Motorists who are caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving
will have three penalty points added to their licence, the government
says.
Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said the maximum fine would also
double to £60 from 27 February.
He added that it was "impossible to do two things at once" and that
using a mobile while driving was dangerous.
But the Liberal Democrats say only about one in 100 offenders are
being caught by police.
'Concentration'
Mr Alexander said: "Research shows that talking on a mobile phone
while driving affects your concentration and ability to react to
dangerous situations.
"It's quite simple - it's impossible to do two things at once and do
them well.
"That is why in December 2003 we introduced new laws preventing
motorists from driving while using a hand-held mobile.
"We have seen a groundswell of support for this move.
"But, worryingly, while 92% of people agree with the law, 21% of
drivers admit to breaking it."
Shadow Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "This is a perfectly
sensible change and we support it.
"But the trouble with changes like this coming from ministers in ivory
towers is that they have left our roads to be policed by speed cameras
rather than real traffic officers - and so people will carry on
getting away with offences like this."
Home Office figures for 2004 show that nearly 74,000 fixed-penalty
notices were issued in England and Wales for illegal use of a mobile
phone while driving.
A Liberal Democrat study last year suggested this meant only 1.1% of
those who admitted to the offence were being caught.
The party combined the Home Office figures and an insurance firm's
survey on driving habits to calculate that 6.7m people use mobiles
while behind the wheel.
If the police or the driver choose to take a case to court rather than
use a fixed-penalty notice, the maximum fine is £1,000, or £2,500 for
drivers of vans, lorries, buses and coaches.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/h...cs/6287005.stm
"Steve" <me8@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:742ar25bdahasf427i6ek7grc2qh2s1qic@4ax.com...
> Drivers face new phone penalties
>
Newest traffic law today here is 2000 krones find if you don't scrape the
snow and ice off all your car windows, Steve.
On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:59:50 +0000, I waved a wand and this message
magically appears in front of Steve:
> Motorists who are caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving
> will have three penalty points added to their licence, the government
> says.
>
> Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said the maximum fine would also
> double to £60 from 27 February.
"Steve" <me8@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:742ar25bdahasf427i6ek7grc2qh2s1qic@4ax.com...
> Drivers face new phone penalties
>
> Motorists who are caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving
> will have three penalty points added to their licence, the government
> says.
>
> Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said the maximum fine would also
> double to £60 from 27 February.
>
The sooner the better. We see motorists and van drivers every day trying to
negotiate busy High Streets or roundabouts with their mobile phones held to
their ears. It's a culture that will take some changing.
On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:43:58 +0000, TFP wrote:
> Absolutely right. Down here in London / Surrey it is incrdible how many
> t0$$ers you see in 30k cars who can't afford 50 quid for a handsfree kit.
With most new phones it's just a case of plugging a wire into the phone
and clipping it onto your shirt.
JAF wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:43:58 +0000, TFP wrote:
>>> Absolutely right. Down here in London / Surrey it is incrdible how many
>>> t0$$ers you see in 30k cars who can't afford 50 quid for a handsfree kit.
> Even if they were given away free, who wants to look like a Star Trek
> cast-off, with a naff lump of plastic stuck in your ear?
>
I prefer that to some stupid idiot killing people.
I saw one of those 30k plus cars this week with the driver having a
phone in one hand and a sandwich in the other.
Personally, I would skip the fine and the points and just confiscate the
car.
JAF wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:43:58 +0000, TFP wrote:
>>> Absolutely right. Down here in London / Surrey it is incrdible how many
>>> t0$$ers you see in 30k cars who can't afford 50 quid for a handsfree kit.
> Even if they were given away free, who wants to look like a Star Trek
> cast-off, with a naff lump of plastic stuck in your ear?
>
I'd rather look like a star trek cast-off with a naff lump of
plastic in my ear for that incredibly important phone call
that simply wont wait, than than lose my livelihood by losing
my licence.
