Use of mobile phones in cars

Neilc28 said:
I can't see this happen, if it does it would also need to cover ANY voice system, no Carplay, no Android Auto, no generic voice systems (BMW for instance).

What about a conversation with the passenger? How is that any different? Are we expected to silently drive with the family in the car?

Utterly ridiculous idea....
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I only said ban the lot of mobile use in a car, some folk think they can control a car one handed while using a mobile now that is Utterly ridiculous and dangerous.
 
onomatopoeia said:
One law for the police, another for the rest of us. At least, that's why the exemption exists for two way radios even if CB users can also avail themselves of it.
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Majority of police cars that I see have two officers. I can't remember the last time i saw a police officer driving solo. The driver won't be the one operating the radio.
 
nilagin said:
Majority of police cars that I see have two officers. I can't remember the last time i saw a police officer driving solo. The driver won't be the one operating the radio.
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Definitely. If you spot a newish BMW with 2 people in better make sure there is nothing they can pull you over for.

Dave70D said:
I only said ban the lot of mobile use in a car, some folk think they can control a car one handed while using a mobile now that is Utterly ridiculous and dangerous.
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It's actually more to do with losing attention on the road and a lot may happen in just a fraction of a second.
 
munch said:
If I was needing to really concentrate (built up areas, traffic conditions etc) then I just didn't answer.
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I've had hands-free in my car for 10 years. Bluetooth enabled so my phone could sit in my pocket or glovebox. I've answered calls if I was "free" enough to do so. I'd almost always answer if it was family. For a few years, I had a 40 minute commute which was the same route there and back. I'd sometimes chat to siblings on a weekly basis and they'd know if I said "hang on" that I need to divert more attention to the road.

sirch said:
Every death is someone's child, parent, relative, friend. I guess 1700+ deaths is OK as long as it's not you or yours?
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You're right! We should ban dying!

In all honesty, I think the more you cut down on major causes of deaths, the more you have to target smaller things which are more difficult. Easy to target someone who's got a phone up to their ear. Harder to target someone who has it in the glovebox but is still using it. As long as humans are in charge of vehicles, there will always be deaths.

Nod said:
Passengers are generally vaguely aware of what's happening so will STFU if/when necessary. I always ask the MiL to keep talking to a minimum when I'm driving too! :D
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The missus needs to be told several times to shut up. And still doesn't. She's more of a distraction than anything else including phonecalls.
 
sirch said:
I guess 1700+ deaths is OK as long as it's not you or yours?
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The last Department for Transport report says that British drivers clocked up around 329 billion miles between April 2018 and March 2019. While I agree that no one should be killed or injured on the road I think we're doing very well in getting towards a minimum.
 
Years ago when I drove a company car for work I would regularly see women applying makeup, men shaving and lots of food & drink consumed by drivers as they drove. I even saw a truck driver reading a newspaper while trundling along in his 40 ton articulated lorry.

My employer required us to have hands free car kits installed in our cars but we were expected to pull over & stop if we needed to initiate calls.

Nowadays our cars are bluetooth handsfree enabled but I still follow the advice from my ex-employer & never initiate a call while driving. On the rare occasion I receive a call while driving I will ask the caller to hold while I negotiate a roundabout, junction or perform some other manoeuvre which requires my full attention.
 
nilagin said:
Majority of police cars that I see have two officers. I can't remember the last time i saw a police officer driving solo. The driver won't be the one operating the radio.
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In my response car it had a built in radio with mic and speaker, there was a press to talk button on the steering wheel. This type of arrangement was fitted to all vehicles which weren't operated with more than one person.
 
I can't see how using hands free is any more dangerous than talking to a passenger. In fact, drivers often turn away to look at the person next to them while in conversation..... When I answer a call in the car I always make a point of telling whoever is on the other end that I'm "hands free in the car" so they know my situation.

I have an automatic with a head up display, I never need to take my eyes off of the road or my hands to leave the wheel while I'm driving. I have a button on the wheel to answer a call, and in the remote possibility that I need to call somebody, I have my wife, son, sister and 2 best mates in the contacts in the car, so I can do it by voice command which works very well.
 
rick448 said:
In my response car it had a built in radio with mic and speaker, there was a press to talk button on the steering wheel. This type of arrangement was fitted to all vehicles which weren't operated with more than one person.
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I had a similar set up 20 years ago for my amateur radio stuff, although that was vox operated.
 
