John K Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 For the first time in a long while I had to do a decent journey on the M5/6. I was genuinely horrified at the number of youngsters texting or iMessaging or whatever is the current trendy thing to do. And for 10 mins I was followed in a single lane contraflow by a mid 20's lad in his company Audi who looked out his windscreen for about 5% of the distance. So of course I had to spend all my time watching him in my mirror. The difference was I opened up a 100 mtr gap between me and the car in front so I had room to react. He was anywhere between 20 and 2 mtrs away from my boot... No sooner than he got past and then I had a young lady in her baby blue Fiat 500 doing the same. I cannot believe talking on a handsfree is anything near as distracting, mainly cos you dont need to look at the damn phone. Also it must be a generation thing. I love a long drive or flight, being able to switch the phone of for 4 to 6 hrs is great. But today's yoof panic if they dont reply to some inane post about breakfast in 3 seconds. Seriously it has to be stopped. I dont give a rodents postirior if they crash and die, but what of the other poor sods that get mixed up in the carnage. Rant over... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhett Turner - Black Country AO Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 It's probably a generation thing, if I phone either of my children its hit or miss if I get an answer or not, send a text and the response is immediate. I've given up trying to fathom it out. Guess some of the new models are starting to come with speech to text and text to speech, but then will be be used, its amazing how many modern cars with built in bluetooth hands free systems you see with drivers still talking on the mobile held to their ear. They obviously can't be bothered to sync their phones. I'll stop now before this develops into a continuation of the rant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hooper Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 AAMOI I can use Siri in the skoda through the built in Bluetooth it's awesome for sending quick messages without being to distracted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry H Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 AAMOI I can use Siri in the skoda through the built in Bluetooth it's awesome for sending quick messages without being to distracted. Whatever that means . Any distraction is too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 All I know is that I drove the thick end of 5 miles with my shoulder blades just about touching whilst waiting for the bump. It was so stressful it was horrible. Why dont folk realise driving a car is actually a serious responsibility... "OMG LOLZ C U L8TRZ" aint so important as you are skidding under an HGV... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Algar - Competition Secretary Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I actually think this is a more serious problem than speeding !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I actually think this is a more serious problem than speeding !! You are spot on Nick. The problem is that speed cameras do not catch these muppets. It was in the news this week that there have been many less convictions for this offence last year than before. It is claimed that more are going on awareness courses but for my money they should have a fine and be made to go on the course, the same as any who are using the phone hand held. The company I work for have made it a rule that we do not make calls whilst driving and only answer if hands free. We are also looking at Cameras that watch the drivers as some of the accidents we have seen on the forward facing cameras make us think drivers were texting at the time. Unless this is stopped every time an accident takes place, it pushes the case for even more draconian rules against all of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M444TTB Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I think I see more people using phones again (calls and other usage) just lately. They have a crack down on motoring offences locally every few months and catch several on phones along with some speeders (usually one a frankly outrageous percentage over the limit) and someone over the DD limit or on drugs. I'm surprised they don't catch more of them though. Perhaps they aren't quite as unobservant as we think and spot the Police before they are spotted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2rrr Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 The last thing they are doing is actually being in control of a deadly weapon. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I get increasingly and extremely p*ssed off at the incidence of tailgating, for whatever reason people do it. It's rife. Even in the wet. Stopping distances obviously are no longer mentioned in driving lessons/tests. The wife hates it when there's one behind me and I touch the brakes - but even that's a waste of time 'cos they're always too dumb to catch on....... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Edden Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 In the news this week - "Staffordshire Police only book 4 people for driving whilst using a mobile in 2014/15" Come on boys - what the hell is going on here - I see half a dozen people with the phone stuck to their ear on the morning commute to the office - which is only 10 minutes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTR2Turbo Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 In Austrailia I understand that they have an interesting system. You can have an app installed on your phone that locks the screen when it is connected to a hands free device via blue tooth. I think it is more sophisticated than this, may use GPS, but that is the crux of it. This means that you can make and receive calls via the car but not check texts or emails etc. I think in one state most insurance companies mandate it before insuring anyone under 25 years old and they give a discount for others. Perhaps phones should all come with a car mode similar to a flight mode. I am sure that a lot of the shunting accidents I see on the M25 are a result of phone distractions. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 I think the conviction stats say it all..... The planks in Westminster can legislate as much as they like, if there's no police on the ground to enforce the law then stuff like this will continue. My strategy when some idiot tail gates me is to slow to a stop and have a quiet and polite word, unfortunately the plod don't like that approach as it can be misconstrued as "road rage"... You just can't win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 I think that long term we will see some big changes in the way that the roads are controlled. The first step has already been made and that is the formation of the Drivers and vehicle Standards agency. DVSA. This is a self financing government agency that now has quietly got a lot of power to use. They are responsible for pulling anything over and can issue fines for none compliance, HGV drivers fear these people as it is driven by money. At present they can levy fines which carry no points, but they can call police for assistance for criminal matters. There are many who want to hand over the responsibility for many more matters, like phone use, speeding and many more moving violations with the ability to add points. And unlike the police who cannot increase their staff based on the cash take, this organisation can. A bit like the old speed camera partnerships who kept the money to re invest in road safety. Add into this if they allowed the Highways authority to raise money directly from cameras, how many would we then see? In Bristol last year they caught 758 people speeding on the motorway, since the summer of last year they have left the cameras on the managed sections on set at 77mph, in just over 6 months 28000 people caught, at between £60 and up to £100 for fines or speed awareness courses, that is a huge income. If this happens as some want it to do, we will see police less and less on the roads, meaning they can do the catching criminals more , or more likely they reduce the numbers and replace with staff who are paid a lot less with the requirement to work until they are old, with less pension rights. Who would bet against this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Everall Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 TEXTING really is becoming the greatest danger on the roads and in my opinion needs SERIOUS ACTION I think its far more dangerous than holding a phone and speaking into it which seems to happen all the time. But having to look down at a phone and text is stupid!!!! People should be caught and massive fines applied in the region of £500 as its the only way to stop it If we don't people are going to be killed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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