better with the item in it.

On the way back some arsehold lowlife ran a red light on the pelican crossing in a van whilst talking on

his mobile (held in his hand).  Son reckons he didn't even notice the crossing, let alone him on it, halfway

across.  Lucky son had his wits about him enough to jump out of the way, but the van was very, very close

and if son hadn't had his wits about him, or been mucking about with his phone, I would have been telling

a much sadder story and son may have been yet another statistic.

When, when when are people going to realise they MUST NOT be mucking around or speaking into a hand-

held mobile whilst driving?  Even more when, when, when are the authorities going to start doing something

about it?  So many have died as a result of this happening, must they all have died in vain?  Absolutelty nothing

seems to be being done about the selfish people who think their conversation is so important they must have

it whilst in control (or obviously not) of a vehicle - more important than a life.  I think not.

Fortunately I am able to sit here and write that my son is alright, due to his nifty leap out of the way and the

car coming the other way stopping.  Not in the lease bit due to the selfish idiot in the van who just carried on.

The other day, whilst driving a school bus for about half an hour, I noticed 18 people on mobiles whilst

driving.  Most due to them drawing themselves to my attention because of their inability to drive properly

whilst on the phone.  Not because I was diverting my attention to look for them.

Sorry to vent here, but I feel really bad that my almost 15 yr old son went a few hundred yards up to the local

shop and crossed where he's always been taught to - at a crossing.  It isn't right is it?

[soppysofty]

People will realise that driving while using a mobile phone is an offence when the police decide to enforce the law.

Thanks to this silly 'politically correct' country of ours the police have so many silly laws to enforce that they do not have the time, manpower or resources to enforce the laws that make a difference.

Lobby your MP and local councillor and, if your son got the registration number of the van, report it to the local plod.

We have been plagued by anti social behavour on our estate for the last 8 years but the response from the police is that they can only do something if they see it.  As the average response time is 45 minutes the chances of that are nil.

Even if the police see something and arrest the person concerned the courts will be told that the person has a range of mitigating circumstances which mean that any sentence is usually derisory and they leave court knowing that they have got awy with it.

What to do?  Pass - it is beyond me.

[xtf70]

One of my pet hates! Some time ago there was talk of using traffic cameras to spot drivers not wearing seat belts - far better to spot phone users

My argument is that a crash without a seatbelt keeps the damage inside the vehicle whereas a crash involving a phone usually involves an innocent party outside

To me a guilty verdict should also mean a one-year driving ban, and if your job depends on driving, well, you should have thought about that first, shouldn't you?

[mr-expresso]

"or been mucking about with his phone,"

Hi... You say this as though he could have been mucking about with his phone while on the crossing...

You must never be 'mucking about' with a phone when you are crossing the road.... You must have your wits about you at all times...

You must instill into your son that he must never use his phone when crossing a road.... OR.. as you say ,you may be telling a different story...

Pleased he is OK...

[**towery**]

i'd be tempted to speak to someone at the local PS see if there are  cameras covering the crossing

lots of the local police have twitter  id's too, maybe you could tweet one and mention what happened

i see lots of people  on teir phones while im walking about

[millielilac]

My husband and I commuted weekly from Cumbria to Oxford for a few years and it was astonishing to see just how many people on the motorways used hand held mobiles whilst driving at high speeds .

It is quite shocking as well as being illegal ....cannot fathom out why people do it ....

[chips-and-brown-gravy]

A couple of years ago I was stationary in a queue of traffic and a woman slammed into me, pushing me into the car in front (and I always leave plent of room) deploying the airbags in my car and writting it off, so you can tell the force she hit me with - I had a Merc and they are built like tanks.

She was on the phone to her mother at the time, having a row.  I told the police woman attending and her comment was 'oh, well the poor love has hurt her foot' - did they prosecute? did they heck!

The woman who hit me was completely open and honest about using the phone while driving and got away with it, I was then and still am disgusted about who the police decide to prosecute and who they don't.

[rose2008-2008]

I have seen loads of people doing it,,,they should be stopped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I even hate calling anyone if  i think they might be driving even if they have a hands free!!. I just worry its a distraction. I dont even like talking to anyone driving if im in the car with them.

[stroppy*cow]

I am glad to say that the police round here are red hot about cracking down on use of mobiles whilst driving.

Got pulled over last week and accused of using a mobile whilst driving - I wasn't driving, I was the passenger, but the driver had a blue-tooth headset. We were able to show them that the blue-tooth headset only connects to a phone that was switched off, and that the hand-held phone that I was using was totally separate.

