There is nothing upmarket about having a built in hands free kit in your car. Pretty standard stuff now in basic cars. They have become like a/c, no longer a luxury.
GreiginFife
Money List Winner
Most of it is simple Bluetooth integration.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Or 10 year old Chryslers in my case, or 17 year old BMW for the wife.
ScienceBoy
Money List Winner
My 5 year old yaris doesnt have it either.
I have never taken a call or texted while driving. I once was stuck in horrendous traffic due and got diverted down a small lane.
It was stop, wait, start traffic so I pulled to the side to make a call, to say I will be late, all legal as far as I know as I pulled over and everything. We didn't move and no noticeable space opened up in front of me yet I got beeped at at least 3 times... Just because I might have blocked their 3m crawl forwards...
I do however use my phone as a "sat-nav", I use Waze every day to avoid traffic and find the best route. I have turned off all alerts for texts and emails etc so I don't get distracted. Its great and has saved me a fair few hours at least in the last few months.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Every single car we sell, from the humblest, bottom of the range Micra to the top of the range X-Trail has bluetooth as standard.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
One accident I had, (in a customers car), could be directly attributed to use of a mobile phone.
Driving into work one day, I had my mobile on the passenger seat. The text message alert went off and I glanced down to see who it was from.
Wet road, slippery surface, cars in front had stopped.........by the time I realised it was too late and I couldn't brake in time.
Did £700's worth of damage to his car and he wasn't happy.
That was solely down to me "using" the mobile phone.
Driving into work one day, I had my mobile on the passenger seat. The text message alert went off and I glanced down to see who it was from.
Wet road, slippery surface, cars in front had stopped.........by the time I realised it was too late and I couldn't brake in time.
Did £700's worth of damage to his car and he wasn't happy.
That was solely down to me "using" the mobile phone.
MadAdey
Money List Winner
It's stupid the amount of people you see here on them. You have to be so aware at all times on the freeway cause you never know when someone is going to drift across as they are texting someone.
BesCumber
Assistant Pro
Totally agree with the proposed increase to £200 fine plus 6 points.
But is it just political posturing when dedicated traffic cops have been cut by 27% since 2010, outside of the capital?:mmm:
But is it just political posturing when dedicated traffic cops have been cut by 27% since 2010, outside of the capital?:mmm:
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
And there's the biggest stumbling block.
Hardly any Police in a position to enforce....
Not a waste of time but I can't see it making much difference...
Hardly any Police in a position to enforce....
Not a waste of time but I can't see it making much difference...
The deterrent is much stronger though. That is what they are relying on.
D
Deleted member 18645
Guest
I think what it needs is a short sharp burst of police presence at traffic lights, roundabouts etc. Spot offenders and then make a concerted effort to publicise the prosecutions in the local and national press. A few people losing their jobs because of a driving ban will have a lot more effect than the likes of the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror trying to take credit for a Government press release saying something will be done.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
It would be interesting to know what the chances of getting caught actually are....
The deterrent could be life inside but if the chances of getting caught are so low it reduces the effectiveness of that deterrent.
People need to sound their horns when they see someone driving and using the phone....make it known that they've been spotted.
The deterrent could be life inside but if the chances of getting caught are so low it reduces the effectiveness of that deterrent.
People need to sound their horns when they see someone driving and using the phone....make it known that they've been spotted.
Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
Then they're wasting their time; the penalty isn't the deterrent, the likelihood of being caught is.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Why would you lose your job? You don't with speeding points, as you can go way over the dozen points if you need to drive for your job. I know someone on 20 odd points, and still allowed to drive. Legally.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Old Skier
Tour Winner
They are one of the problems. They seem to think they can take their hands of the wheel to burp into their radios and it doesn't have any effect on their driving.
You just ask my system to ring numb nuts and off it goes, it even reads out texts. Why the cop cars arnt so clever is beyond me with the price they pay for their motors.
The new government proposals are what's required and I particularly like the idea of young new drivers losing their licence and having to re-sit the test as these are the prime (but not sole) offenders and that, with the inevitable rise in insurance, could/should be a deterrent. However it needs to be made anti-social as drink driving has become for it to start seeping into the psyche of many.
Of course the government can make all the changes to legislation they like but without the sufficient numbers of police officers to enforce this (or many other motoring and criminal offences) how much difference is it going to make. I'm sure, like the drink drive blitzes there will be a huge crackdown, certainly initially but after that, how likely is it to be seen as a priority
Lwatson-jones
Assistant Pro
Bluetooth and modern smartphones works!
well it does for me.
I have a basic Parrot system and an iPhone.
I just press the green button on the Parrot (no more distracting that turning the radio on) and just say "Call the wife" and my phone does the rest.
never tried Siri and reading messages.. but don't feel the need to listen to them while driving..
well it does for me.
I have a basic Parrot system and an iPhone.
I just press the green button on the Parrot (no more distracting that turning the radio on) and just say "Call the wife" and my phone does the rest.
never tried Siri and reading messages.. but don't feel the need to listen to them while driving..
