A Barristers view....
Possibly the strictest Driving Regulation: https://youtu.be/r-A_4O3Zlec
I stand corrected!
https://youtu.be/nEqc3zuplO4
Current penalties dont appear to work, despite being pretty severe. I think if youre caught by an officer, they should be able to confiscate the phone on the spot. Despite being a smaller deterrent, I think that would have a greater effect on the sort of people that use them when driving.
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A Barristers view....
Possibly the strictest Driving Regulation: https://youtu.be/r-A_4O3Zlec
When I used take the dog a walk around 6pm I would go past quite a busy traffic island every time you would see people on their phones. The worst offenders on my observations were guys in older vans and young woman in older cars, as they negotiated the island fighting the steering wheel and absolutely no indicators. If the Police were to police the island they would have a field day.
I think they should increase the points to nine and a minimum 1500 fine.
Another example of laws not being enforced in this country. Using a phone whilst driving is dangerous and there's a good reason why it's illegal, I agree 100% with the 6 points penalty for those who are caught. It isn`t something someone does inadvertently, it's a conscious act and it can`t be defended.
We survived for many years without these devices, if a phone call had to be made there was a time when we stopped and used a phone box, life can go on without constantly checking and using a mobile phone! It's become an addiction, the phone zombies who walk around using them are bad enough but at least they're only a risk to themselves and not endangering others.
I appreciate the advantages of modern communication but the mobile phone craze has gone too far, it has become an addiction.
I think most people would appreciate they arent the same. Hence the very different penalties. And if 6pts and a fine isnt a deterrent to folks who already have 6pts, why would 9pts? Those that pay attention to the current law would continue to, those that dont wouldnt.
An immediate consequence (removal of phone, impounding of vehicle) might be a more effective penalty.
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Just add it to the long list of other motoring offences that are now the norm.
There is no enforcement as its not politically beneficial to hit the motorists.
Really? Speed camera use is pretty widespread, and the expansion/addition of ulez type zones would suggest otherwise.
Its the unintended consequence of speed cameras. It generates income, and has led to less and less traffic officers. I probably average 600miles a week, and dont often see traffic officers about, especially on the motorway where phone use seems pretty common.
They occasionally run the unmarked hgv in this area, but there dont seem to be enough officers on the road to enforce something like this.
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I disagree, the Police are understaffed, nothing more.
This has always been the case since mobile phones were introduced - it's nothing new and enforcement is not that simple (i.e you have to catch people). Same with speeding, look at the times before speed cameras as an example.This thread is full of people observing mobile phone abuse, speeding is the norm a few speed cameras are a drop in the ocean.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
What absolutely blows my mind is seeing someone in a relatively new car that will clearly have Bluetooth but still choosing to have a phone to their ear. I see it so many times walking our youngest to school to the point where Ive had a few choice words.
Completely with you on this! So many people actively not using the tech to keep them safe.
Yet at 7am on the nearly empty M40 heading to Silverstone today there was a van on a bridge taking easy money.
Im sure there were likely more pressing crimes to be investigated but none requiring sitting on their arse vs proper policing. Or if they targeted people on their phones using the tech Id be happier.
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These AI cameras will be common place soon, I’d put money on it.
https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/car...sful-in-trials
Id welcome them, Id welcome them, more if they looked at speeding as a proportion of overall car capability.
If Im driving on a motorway at less than half of capability, assuming all drivers and reactions are the same, it is safer than a transit / classic / heavy EV.
My fear isnt hitting something, its controlling the car behind from hitting me; utter idiots this evening, one woman right up my arse as I wasnt doing the same to the person in front of me. Gesticulating for me to get closer.
Also welcome an intelligence / awareness based speed limit. Some people cannot function walking, let alone a faster pace.
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Road traffic policing is a seperate division within policing as is CID, and Firearms. All are specialist units requiring specialist training.
I said earlier in the thread a friend was an accident Investigator and when he's not 'sat on his arse', watching traffic, within minutes he can be dealing with death and destruction. It is a harrowing job at times.
I'm seeing more and more people with the mobile phone in a mounted just next to their steering wheel. They watch Tiktok or somethign like that while driving. It's terrifying to think that there are so many people now doing something like that while driving. I think it is somehow technically legal as they are not holding the phone, but it's still... terrifying.
