Texting when driving?

[Fyldewhite]

Imurg, I think you are missing the point. What Woody said, and I think we all agree is that it can be dangerous as per your example and my earlier comparison with excess speed. The point being made is that it is relative to the situation in which it occurs which can render the risk negligible.

Everyone ask yourself......
Honestly, do you, ever, knowingly, break the speed limit?
Honestly, do you ever go through an amber light if you could safely stop, with say sharp but not harsh breaking?
Honestly, do you ever drive a car after one pint of beer?
Honestly, do you forget to look over your right shoulder every time you pull away from the side? The list could go on.

My answers would be Yes to all. All are risks and I do them comparatively rarely but when I do, I do so with a reasoned assessment of the risks involved. If you can honestly answer No to all the above then I commend you. If you can't then you are just as "bad" as Woody, which in my book isn't that bad at all.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Imurg, I think you are missing the point. What Woody said, and I think we all agree is that it can be dangerous as per your example and my earlier comparison with excess speed. The point being made is that it is relative to the situation in which it occurs which can render the risk negligible.

Everyone ask yourself......
Honestly, do you, ever, knowingly, break the speed limit?
Honestly, do you ever go through an amber light if you could safely stop, with say sharp but not harsh breaking?
Honestly, do you ever drive a car after one pint of beer?
Honestly, do you forget to look over your right shoulder every time you pull away from the side? The list could go on.

My answers would be Yes to all. All are risks and I do them comparatively rarely but when I do, I do so with a reasoned assessment of the risks involved. If you can honestly answer No to all the above then I commend you. If you can't then you are just as "bad" as Woody, which in my book isn't that bad at all.

You are confusing the issue between knowingly breaking the law and lack of driving skill. Two completely different things.

 

[Imurg]

Imurg, I think you are missing the point. What Woody said, and I think we all agree is that it can be dangerous as per your example and my earlier comparison with excess speed. The point being made is that it is relative to the situation in which it occurs which can render the risk negligible.

Everyone ask yourself......
Honestly, do you, ever, knowingly, break the speed limit?
Honestly, do you ever go through an amber light if you could safely stop, with say sharp but not harsh breaking?
Honestly, do you ever drive a car after one pint of beer?
Honestly, do you forget to look over your right shoulder every time you pull away from the side? The list could go on.

Speed limit - only on clear Motorways
Amber-gambling - only if I'm being followed closely otherwise I'll stop
A pint of shandy- never have a pint of beer within an hour of driving
Blind Spot - almost always..

The point that most are missing is that regardless of your own risk assessment of the situation, with the exception of speeding, the above examples are not technically breaking the law.
This thread is about Texting whilst driving - and it's against the law
You can not condone breaking the law.......except in extremely rare and exceptional circumstances.
And texting whilst driving doesn't come into that bracket.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Imurg, I think you are missing the point. What Woody said, and I think we all agree is that it can be dangerous as per your example and my earlier comparison with excess speed. The point being made is that it is relative to the situation in which it occurs which can render the risk negligible.

Everyone ask yourself......
Honestly, do you, ever, knowingly, break the speed limit?
Honestly, do you ever go through an amber light if you could safely stop, with say sharp but not harsh breaking?
Honestly, do you ever drive a car after one pint of beer?
Honestly, do you forget to look over your right shoulder every time you pull away from the side? The list could go on.

My answers would be Yes to all. All are risks and I do them comparatively rarely but when I do, I do so with a reasoned assessment of the risks involved. If you can honestly answer No to all the above then I commend you. If you can't then you are just as "bad" as Woody, which in my book isn't that bad at all.

If you can answer "yes" to that question then I imagine crashing is a regular occurrence for you? :whoo:

Regards,
Pedant Girl

 

[Fyldewhite]

If you can answer "yes" to that question then I imagine crashing is a regular occurrence for you? :whoo:

Regards,
Pedant Girl

Nice one.....you know what I meant!!

 

[North Mimms]

I think you are out of line with this answer to be honest , ok thats what you may think or you may say he is wrong for doing so but to call someone a muppet is out of line . and to follow it up with being ok to make a call but not to text , i believe and im open to correction by the law of the land it is the same offence .. so double standards here i fear

Im not saying for a second its ok to text when driving but i have done it before , again on the older phones , i ve broken the speed limit , ive quiet possibly overtaken when i shouldnt , i prob have driven cars that werent 100% roadworthy. whether we like it or not we have all broken some rules now and then

another factor will be how long you are actually in the car , if you drive 5 hours a week your a lot less likely to call, text, eat or make mistakes at the wheel than someone that is 8 hours a day 5 days a week , but no need for the personal name calling , but its just my opinion

Before anyone on this thread admitted to texting whilst driving, I actually said anyone who did so was a complete moron - which at that time was not directed to anyone personally.