I'm sure most people would. If you want to risk all the hard
work, money and effort that you put into passing your driving
test than that's your perogative.
Dave C wrote:
> JAF wrote:
>
>>
>>> On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:43:58 +0000, TFP wrote:
>>>
>>>> Absolutely right. Down here in London / Surrey it is incrdible how
>>>> many t0$$ers you see in 30k cars who can't afford 50 quid for a
>>>> handsfree kit.
>>
>> Even if they were given away free, who wants to look like a Star Trek
>> cast-off, with a naff lump of plastic stuck in your ear?
>>
> I prefer that to some stupid idiot killing people.
>
> I saw one of those 30k plus cars this week with the driver having a
> phone in one hand and a sandwich in the other.
Norcot wrote:
> "Steve" <me8@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:742ar25bdahasf427i6ek7grc2qh2s1qic@4ax.com...
>> Drivers face new phone penalties
>>
>> Motorists who are caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving
>> will have three penalty points added to their licence, the government
>> says.
>>
>> Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said the maximum fine would also
>> double to £60 from 27 February.
>>
>
> The sooner the better. We see motorists and van drivers every day trying to
> negotiate busy High Streets or roundabouts with their mobile phones held to
> their ears. It's a culture that will take some changing.
>
I'm all for it, but let's also ban smoking while driving. How is that
any different to having a phone in your hand!
--
regards, James Luff Gamertag: Lufferov
remove 'nospam' to e-mail
"There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those that understand binary, and those that don't."
> I saw one of those 30k plus cars this week with the driver having a
> phone in one hand and a sandwich in the other.
Isn't that why these cars have automatic gearboxes and power steering
(so you can steer with your knee or elbow and have both hands free for
more interesting things)? :-)
> JAF wrote:
> >
> >> On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:43:58 +0000, TFP wrote: >> Absolutely right.
> >Down here in London / Surrey it is incrdible how many >> t0$$ers you see
> >in 30k cars who can't afford 50 quid for a handsfree kit. Even if they
> >were given away free, who wants to look like a Star Trek cast-off, with a
> >naff lump of plastic stuck in your ear?
> >
>
> I'd rather look like a star trek cast-off with a naff lump of plastic in
> my ear for that incredibly important phone call that simply wont wait,
> than than lose my livelihood by losing my licence.
>
> I'm sure most people would. If you want to risk all the hard work, money
> and effort that you put into passing your driving test than that's your
> perogative.
Parrot car kits are cheap as chips and take literally minutes to
install. That's what's going in my 'classic' when I get it back.
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo' www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #
>Mr Alexander said: "Research shows that talking on a mobile phone
>while driving affects your concentration and ability to react to
>dangerous situations.
>
>"It's quite simple - it's impossible to do two things at once and do
>them well.
>
>"That is why in December 2003 we introduced new laws preventing
>motorists from driving while using a hand-held mobile.
But didn't introduce legislation to prevent talking into a hands free
mobile phone which requires just as much concentration. I mean just how
hard do you have to concentrate to hold a bit of plastic?
The law was effing stupid in the first place and now they have just
significantly upped the punishment for driving like a twat without first
buying a hands free kit which will ensure all the twats buy hands free kit
and drive like twats with impunity.
nospam wrote:
> Steve <me8@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>> Mr Alexander said: "Research shows that talking on a mobile phone
>> while driving affects your concentration and ability to react to
>> dangerous situations.
>>
>> "It's quite simple - it's impossible to do two things at once and do
>> them well.
>>
>> "That is why in December 2003 we introduced new laws preventing
>> motorists from driving while using a hand-held mobile.
>
> But didn't introduce legislation to prevent talking into a hands free
> mobile phone which requires just as much concentration. I mean just how
> hard do you have to concentrate to hold a bit of plastic?
>
> The law was effing stupid in the first place and now they have just
> significantly upped the punishment for driving like a twat without first
> buying a hands free kit which will ensure all the twats buy hands free kit
> and drive like twats with impunity.
