New menace on the roads?

[stinkwheel]

Like everyone else, when the government brought out the new rules with regard to using mobile phones whilst driving, I thought that it was a damned good thing.

Now I am not so sure. Increasingly I see cars abandoned at the side of the road and slewed onto the verge with the hazard lights on. 'He must have broken down' you think, but NO, he is speaking on his bloody mobile phone and has 'parked' to answer the call so he doesn't risk a fine.

I was following a car just today which abruptly slammed on its brakes and stoped in the road halfway down a straight, no mirrors, no indicators, nothing. Why?. His damned mobile phone was ringing, I saw him answer it as I drove past.

I am beginning to find this more dangerous than when they were driving along chatting away.

Anyone else find this?
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[Bendy]

Certainly.

They do it on the A40 all the time, randomly onto the kerb, randonly back off it again. Or are so preoccupied with looking to see if anyone's noticed their on the phone that they're even more distracted than if they were just talking.

[Git]

I can fully relate to this without a doubt, it is a pain in ones royal butt hole!

[RiderOfTheSto...]

[iCraig]

It is infact still illegal as you're still in charge of a motor vehicle, you could get a heavier fine for parking illegally and even get points.
Unless you are parked in a safe place, I.e layby or carpark then it isn't.

I personally think there should be a heavier fine/punishmeant if you are caught, may 6 points and £120 fine for driving without due care and attention or Incharge of a motorvehicle without full control, etc.

[Davo]

As long as the hand brake is on and the engine is turned off, it it legal. However stopping in a dangerous place is not, for example not on the hard shoulder of the motorway, on a bend etc.

I agree it has got worse since the law was introduced, another one I've come across is where they are driving and chatting away, see a police car drop their phone and then almost lose control whilst trying to find their mobile again. Why can't they just spend the £50 on a car kit!

[Kickstart]

Hi

Personally I think the existing laws were just right. They just replaced them with a cheaply enforced blanket ban, the result of which is more chaos.

All the best

Keith
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[california_rookie]

I think the idiots around here have got it right: Ignore the laws and continue driving around like a moron chatting on your phone. If they're stupid enough to think talking on the phone in traffic is a good idea, I doubt they're capable of driving properly in the first place.
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[headlamp]

The recent legislation introduced by the government concerning mobile phones is proving ineffectual, with the police unwilling or unable to enforce the law and drivers ignoring it.

I have raised my concerns about driving while talking on mobiles with my local MP, local senior police officers and just about anyone else that will listen to me, to no avail. I feel that there is not the political will or inclination to enforce this and people are not being made aware of how dangerous their driving is when they are on the phone.

If you commute every day on your bike you are bound to come up against bad drivers. If you commute in built up areas, then you come up against a higher proportion. If you commute in London on some of the most heavily congested roads in the UK (like I do) then unquestionably it is highest - bad drivers (by definition I mean people who do not observe what is going on around them on the road, switch lanes and turn without indicating etc.), using mobile phones are extremely dangerous, especially for bikes and until the government creates an awareness campaign to stamp out this menace there are going to accidents, injuries and deaths.
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[Robin]

Nothing wrong with the laws as they stand, it's the enforcement that is the problem.

How is a GATSO meant to spot somebody on a phone, or badly parked up, or driving in a dangerous manner. What we need is more plod in cars out there on the road. Maybes then people would drive better because they would never know when a patrol car was going to turn up, and they would be manned by real people who could assess a situation and make decisions using their common sense.

Don't continue to replace real policemen with computers and cameras.

[tgabber]

[mattsmith95]

[Jrod]

Look, If the drive a car they are a menace IMO.