Using mobile while driving = gaol time

[sathid]

Originally Posted by Chyna

Yep, all mobiles should be banned from cars. They divert your attention from the roads, where you might run over a mother and her baby, and possibly the family jack russell.

Might be time to start a "supporting users of mobile phones whilst driving" organisation. We can get started on the jack russels right away

[Billywhizz]

get a passenger with a camera
ride up and down freeway
take photos of drivers using mobile phones and rego numbers
submit to relevant authorities...

listen for the screams

[Captain Starfish]

Mobile phone = bad. Even just to look at (bad luck, Spock, btw).
but 2-way = okay.
and gps/tomtom etc = okay.

What I'd be interested in finding out whether I'm being naughty for using my GPS on the bike, even though the GPS happens to be running on a mobile handset.

Not interested enough to get pineappled for, but interested.

[Chyna]

Originally Posted by Captain Starfish

Not interested enough to get pineappled for, but interested.

Take one for the team, Cap'n

[flashthebiker]

"Motorists caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving could be jailed for two years under tough new guidelines issued today by prosecutors."

[Racer]

Originally Posted by Cam

Jail time is god-damn insane.

Isn't it $50 and no points at the moment? Throw more points on it, increase the fine.

From the 6th pf april 2007 its $100 and 3 points......still hasn't made any difference to the amount of people using them

Revised traffic Infringement penalties

[Eukanuba]

Originally Posted by Billywhizz

get a passenger with a camera
ride up and down freeway
take photos of drivers using mobile phones and rego numbers
submit to relevant authorities...

listen for the screams

you know, I've ordered one of those oregan scientific helmet cameras.. and I'll be posting up the daily 'asshat' video - and today tonight can have a field day..

[Uncle Ho]

Originally Posted by Eukanuba

but that latest harry potter book is so damn good, i just have to read while driving to work..

yeah... but don't you go to work along the Kwinana Fwy

[Captain Starfish]

[Tenchi]

1. Jailtime for talking on mobile phone while driving.
2. Crush cars... with mobile phones inside.
3. ????
4. Profit.

[Speed Demon]

To be honest i generally dont look at what car drivers are doing whilst riding whether they be eating pies drinking piss or chatting on the mobiles. im enjoying the ride too much. I really couldnt be fukked tooting someone for fear they shit themselves and turned into me its not like im driving around wrapped in steel like they are.
Fuck em
what goes around comes around they'll get theres one day

[lee]

Infuriates me in ways I can't even begin to express.

I know what I'm doing over these holidays. I can't hold a conversation in the car without crashing, so I'll just get pissed to pass the long journey time then.

[Para045]

Originally Posted by Spock

+1
The problem with absolutes such as "He should be gaoled for using the phone" is that it is open to abuse.

For instance, the a few weeks ago I was stopped at the lights on the mighty CBR125R going between motorcycle lessons (I am an instructor) and while stopped the lights had a quick look at my phone to see the time. Note that no gymnastics are required for me to do this as my phone lives in a pouch on my backpack strap and is easily accessible.

Anyway, after a quick glance at the phone, I put it back, lights turn green and I take off. About 50m after the leaving the lights, police sirens come on and an unmarked Commodore pulls me over.

Now I had no clue what they were pulling me over for and it was only after the usual "Is this your bike?" "Have you got your licence?" etc., the cops finally tell me what I've done wrong: "Using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle" apparently.

I point out I just glanced at the screen while stationary but to no avail. Cops give me the 3rd degree. Only when I grovel and admit that I was a very bad boy and am VERY sorry do they finally let me off with a warning.

Now some of you may disagree - but this is bullshit. Why is it okay to take my glove off, unzip my jacket sleeve and roll it up to see the time on my watch but not to glance at the time on my phone? Alternatively I could keep a pocket watch on me and pull that out to see the time and I'd be A-OK legally.

For that matter, in cars, why is it okay to adjust your radio, light a cigarette, eat a sandwich, talk to your kids in the back seat etc, but now we are told it should be a gaol-able offence to pick up your phone and look at it?