>
So let's ban the driver from talking to someone in the back seat of the
car. After all how different is that to talking to someone via a hands
free kit? It required the same level of concentration.
The point is, that talking on a mobile phone removes one hand from the
wheel. Talking hands free doesn't.
--
regards, James Luff Gamertag: Lufferov
remove 'nospam' to e-mail
"There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those that understand binary, and those that don't."
SteveH (steve@italiancar.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying :
> Parrot car kits are cheap as chips and take literally minutes to
> install. That's what's going in my 'classic' when I get it back.
I find a bluetooth earpiece far easier to use and less distracting than a
fitted car kit - and that's after having several professionally fitted
genuine Nokia kits.
> SteveH (steve@italiancar.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they
> were saying :
>
> > Parrot car kits are cheap as chips and take literally minutes to
> > install. That's what's going in my 'classic' when I get it back.
>
> I find a bluetooth earpiece far easier to use and less distracting than a
> fitted car kit - and that's after having several professionally fitted
> genuine Nokia kits.
I had to resort to a bluetooth earpiece when my CK-7W threw a hissy fit
on me.
I hated it, ended up switching my phone off in the car until it was
fixed.
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo' www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #
"Tommy" <tommy@t.om.myy> wrote in message
newsan.2007.01.22.20.31.46.71050@t.om.myy...
> On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:43:58 +0000, TFP wrote:
>> Absolutely right. Down here in London / Surrey it is incrdible how many
>> t0$$ers you see in 30k cars who can't afford 50 quid for a handsfree kit.
>
> With most new phones it's just a case of plugging a wire into the phone
> and clipping it onto your shirt.
Though unless the phone itself is in some sort of mount, it's still illegal.
You can only touch the phone if it's mounted somewhere.
On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:53:41 +0000, James Luff
<james.luff@nospamdsl.pipex.com> wrote:
>Norcot wrote:
>> "Steve" <me8@privacy.net> wrote in message
>> news:742ar25bdahasf427i6ek7grc2qh2s1qic@4ax.com...
>>> Drivers face new phone penalties
>>>
>>> Motorists who are caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving
>>> will have three penalty points added to their licence, the government
>>> says.
>>>
>>> Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander said the maximum fine would also
>>> double to £60 from 27 February.
>>>
>>
>> The sooner the better. We see motorists and van drivers every day trying to
>> negotiate busy High Streets or roundabouts with their mobile phones held to
>> their ears. It's a culture that will take some changing.
>>
>
>I'm all for it, but let's also ban smoking while driving. How is that
>any different to having a phone in your hand!
Not at all. Usually because the bimbo (usually) waving the fag around
(on the basis of observation) is talking about everything under the
sun and not concentrating on the road in front. Nor anything else.
The ability to multi-task is merely an opportunity to carry out two
(or more) tasks badly at the same time.
In message <Er-dnY3U2dnvtijYnZ2dnUVZ8sninZ2d@pipex.net>, James Luff
<james.luff@nospamdsl.pipex.com> writes
>
>The point is, that talking on a mobile phone removes one hand from the
>wheel.
So does changing gear in a manual car. Should we ban them all and make
everyone drive an automatic then?
Or alternatively, should drivers of automatics be exempted from this
law?
SteveH wrote:
> Adrian <toomany2cvs@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> SteveH (steve@italiancar.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they
>> were saying :
>>
>>> Parrot car kits are cheap as chips and take literally minutes to
>>> install. That's what's going in my 'classic' when I get it back.
>> I find a bluetooth earpiece far easier to use and less distracting than a
>> fitted car kit - and that's after having several professionally fitted
>> genuine Nokia kits.
>
> I had to resort to a bluetooth earpiece when my CK-7W threw a hissy fit
> on me.
>
> I hated it, ended up switching my phone off in the car until it was
> fixed.
Exactly!! What is so wrong with doing that? I'm sure in some
countries you HAVE to have the bloody thing switched off in
the car by law anyway. But no, paranoid women will then
instantly think that if their boyfriend isn't contactable 24/7
365 then he's cheating.