I do that with Google Maps running in SatNav mode. I suspect that's what the people you're seeing are doing as well.
Whether SatNavs are a dangerous distraction is an interesting question, but honestly I don't think they are. They just need the occasional glance. Obviously they provide directions in audio form as well as visually so even the need for an occasional glance is minimal.
Yes, some people of course do that too, but in many cases like standing behind another car, I can see the something playing on their phone. This seems to be younger girls especially. Many of course do this the way that they hold the phone and put it in their lap when driving, but now it seems that it's okay to have phone mounted. It could be that people don't care as some people use phones for navigation like you said, all the food delivery guys for their apps etc.
I see many girls wearing a head scarf with the phone pushed in the side chatting away, hands free so not being held.
Like this incident....
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/ne...ed-spennymoor/
Firearms arent pointing their guns willy-nilly at potential targets, RT would not do the same if not a revenue gain. Was fair when they were on the motorway / unmarked. Sitting on a bridge is just a bit sad, especially on an empty motorway at that time of a morning.
Picture 3 cars, all going faster than the legal limit, 80mph on gps, cars from the 80s. 2 are 1.2 Novas and the third is a Porsche of similar age. One of these cars is way inside its safety envelope, but which will plod target, yup, the shiny fast one.
My 3 friends in this example were all on the same road at the same time, returning from a show. Only car to get a ticket was the envy car.
With the Met clearly being racist & rapey, makes you wonder on other forces, divisions of specialism.
The police are certainly not the people I was told to respect and trust as a kid. Accident investigators are a cut above, they dont sit taking easy pop shots at cars. They have unique skills and should be commended.
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Last edited by Mj2k; 25th September 2023 at 20:54.
All were speeding, only the Porsche got a ticket. They should all have got one, not just the flasher car.
As we were all friends travelling in some sort of group, it became clear it was targeted. If you are a lone driver amongst strangers, youd never realise the bias in play as you cannot catch up with other motorists 2 weeks later to discuss.
I thought the point was pretty clear tbh.
Im no expert but with a couple of you they could have been a keeping up with the speed of traffic argument? Probably not but very annoying nonetheless.
This PC, Paul Jackson, known popularly on TV's 'Police Interceptors' as 'Jacko',and works with my friend Sgt Kessler (Serious accident investigator) was recently involved in a police chase in which a young lad (wanted for burglary) was killed by his driving stupidity. Paul was a very highly trained pursuit driver and had very little chance of missing this youth with his police car when the youth jumped out. The youth had over 40 convictions. Sgt Kessler told me Jacko has taken himself off RT duties and is now doing admin work whilst recovering from this tragic incident.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-66909679
It is incorrect of you to say that these RT police sit on a bridge doing nothing and are just there for revenue gain. I'll tell you why they do it... to track morons speeding or tailgating, to intercept vehicles doing county lines drug movements, to wait for HGV needing escorts, or emergency escorts for ambulances/blood vehicles, to name a few reasons. All these trained RT drivers are highly trained in all aspects of RT policing and undergo training regularly.
All well and good Rod if you have police on the streets but I live next to a police station and only ever see police outside the kebab and chicken shops waiting for their food on the way back to the station. Always parked on double yellows, half on the pavement, or in the EV charging bays depending on what theyre eating that day. Where they appear from no one knows as you never see them otherwise.
Couple of years ago my wife was in a bad smash with a drunk driver half a mile from the police station on the same road as the police station. 2.5 hours for a single officer to turn up and then the drunk battered him. He hit the SOS button on his radio and I jumped in, suddenly 20 cars turned up with about 50 officers and one van full of police grabbed me to try rough me up as I was being lead away to make a statement and another fight nearly broke out while one group of police was trying to tell the other group of police I wasnt the suspect.
Cuts have only gotten worse since then and unless you address someone with the wrong pronoun on Twitter youll likely never see a police officer on duty.
Was nice to get a free weekend away in Harrogate to meet Sir Bernard and get a silver coin. They even paid my mileage. Lots of budget available for a party, just not for those at the coal face.
'Our daughter was killed by a speeding police car https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66503550
Highly trained in appropriate use of speed.