As the good Captain said, some people need to get some perspective - and the police need to concern themselves with enforcing the SPIRIT of the Law and not the LETTER of the Law.

I would say they are just being wankers as having a mobile in your hand is not "using it" . If that was the case then they could give tickets to all unlicenced persons sitting in a parked car
ROAD TRAFFIC CODE 2000 - REG 265

Use of hand-held mobile phones
265 . Use of hand-held mobile phones
(1) On or after 1 July 2001, a driver shall not drive a motor vehicle and use a hand-held mobile phone while the vehicle is moving, or is stationary but not parked.
Points: 1 Modified penalty: 2 PU
(2) In this regulation —
"mobile phone" does not include a CB radio or any other two-way radio.

Originally Posted by barfridge

Why are you allowed to talk on a 2-way radio while driving, but not a mobile?

Because if they banned that then all the CUNTstables, firemen, ambos, taxi drivers and others would be fucked and be unable to do their jobs
In fact Taxi drivers texting or whatever they do on those machines they have on the dash must be more dangerous than a mobile phone, then you have the new computer systems going in cop cars, can't tell me that isn't distracting

[Jedi]

I can't form a solid opinion on mobile phones. On the one hand they could be distracting. On the other hand, not by much. Singing along to the radio is probably more distracting in some ways, perhaps we should ban FM radios.

I would like to see some stats as to how many accidents are caused by a driver who was using a mobile. They probably don't exist as it would require everyone to be perfectly honest to the cops. But I would guess that it would be less than the number of accidents caused by people losing control of the vehicle due to innapropriate speed for the conditions, just imagine the response on PSB if someone posted speeders should get jail time.

[Ryven]

Originally Posted by Chyna

Yep, all mobiles should be banned from cars. They divert your attention from the roads, where you might run over a mother and her baby, and possibly the family jack russell.

Also, they should start making cars only big enough for one person. Having a conversation with your passenger could distract you. And windows shouldn't be able to be wound down. Wind might distract you. And if it rains? Automatic driving-ban in place immediately, all cars must be stopped where they are and must not start moving again until the road is dry.

Simple solutions. Really.

Particularly the having a conversation with others in the car thing rings true to rumours of banning even handsfree mobile phone conversations because they're a distraction.

However as a general rule, I've found other road users to be a distraction too. Maybe a one car per road limit.

Edit: Jedi- I remember reading about one woman in the US of A who couldn't really deny it. She rolled her van. In the roll she severed part of her arm. They found the section of her arm/hand still holding the mobile phone. I wish that was a joke.

[CT90]

Originally Posted by shmoo

"Motorists caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving could be jailed for two years under tough new guidelines issued today by prosecutors."

Alternatively they could just use the phone as a suppository.

[thro]

Originally Posted by sathid

How often do we see jail time for drink driving?

Far worse IMHO.

The difference is, DUI often happens when you're not in a sane state of mind.

Mobile phone use when you're totally sober and consciously making the decision to do it - when even hands-free mobile use has been found to be just as dangerous as driving at 0.08 in various studies... is inexcusable.



edit:
Can't recall the last time i saw a speed camera operator catch anyone for it...

[shmoo]

someone mentioned the GPS issue.

I think these are as bad if not worse than using a mobile phone.

I'm sure the only reason they aren't banned is because the laws have not caught up with technology. As per usual, they will wait until a few people are killed by people looking at their GPS before they introduce laws restricting their use.

[Guzziboy]

What really shits me, and being a daily commuting bike rider I see it all the time, are the people who have to look at their passengers whilst talking to them and occasionally glance at the road-FFS you aren't going to crash into your passenger so why spend so much time looking at them?

[thro]

shmoo:
phones are worse - it's not so much the distraction of looking at them or physically operating them that is the major problem (according to the study i read - sorry no link, but its on google).

The issue is that when the user is attempting to hold a conversation with the other end, they are visualising the person, concepts to discuss, etc and their mind is totally off in the wilderness.

This is why its so much worse than operating your radio (simple stuff at least, like volume or switching to preset channel, etc), a GPS (glance to see where you are going), etc.