The law is officially an ass!

[neilwillis]

Are you sure it wasn't more hazardous to have a car pull up on  a main road to issue the ticket than the original offence was?

The total cost of bringing the action was allegedly £10,000, and she was fined £60.00 owing to the fact that she contested it.

Talk about using the law out of context - or are you suggesting that car radios be banned because it is impossible to maintain control of a car whilst changing channels, or selecting a different CD.

I think the police should have far better things to do than waste public money on such a petty offense.

Am I the only one that thinks police helicopters should be used more constructively?

[Bazzer]

Are you sure it wasn't more hazardous to have a car pull up on  a main road to issue the ticket than the original offence was?

The total cost of bringing the action was allegedly £10,000, and she was fined £60.00 owing to the fact that she contested it.

Talk about using the law out of context - or are you suggesting that car radios be banned because it is impossible to maintain control of a car whilst changing channels, or selecting a different CD.

I think the police should have far better things to do than waste public money on such a petty offense.

Am I the only one that thinks police helicopters should be used more constructively?

I agree with all those points.

But it is more dangerous to change CD than eat an apple in my opinion

Bazzer

[pistonbroke]

There are two kinds of driver in this world

those who can eat apples and drive

those ******s who want to enforce the law but feel they are better than everyone else and can flaunt the rules themselves whenever !  

[RICHARD+PHILIP]

So what's the legal difference between smoking a cigarette and eating an apple in the car?

[pistonbroke]

I dont think smoke while drive is illegal but its potentially more dangerous from the point of view of setting yourself on fire !

[pistonbroke]

Then you could argue that choking to death on a lump of apple isnt to good for your health either  

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

i used to know a young lady that liked to administer a bj whilst i was driving!

Mark, is that why yer headlamps 'ave gone squiffy?

[zoso]

she was negociating a turn whilst eating? sounds like a pretty stupid thing to do to me...

Could you not do that safely then ?

I reckon I could    

Bazzer

So your eating an apple, cornering at say a measely 30 mph...

Say your car doesn't have ABS, traction controll, power steering... (lets remember most on the road won't... well mabey ps)

You have one hand on the wheel, you drive harmlessly round a corner maintaing a speed of 30 mph.

Kid/old woman/anyone or thing of a size or type needing avoiding action is in the road, in the worst place...

You slam on the brakes, but your cornering, so one wheel locks first, you have one hand on the steering and cannot controll s**t.

Thats why it's an offence.

[zoso]

But lets face it eating an apple whilst going round a bend at a sensible speed if not actualy very dangerous. In fact if you felt that is was a difficult task I don't think I would want to get in a car with you

It's never the getting the car round the corner with one hand thats going to be difficult...

its what happens when you NEED to take controll half way round.

Lets face it, most drivers on the road can't go round a corner properly anyway, never mind with one hand...

[neilb]

There is nothing wrong with the law the problem is the bunch of work shy, tin pot little Hitlers that believe themselves to be the law and therefore don't need to follow any of them.

[zoso]

I've got to say, if it cost 10 grand dragging this lass through courts for a pathetic £30, why isn't she paying for it if she lost the case?

or perchance that figure of 10 grand is guessed (cough) by the media...

[SteveF]

Smoking while driving DOES kill - I knew a girl who apparently dropped a cirgarette while driving, bent down to pick it up, veered across the road - and was killed by hitting an oncoming HGV head on. I say apparently - because that's what the inquest concluded - as there was nobody else in the car

[Crash Override]

So what's the legal difference between smoking a cigarette and eating an apple in the car?

The Government earns more tax through cigerettes than apples so will turn a blind eye.

So long as they get their pockets lined they couldn't care less.

[Bazzer]

she was negociating a turn whilst eating? sounds like a pretty stupid thing to do to me...

Could you not do that safely then ?

I reckon I could  <!--emo&  

Bazzer

So your eating an apple, cornering at say a measely 30 mph...

Say your car doesn't have ABS, traction controll, power steering... (lets remember most on the road won't... well mabey ps)

You have one hand on the wheel, you drive harmlessly round a corner maintaing a speed of 30 mph.

Kid/old woman/anyone or thing of a size or type needing avoiding action is in the road, in the worst place...

You slam on the brakes, but your cornering, so one wheel locks first, you have one hand on the steering and cannot controll s**t.

Thats why it's an offence.

Don't take this the wrong as it is still just a bit of friendly banter but ........

I find forums like this really interesting when it comes to ideas on road safety.

The majority of cars owned by people on this never see a race track so either they are trophy cars and never taken above 2000 revs or they are being driven more dangerously than a woman eating an apple whilst driving.

Lets get a few things straight.

Not eating an apple whilst driving is safer than eating an apple whilst driving.

Not speeding is safer than speeding.

Driving a 200bhp 7 is more dangerous than driving a 1.2 fiat Punto.

Not fiddling with the stereo whilst driving is safer than fiddling with it whilst driving.

Not having a screaming baby in the car is safer than having a screaming baby in the car.

But

We have all eaten whilst driving

We have all broken the speed limit

We would all like at least 200BHP in our Westie

We have all listened to music while driving.

We all think people have a right to transport their baby around.

So why have some people not turned themselves in due to guilt of committing horrendous crimes against road safety.

Or alternatively why do we want to persecute a poor woman for eating an apple whilst driving.

Life has associated risk except it !!!!

Bazzer

[jeff oakley]

I looked in the highway code today to see where it says it is illegal to eat, smoke,drink etc whilst driving. It doesn't under drinking and driving they sight the specific law same for a mobile phone but it is an advisory to not eat etc. It appears when these type of cases come along they could be dealt with much better. If this girl had been told the reason she shouldn't do it in a good manner that would have been the end of it. However because she was allegedly lectured and then told she would have a fixed penalty she declined this offer and decided to go to court. The police then role out the big guns, plane, helicopter etc to try to crush her in court, all they have succeeded in doing is to alienate even more citizens and have gained an extra £30, and the girl still doesn't feel she was wrong. The sad thing is this force has a bad record of solving crimes where the majority of citizens feel they should concentrat their efforts.

As to the costs, the only part any defendant has to pay is court costs. It would be great if they could be made to pay all cost as there would be another cash cow the police could milk for the goverment and they might leave the motorist alone.