I decided to tone it down to muppet once it "became personal"

I didn't say it was OK to make a call. More that if it was really important.... Really important- like someone was ill, not please record the foooty for me- I would forgive a phone call to get a message across, if it meant that someone didn't text at the wheel.

I am aware of what the law says. I just tend to obey it more than some.

I'm not a perfect driver, I just know what is sensible- and texting while driving is not wise

 

[bladeplayer]

Before anyone on this thread admitted to texting whilst driving, I actually said anyone who did so was a complete moron - which at that time was not directed to anyone personally.

I decided to tone it down to muppet once it "became personal"

I didn't say it was OK to make a call. More that if it was really important.... Really important- like someone was ill, not please record the foooty for me- I would forgive a phone call to get a message across, if it meant that someone didn't text at the wheel.

I am aware of what the law says. I just tend to obey it more than some.

I'm not a perfect driver, I just know what is sensible- and texting while driving is not wise

So its ok to get personal and insult on here now is it ? news to me !

So your concentrating more on the road if your on a call to see if some is ill, than asking someone to record the footy ? really ? surely its wrong to be on the phone , end of , or its not? ? ?

if you kill someone whilst on the phone checking if a loved one is ill is somehow less wrong than if you kill some one whilst asking for the footy to be recorded , explain that to the family of the person killed

Anyhow and i do admit that texting or being on the phone when driving is wrong, i cannot or will not even try to deny that in any way , but and this is not aimed at you personally , the righteousness on this place at time's amazes me ,


I will leave my contribution to this thread at that ..

 

[North Mimms]

So its ok to get personal and insult on here now is it ? news to me !

So your concentrating more on the road if your on a call to see if some is ill, than asking someone to record the footy ? really ? surely its wrong to be on the phone , end of , or its not? ? ?

if you kill someone whilst on the phone checking if a loved one is ill is somehow less wrong than if you kill some one whilst asking for the footy to be recorded , explain that to the family of the person killed

Anyhow and i do admit that texting or being on the phone when driving is wrong, i cannot or will not even try to deny that in any way , but and this is not aimed at you personally , the righteousness on this place at time's amazes me ,


I will leave my contribution to this thread at that ..

Why are you preaching at me?
I don't text and drive under any circumstances, nor look at Wikipedia on the motorway.

If I have to make a phone call, I pull over.

I will only answer my phone using a hands free device

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Having read this thread with a heavier and heavier heart as it yet again transcends into chaos and petty point scoring, can I just ask if the mods are looking at some of the behaviour on here and having a word privately. I am far from whiter than white, have been equally to blame elsewhere and taken the hits and infractions accordingly. However this one in particular seems to have a nasty air of niggly jibes and bitterness

As others have pointed out, having a mobile in your hand and driving is illegal. End of, certainly in the eyes of the law. I'm sure most on here will have transgressed driving laws, knowingly or unwittingly but having had a parent who knocked down and seriously injured a young kid many years ago (way before mobiles) I know first hand how the guilt can lay very heavy for many, many years for a moment of distraction.

I think it was Bladeplayer who said the forum seems to be a funny place now and I totally agree. So many threads are slipping into murky waters at the drop of a hat and whilst there's room for frank and open debate on all topics, there has to be some give and take on views held even if they don't concur with your own (again I've been as guilty as many but in the spirit of the new glass half full Homer hoping we can all move on). Personally I'm blaming it all on a forum wide case of sunstroke and disbelief that Woods didn't win the Open with a chipper, wearing a black glove and retrieving errant drives with the ball retriever the caddy was carrying under a Nike head cover

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Speed limit - only on clear Motorways

You can not condone breaking the law

The above sounds like you are condoning breaking the law!

 

[North Mimms]

Having read this thread with a heavier and heavier heart as it yet again transcends into chaos and petty point scoring, can I just ask if the mods are looking at some of the behaviour on here and having a word privately. I am far from whiter than white, have been equally to blame elsewhere and taken the hits and infractions accordingly. However this one in particular seems to have a nasty air of niggly jibes and bitterness

As others have pointed out, having a mobile in your hand and driving is illegal. End of, certainly in the eyes of the law. I'm sure most on here will have transgressed driving laws, knowingly or unwittingly but having had a parent who knocked down and seriously injured a young kid many years ago (way before mobiles) I know first hand how the guilt can lay very heavy for many, many years for a moment of distraction.

I think it was Bladeplayer who said the forum seems to be a funny place now and I totally agree. So many threads are slipping into murky waters at the drop of a hat and whilst there's room for frank and open debate on all topics, there has to be some give and take on views held even if they don't concur with your own (again I've been as guilty as many but in the spirit of the new glass half full Homer hoping we can all move on). Personally I'm blaming it all on a forum wide case of sunstroke and disbelief that Woods didn't win the Open with a chipper, wearing a black glove and retrieving errant drives with the ball retriever the caddy was carrying under a Nike head cover

You're right Homer..
Those ball retrivers are indeed the instrument of Satan.
Blame them.

I'm out.