Six Points For Using A Mobile Phone While Driving.

[grumpy01]

I read on the front of the Daily Mail today that Patrick Mcloughlin is considering bringing in this measure.How is he proposing to catch them? With more cash cows parked at the roadside perhaps? It certainly will not be done by the Police or their cardboard cutout assistants.Just another piece of useless legislation.

[ummmm]

Cameras.

[Canary42]

How can six points feed a cash cow ?

[VHG]

I often walk up my local High St and while waiting to cross the road I watch the cars go by and I am staggered at how many people are on their mobile phones.

This law is flouted by thousands of people every day.

And considering how many people have been killed or injured by people texting or talking while driving it is about time the sentence for this was increased.

I would ban any driver for 3 months caught using their mobile phone, not just give them 6 points.

There is no excuse for it.

Like this awful woman

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2572989/Woman-BMW-driver-killed-two-toddlers-ploughing-pushchairs-crashing-car-distracted-phone-call.html

[ummmm]

I was knocked over by someone on a mobile. It's quite painful.

[murraymints]

Agree there needs to be a greater penalty...

[youngmafbog]

Is the penalty the problem? It seems we simply are unable to Police it so how will a larger penalty (unless really draconian such as Jail) deter?

Deterrents only work when there is sufficient chance of being caught and penalized. And this is not the case for mobile phones.

[Svejk]

that must have been a big mobile, ummmm.

[ummmm]

Lol. It was massive :-)

[TWR]

Instant 3 month Ban.

[furrypusscat]

Sorry, but at the end of the day, cameras or any other detection ways would make absolutely nothing, blank, zero, zilch if people didn't break the law. Heed the warnings, they are there. Don't use a phone - won't gain 6 points.

[Peter Pedant]

They get old age pensioners and bully them into admitting using a phone when they were using a sat nav ......

Lots of lovely points for their own output audit
lots of money for the chief constable
and absolutely no danger or risk to oneself and hey its fun bullying a white-hair - ( memo:do not do in Manchester after 12 midnight )

sorry sore point

[mikey4444]

I have no sympathy whatsoever for people who drive and use their phones.
Hands-free devices are easily obtained and don't cost the earth, and their is no excuse for people not to use them. Ban them for 6 months, at least.

[New Judge]

Actually Mikey, more than the physical manipulation of the kit it is the distraction from concentration which is the bigger danger. It has been calculated that someone holding a phone conversation whilst driving is a bigger risk than someone driving with excess alcohol.

The making and receiving of calls by any method whilst driving should be against the law. It is not necessary and creates huge dangers. I'm not sure that increasing the penalty to six points is the answer tough a compulsory ban of one year (as with drink driving) may help. But at the end of the day it is enforcement rather than penalties that is lacking.

And don't even begin to start me off about texting whilst driving !!!

[ChillDoubt]

How is he proposing to catch them?
---------------
In the same manner as they catch the current 3 pointers I guess, it's only the tarrif that has changed, not the method of detection i.e. cameras and observations by patrolling officers.

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And don't even begin to start me off about texting whilst driving !!!
----------------
I agree. That's where Siri proves to be so useful.

[ToraToraTora]

personally I'd go with the 12 month ban straight off, it's at least as dangerous as DD possibly more so. Grumpy, it won't be long before they are caught automatically, the technology is already here, just needs a bit of setting up.

[mccfluff]

when i used to walk to work there was a particular point on the journey where i crossed an entrance into a superstore where i would say pretty much every morning, someone would come of the roundabout without indicating & on the phone. i never got run over but it was close on several occasions.

i don't see how they will do anything about it though, there aren't enough police to catch them at it and cameras won't do it

[sunny-dave]

People know it's wrong ... but will do it anyway, unless detection is guaranteed.

We had a problem with HGV drivers using mobiles as they went through our village to a temporary landfill site - my guess is that they were checking in/out in some way.

It stopped after the villagers arranged a rota for people to stand by the side of the road in hi-viz jackets, toting a very obvious SLR camera ...I still have the pictures from my stint :+)

[McMouse]

Six points will not work. Use cameras and if found guilty then impose a 12 month ban and £1000 fine for first offence. Thereafter, double up ban and fine.
There is no excuse given that 'hands-free' devices are so cheap or already built in to many new cars.

[grumpy01]

As I posed the question I should reply.I agree with a lot of the sentiments that you have all expressed but my arguement is that bringing in stiffer penalties will not solve the problem if the police do not show more willingness to catch these people.

[ToraToraTora]

as I said the tech is on the way it'll soon be automatic no plods needed.