BBCs Have Your Say - Mobile phone usage in cars

Martin Dann said:

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5651

An opportunity to make some comments about road safety to the BBC.

Don't know about anybody else here, but after a near miss, I almost
expect to look up and see the driver on the phone. It seems 80% of the
ones driving too close, cutting me up at junctions or pushing me off
on roundabouts have their phone to their ear.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Martin Dann said:

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5651

An opportunity to make some comments about road safety to the BBC.

Don't know about anybody else here, but after a near miss, I almost
expect to look up and see the driver on the phone. It seems 80% of the
ones driving too close, cutting me up at junctions or pushing me off
on roundabouts have their phone to their ear.

I think you have a point! And on any 20 mile road trip I can almost guarantee
at least one near miss situation. It means to me that every time I am cycling
I am at the edge of being in a high risk situation.

Isn't the real problem about this dangerous and unlawful occupation that the
law is virtually unenforceable. There are many many motorists who totally
disregard the ban - and many of those are just incapable of driving "with due
care and attention" even without a mobile glued to their ear

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.

Pinky said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Martin Dann said:

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5651

An opportunity to make some comments about road safety to the BBC.

Don't know about anybody else here, but after a near miss, I almost
expect to look up and see the driver on the phone. It seems 80% of the
ones driving too close, cutting me up at junctions or pushing me off
on roundabouts have their phone to their ear.

I think you have a point! And on any 20 mile road trip I can almost
guarantee at least one near miss situation. It means to me that every
time I am cycling I am at the edge of being in a high risk situation.

Isn't the real problem about this dangerous and unlawful occupation that
the law is virtually unenforceable. There are many many motorists who
totally disregard the ban - and many of those are just incapable of
driving "with due care and attention" even without a mobile glued to
their ear

I think the main problem is that many, many people, possibly a great
majority, do not think of road traffic law as "The Law". "The Law"
involves stuff like murder, ABH, burglary, perhaps fraud and theft and
is generally to be obeyed because it is a good thing and society would
crumble even more without it. But it doesn't apply to driving the motor
car, for heaven's sake! Road traffic law is just, well, typical
interference by "them" and can be safely ignored.

--
Brian G
www.wetwo.co.uk

Brian G said the following on 27/02/2007 10:25:

Quoted message said:

I think the main problem is that many, many people, possibly a great
majority, do not think of road traffic law as "The Law". "The Law"
involves stuff like murder, ABH, burglary, perhaps fraud and theft and
is generally to be obeyed because it is a good thing and society would
crumble even more without it. But it doesn't apply to driving the motor
car, for heaven's sake! Road traffic law is just, well, typical
interference by "them" and can be safely ignored.

Just heard some prat on Radio 2 saying that he's allowed to use a mobile
phone when driving because he has an amateur radio license that allows
him to use any radio device. Or some bloke on R4 this morning who is OK
to use a phone whilst driving at 100mph because he's in a Volvo. Or a
dog food salesman on BBC's HYS who has a lot of calls on his mobile so
that's OK.

I don't think the message has really got across, somehow. TA the end of
the day though, the government can bring in as many laws as they like,
but they're pretty useless without enforcement.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Paul Boyd usenet.dont.work@plusnet said:

I don't think the message has really got across, somehow. TA the end of
the day though, the government can bring in as many laws as they like,
but they're pretty useless without enforcement.

and there's an outcry when the laws are enforced e.g. speed cameras.
The local rag was moaning about a 50% increase in issued parking fines
and 70,000 bus lanes offences last year, like the offenders were being
victimised.

Quoted message said:

Martin Dann said:

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5651

An opportunity to make some comments about road safety to the BBC.

Don't know about anybody else here, but after a near miss, I almost
expect to look up and see the driver on the phone. It seems 80% of the
ones driving too close, cutting me up at junctions or pushing me off
on roundabouts have their phone to their ear.

I often see this, especially when the nitwit on the 'phone is entering
the roundabout. They seem reluctant to stop. Why is this? Can anyone who
drives tell me what's going on. Are they trying t avoid changing gear or
something?
Roger Thorpe

On 27/02/2007 19:15, Roger Thorpe said,

Quoted message said:

I often see this, especially when the nitwit on the 'phone is entering
the roundabout. They seem reluctant to stop. Why is this? Can anyone who
drives tell me what's going on. Are they trying t avoid changing gear or
something?

No - they're trying to avoid engaging their brain.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Pinky said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Martin Dann said:

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5651

An opportunity to make some comments about road safety to the BBC.

Don't know about anybody else here, but after a near miss, I almost
expect to look up and see the driver on the phone. It seems 80% of the
ones driving too close, cutting me up at junctions or pushing me off
on roundabouts have their phone to their ear.

I think you have a point! And on any 20 mile road trip I can almost guarantee
at least one near miss situation. It means to me that every time I am cycling
I am at the edge of being in a high risk situation.

Quoted message said:

Isn't the real problem about this dangerous and unlawful occupation that the
law is virtually unenforceable. There are many many motorists who totally
disregard the ban - and many of those are just incapable of driving "with due
care and attention" even without a mobile glued to their ear

Not just driving. A few years ago I watched a car driver park and get
out of his car one handed while nattering into his mobile. He then
walked from his car to the pavement & walked straight into a parking
meter which presumably "came from nowhere"!

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

"Paul Boyd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 27/02/2007 19:15, Roger Thorpe said,

Quoted message said:

I often see this, especially when the nitwit on the 'phone is entering
the roundabout. They seem reluctant to stop. Why is this? Can anyone who
drives tell me what's going on. Are they trying t avoid changing gear or
something?

No - they're trying to avoid engaging their brain.

You see, there's the flaw in your point. You're assuming there's a brain to
engage ;-)

Matt B 'matt.bourke'@nospam.london.com said:

Speed cameras give the dangerous subliminal message that any speed up to
the limit, at any time, in any circumstances, is safe.

This is part of why I reply to CTC's calls for 20mph blanket urban limit
with a call for better enforcement of current laws on recklessness and
inconsiderate motoring, instead. Some roads shouldn't be driven along at
12mph on, let alone 20, and 20mph won't improve anything without better
enforcement. Why don't CTC members stop CTC wasting time on 20-limits
and crack on against reckless and inconsiderate drivers?

Then again, should we be surprised by the madness a organisation whose
president says on national TV that the roads are too dangerous to cycle?

Regards,
--
MJ Ray - see/vidu http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Webmaster/web developer, statistician, sysadmin, trainer, koha dev,
online shop maker, GNU/Linux, debian, gobo, gnustep, mailing lists.
Workers co-op @ Weston-super-Mare, Somerset http://www.ttllp.co.uk/