Is there any stats (either genuine or rigged to prove a point) that banning phone use whilst driving has reduced accidents at all?
We all remember when it was perfectly legal to hold a phone whilst driving, I talked for ages on one, we all did, then suddenlly it became illegal overnight.
I personally don’t recall me running over any cars or causing untold carnage on the highways, but then again being a normal human being I can do 2 things at once without any dramas.
I don’t do it now, and would not dream of dangerously txting,…no desire to get nicked you see… but it will soon be the usual knee jerk reaction overkill UK style thing again, to ban hands free use also.
Why not go the whole hog and ban radios, and blanket ban any distractions …like looking at a short skirt in an overtaking car.
It should be made compulsory to look straight ahead zombie stylee, and fully monitored and policed by in cab cameras, think of the revenue generated on that one.
robroy:
Is there any stats (either genuine or rigged to prove a point) that banning phone use whilst driving has reduced accidents at all?
We all remember when it was perfectly legal to hold a phone whilst driving, I talked for ages on one, we all did, then suddenlly it became illegal overnight.
I personally don’t recall me running over any cars or causing untold carnage on the highways, but then again being a normal human being I can do 2 things at once without any dramas.
I don’t do it now, and would not dream of dangerously txting,…no desire to get nicked you see… but it will soon be the usual knee jerk reaction overkill UK style thing again, to ban hands free use also.
Why not go the whole hog and ban radios, and blanket ban any distractions …like looking at a short skirt in an overtaking car.
It should be made compulsory to look straight ahead zombie stylee, and fully monitored and policed by in cab cameras, think of the revenue generated on that one.
(Btw that’s ME being sarcastic this time. )
Yes, you nailed it there robroy, 100% in my opinion. Years ago when CB was king i spent most of my time holding and talking into my microphone and never had an accident because of it and the same for nearly every driver out there. In fact CB’s are still legal to operate while driving though not as popular now as when we were all 10-4’ing each other. Amazingly we could do two things at the same time with no mass carnage.
And talking of ‘social media’ what a joke ! People tapping away on cell phones while ignoring others around them isn’t being very social. We had more social interaction back before mobiles when we stopped at a transport cafe for breky and when parked up at night talking to other drivers face to face not on a device.
robroy:
Is there any stats (either genuine or rigged to prove a point) that banning phone use whilst driving has reduced accidents at all?
We all remember when it was perfectly legal to hold a phone whilst driving, I talked for ages on one, we all did, then suddenlly it became illegal overnight.
I personally don’t recall me running over any cars or causing untold carnage on the highways, but then again being a normal human being I can do 2 things at once without any dramas.
I don’t do it now, and would not dream of dangerously txting,…no desire to get nicked you see… but it will soon be the usual knee jerk reaction overkill UK style thing again, to ban hands free use also.
Why not go the whole hog and ban radios, and blanket ban any distractions …like looking at a short skirt in an overtaking car.
It should be made compulsory to look straight ahead zombie stylee, and fully monitored and policed by in cab cameras, think of the revenue generated on that one.
(Btw that’s ME being sarcastic this time. )
Yes, you nailed it there robroy, 100% in my opinion. Years ago when CB was king i spent most of my time holding and talking into my microphone and never had an accident because of it and the same for nearly every driver out there. In fact CB’s are still legal to operate while driving though not as popular now as when we were all 10-4’ing each other. Amazingly we could do two things at the same time with no mass carnage.
And talking of ‘social media’ what a joke ! People tapping away on cell phones while ignoring others around them isn’t being very social. We had more social interaction back before mobiles when we stopped at a transport cafe for breky and when parked up at night talking to other drivers face to face not on a device.
Old ■■■■ 10-10 on the side.
Yep but I never bother with cb.s now, although I was ine of the first to have one late 70s ealy 80s, buying my illegal set off a Paddy on the ferry .
Socialising with other drivers…I made some good mates on nights out in pubs playing pool, overnight ferries and the like, and good crack with guys I never ever saw again…not THAT way btw.
Nowadays with most of em, it’s park in a lay by, curtains round, and living like a ■■■■ hermit waiting for 8.59 hours to click over to start the same dreary drudge lifestyle again.
There are still a few of ‘‘us’’ left today btw, and I still have one or two good nights…Maoster is the latest to lead me astray from my sheltered life.
The thing is it isn’t phone calls that guys are getting busted for, it’s picking the phone up and taking the eyes off the road to look through (and even respond to) all the pings you get for text messages, WhatsApp, Facebook etc. and flicking through music.
rob22888:
The thing is it isn’t phone calls that guys are getting busted for,.
It is though.
We have the ‘incident’ type ones ( of which mine is strategically covered ) they go off sometimes if you back on to your trailer or go over a pothole.
One of our lad’s did just that, while going over a bump, but it was in a large area where he was loading, he had no belt on and was in the phone to his Mrs who had just rang him as he had got back into cab.
Long story short, he was ‘‘put on a disciplinary,’’ , he told them it was on private land, things escalated …and instead of rolliing over he told them to stick the job up their arse and walked.
Now whether or not he should or he shouldn’t have used the phone under those circumstances, there were no dramas or kittens involved, but they still have you for it,
He walked away with dignity telling them there were plenty jobs out there, and walked into another…good on him I say.
)
) they go off sometimes if you back on to your trailer or go over a pothole.