I fully agree that anyone caught using a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving should be banned from driving - no grounds for appeal. If they lose their job because of the loss of the licence then that is entirely their fault.

"Himself" does keep the phone switched on whilst driving if I am not with him - but he will not answer the phone. If he can pull over and stop safely he will answer a call once parked, if he cannot stop before the phone stops ringing he will stop as soon as possible and will phone the caller back. If I am with him he turns the phone off whilst he is driving.

It does annoy me when folks are walking along, texting on their phones, not paying attention and not watching where they are going. They then blame me when they walk into me.

[captainbovine]

I wonder how many people realise that if you pull over to answer a phone, you have to have switched the engine off AND taken the key out!!

These people should be prosecuted and made a show of in their local community! they could easily kill anyone who lives in the area they are driving through and get away with it.

My friends little granddaughter was nearly knocked down on a crossing the other day, the van didn't stop. she is only 6 and I doubt she would of had the sense of your 15yr old to jump out of the way if she'd have gone any further onto the crossing.

[ilove2patch]

Our local paper named & shamed all the drink drivers that were prosecuted here over the Christmas period. Even had their pictures coming out of court! I think it's a great idea. Trouble is they aren't prosecuting these mobile users.

[bitsnknots]

A few weeks ago as I was coming back from the doctors, I was indicating that I was turning right at a mini roundabout.  I could see there was a car stopped at one of the other junctions on the roundabout and she had right of way.  I realised that she was using her hand held mobile.  As she stayed where she was, I pulled out on to the roundabout and as I was on the roundabout, this lady pulled out still on the phone.  I slammed on the brakes and blew the horn at her after which she did apologise.  That's not the point - she still shouldn't have been on the phone whilst she was driving.  It does annoy me.

Glad that your son's alright Fishy.

[saasher2012]

I also dislike drivers who use mobiles when driving , I cannot think of any circumstances apart from emergency services that it needs to be done. Or am I living in another dimension , if it is indeed an important call why cannot they pull over or wait until they can ?.

[bitsnknots]

If my phone rings whilst I'm driving, if I'll just let it ring and then when I stop, I will get back to the caller.  I will never use my phone whilst I'm driving.

[bhgardeners]

You think that is scary.  The other week I was followed in slow moving traffic by a couple using sign language to communicate so, unlike a mobile, the driver was facing the passenger with both hands off the wheel!!!!!!!!.  Now that was scary.

Never answer the mobile when driving.  

[fishpieface]

Sorry I posted and didn't come back yesterday, got asked to go into work.

Unfortunately son didn't get the number of the van, he said he was too busy jumping

out of its way!  Rather that and have him safe.

He says he puts his phone in his pocket when crossing roads and takes earphones out

of his ears.  I must admit when I've seen him out and about (and he doesn't know I;'ve been

there) he does seem to do this.  Many, many people don't, I realise pedestrians have a duty

to be careful too.

There is a camera on the crossing lights and I'm looking into how to, if indeed we can, see

if there is any evidence on there relating to the incident.  The previous morning exactly the

same thing happened close to the crossing, somebody pulled out of a side road just past

it and almost hit me (I was in my car).  On Sunday evening there was a major accident

there involving three vehicles - the perpetrator being somebody in a white van, one car was

hit as it drove by and another was parked and was hit too.  Not sure if that involved anyone

being on a mobile but I wouldn't be surprised.

[saasher2012]

It's strange isn't it? I know around here the cops come down hard on mobile phone users whilst driving also drink driving,& yet in other areas they don't ! It should be the same in all areas !!.

[fishpieface]

'Tis strange Saacher, it should be the same everywhere.  There seems to be

so much "can't be arsed" attitude round here, even from professionals like

police.  They aren't all like it I know but so many just do what they really have to.

Even if they have the evidence before them they may well not prosecute, then

if they do, the defendant will come up with some sad tale and they'll let him

off.  It isn't right.

[saasher2012]

I'm just glad your boy is O K, the next poor soul might not be!. & to my mind that is the reason it should be treated & punished with the utmost severity, what is the point of these laws if they are not upheld, very wrong indeed!!.

[bitsnknots]

In one of our local newspapers, the have a named and shamed section every week.  Their are quite a few instances of people being charged with driving whilst using a handheld mobile phone.   They don't seem to catch enough of them because I still see loads of people using their phones whilst driving.