It is very easy to drive a vehicle with just one hand on the wheel. You don't need two hands especially on a straight road or a motorway. Yet you see cars wandering out of their lanes and then you see they have their phone to their ear. It isn't the action of only having one hand on the wheel it is the distraction of talking on the phone.
I can make and answer calls using a button on my steering wheel, but I always ignore all incoming calls and never try to phone anyone whilst driving. I won't even hold a conversation with any passengers. The latter are lucky to get more than two or three words out of me. The only time I will talk is when I curse at some d!@£head who has almost run into me etc.
 
So, if we are unable to have a conversation with someone without it causing us to be unable to drive, and any voices are causes us a distraction, I guess we need to ban radios in cars. It'll be interesting to see how we will teach people to drive, or carry out driving tests without having any kind of conversation. I really think the whole thing is getting totally out of hand. The issue isn't about the ability to hold a conversation and drive, it is about the peception some people have about driving in general. To some it is a skill which they use to get from one place to another safety. For many others it is a god given right and they don't care what they are doing or indeed what others are doing. So whatever else they have going on at the time is more important to them than the actual fact they are driving a vehicle, as they don't consider driving is anything they need to think about.
 
Jelster said:
I can't see how using hands free is any more dangerous than talking to a passenger. In fact, drivers often turn away to look at the person next to them while in conversation..... When I answer a call in the car I always make a point of telling whoever is on the other end that I'm "hands free in the car" so they know my situation.

I have an automatic with a head up display, I never need to take my eyes off of the road or my hands to leave the wheel while I'm driving. I have a button on the wheel to answer a call, and in the remote possibility that I need to call somebody, I have my wife, son, sister and 2 best mates in the contacts in the car, so I can do it by voice command which works very well.
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A typical passenger would know instinctively when conditions are not suitable for animated conversations. There are studies that clearly show that phone conversations are much more distracting to the driver than a passenger.
Thats not to say a passenger cannot be distracting, some are oblivious and have no empathy to the drivers situation.
 
Rapscallion said:
A typical passenger would know instinctively when conditions are not suitable for animated conversations. There are studies that clearly show that phone conversations are much more distracting to the driver than a passenger.
Thats not to say a passenger cannot be distracting, some are oblivious and have no empathy to the drivers situation.
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I am sometimes amazed when I see drivers with their head turned towards a passenger having a conversation with complete disregard for what's happening in front of them.... But of course, these people believe it is safe to do so....
 
Rapscallion said:
A typical passenger would know instinctively when conditions are not suitable for animated conversations. There are studies that clearly show that phone conversations are much more distracting to the driver than a passenger.
Thats not to say a passenger cannot be distracting, some are oblivious and have no empathy to the drivers situation.
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Define "typical passenger". It will depend on various factors for sure, whether the passenger is a driver for one. It also assumes they are paying attention to the road.
 
Dave70D said:
Coming back from the gym today, I counted about ten idiots using a mobile phone while driving. So the police can never stay on top of it sadly, so I`d just ban the lot of it all.
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I see this all the time too, which makes me wonder : if it’s that obvious to other motorists then why aren’t the police cracking down on it? It’d be an easy money earner. I suppose the answer is there’s not enough police, despite what Boris tells us. :sneaky:
 
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Jelster said:
I am sometimes amazed when I see drivers with their head turned towards a passenger having a conversation with complete disregard for what's happening in front of them.... But of course, these people believe it is safe to do so....
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Like numerous presenters on TV talking to the camera in the car alongside them.
 
boogie man said:
I see this all the time too, which makes me wonder : if it’s that obvious to other motorists then why aren’t the police cracking down in it? It’d be an easy money earner. I suppose the answer is there’s not enough police, despite what Boris tells us. :sneaky:
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They dont have to be trained police. Somebody like a traffic warden or a video speeding van could do it.
 
Marc said:
Define "typical passenger". It will depend on various factors for sure, whether the passenger is a driver for one. It also assumes they are paying attention to the road.
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Let's say you or I.
 
Rapscallion said:
Let's say you or I.
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But who's to say you or I are typical passengers? The only time I'm a passenger is when my wife is driving. Quite often, if we're having a conversation, I will be looking something up on my phone so no, I won't be watching the road but then, like myself, my wife is able to negotiate a roundabout (for example) whilst someone else in the car is talking to her. As has already been said, it's no different to listening to the radio and that certainly doesn't know when conditions aren't suitable.

Seriously, if someone talking to you is going to distract you enough to cause your standard of driving to deteriorate then your driving skills are probably poor in the first place.
 
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Marc said:
As has already been said, it's no different to listening to the radio and that certainly doesn't know when conditions aren't suitable.
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A radio or music doesn't require any interaction though. I can't say I have ever felt the need to hold a conversation or respond to mine. If I do find it distracting because I am looming for directions or road signs etc. The volume button is right next to my right thumb on the steering wheel.
 
nilagin said:
A radio or music doesn't require any interaction though. I can't say I have ever felt the need to hold a conversation or respond to mine. If I do find it distracting because I am looming for directions or road signs etc. The volume button is right next to my right thumb on the steering wheel.
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A person speaking to you doesn't require any interaction if you're negotiating a roundabout (other road hazards are available) and that's the point. Someone speaking to you from the passenger seat is no different to someone speaking to you on the phone (or Adrian Durham talking b*****ks on Talk Sport) and, as I've already said, if a person talking is enough for your driving to deteriorate, you maybe shouldn't be behind the wheel in the first place.
 
Nod said:
Only to tell Vanessa Vine to do one! Daily Mail Radio at its worst!!!
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I had to look that up and I'm none the wiser. I suspect I'm better off that way as well.
 
It's a made up name, created by combining Jeremy Vine with Vanessa Feltz. Unfortunately, one of the regular trips I have to make in Mrs Nod's car is at their programme time and Mrs Nod's cars can't get Radio6 Music so I'm stuck with R2!
 
nilagin said:
A radio or music doesn't require any interaction though. I can't say I have ever felt the need to hold a conversation or respond to mine. If I do find it distracting because I am looming for directions or road signs etc. The volume button is right next to my right thumb on the steering wheel.
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No but it is a distraction, if concentrating for example on a quiz, or some news, or your mind wanders because of some old song that comes on.
 
Vanessa Feltz (Miss Piggy) and Jeremy Vine.
I only listen to Planet Rock on the rare occasion I have the radio on in the car. Mostly it will be CDs.
 
Lots of good points already

I feel true hands free does require a bit more concentration than talking to a passenger as audio quality isn’t as clear as someone in the car. That said I don’t feel the increase in risk is significant

I believe part of the issue is in the definition of hands-free.

Yes, ban *and enforce* holding a phone whilst driving regardless of reason (phone call, texting, navigation, taking video, or anything else).

What surprises me is the number of people I see driving whilst wearing headphones or earphones. I don’t know if that is for music or as a feeble attempt to be ‘hands free’ but that is a clear distraction and reduces the ability to hear surrounding noises. I had a friend who was deaf in one ear and her insurance premium increased because of it. I don’t know if this is still the norm though.

That said, maybe we just need better drivers. I was on the M3 on Friday and overtook a Mini Countryman sitting in the middle lane when the near side lane was clear for a long distance, so the driver had lost spacial awareness (or couldn’t care less). I was even more surprised upon overtaking to see that the driver was tucking into a pasty type thing half wrapped in a brown paper bag!

There are many more serious and potentially dangerous driving offences than using a phone as true hands free but too few patrols to enforce them.
 
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If we keep going like this we'll have a man walking in front with a red flag again, I did read that pedestrian "induced" accidents on are on the rise due to headphone listening or concentrating on a phone whilst crossing the road being a major cause.
 
It’s not just phones in cars. Manufacturers are putting touchscreen tablets into cars with associated loss of tactile feedback about which icon is being pressed without looking. Haptic feedback is just a button press - not which button is pressed.

Concern about the impact on driver attention has started already:
https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/highways-england-car-touchscreens-unsafe/

So which is more distracting: using a phone true built-in hands free or scrolling through menus on a car touchscreen to change aircon or media source? My bet is the touchscreen.
 
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