What did we do without mobiles? Had a quieter life that's for
sure.
JAF wrote:
> On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:53:41 +0000, James Luff
> <james.luff@nospamdsl.pipex.com> wrote:
>
>> I'm all for it, but let's also ban smoking while driving. How is that
>> any different to having a phone in your hand!
>
> It doesn't require such a large amount of your brain to be relinquishing its
> driving duties.
> All the same, you might have a point.
But to me that isn't the issue, the difference between talking on the
phone whilst driving requires no more or less concentration that talking
to a passenger. What is a problem is that the phone requires you to
remove a hand from the driving process, hence hands free. If the actual
process of talking on the phone was the dangerous aspect then why would
hands free make that any safer?
--
regards, James Luff Gamertag: Lufferov
remove 'nospam' to e-mail
"There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those that understand binary, and those that don't."
> > I had to resort to a bluetooth earpiece when my CK-7W threw a hissy fit
> > on me.
> >
> > I hated it, ended up switching my phone off in the car until it was
> > fixed.
>
> Exactly!! What is so wrong with doing that? I'm sure in some
> countries you HAVE to have the bloody thing switched off in
> the car by law anyway. But no, paranoid women will then
> instantly think that if their boyfriend isn't contactable 24/7
> 365 then he's cheating.
>
> What did we do without mobiles? Had a quieter life that's for
> sure.
At a guess, never got any real work done because you'd end up spending
most of your day in lay-bys picking up messages and replying to them.
> On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 21:17:24 +0000, steve@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) wrote:
>
> >
> >I hated it, ended up switching my phone off in the car until it was
> >fixed.
>
> And did the world end?
It was a PITA and effectively extended my working day by an hour or two.
> No.
>
> It's a course of action I heartily recommend.
> Saves on batteries too.
How does it save on batteries when my car kit and phone are both powered
from the car battery?
Roadhog wrote:
> In message <Er-dnY3U2dnvtijYnZ2dnUVZ8sninZ2d@pipex.net>, James Luff
> <james.luff@nospamdsl.pipex.com> writes
>>
>> The point is, that talking on a mobile phone removes one hand from the
>> wheel.
>
> So does changing gear in a manual car. Should we ban them all and make
> everyone drive an automatic then?
>
> Or alternatively, should drivers of automatics be exempted from this law?
Okay, I should have said the driving process and not just wheel.
--
regards, James Luff Gamertag: Lufferov
remove 'nospam' to e-mail
"There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those that understand binary, and those that don't."
SteveH wrote:
> Charlie Mitchell <jm2@charleem.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>> I had to resort to a bluetooth earpiece when my CK-7W threw a hissy
>>> fit on me.
>>>
>>> I hated it, ended up switching my phone off in the car until it was
>>> fixed.
>>
>> Exactly!! What is so wrong with doing that? I'm sure in some
>> countries you HAVE to have the bloody thing switched off in
>> the car by law anyway. But no, paranoid women will then
>> instantly think that if their boyfriend isn't contactable 24/7
>> 365 then he's cheating.
>>
>> What did we do without mobiles? Had a quieter life that's for
>> sure.
>
> At a guess, never got any real work done because you'd end up spending
> most of your day in lay-bys picking up messages and replying to them.
Even in the supposed halcyon days when there was a layby every couple of
miles or so, few of them had phone boxes.
Adrian wrote:
> James Luff (james.luff@nospamdsl.pipex.com) gurgled happily, sounding
> much like they were saying :
>
>> The point is, that talking on a mobile phone removes one hand from the
>> wheel. Talking hands free doesn't.
>
> You can easily drop a phone if need be. You can't easily do that with a can
> of coke or a lit ciggy.
>
> Tackle the problem, not the symptom, and charge 'em with DWDC&A if they
> are.
I think there's something to be said for that, mobile phone use is
already covered by that offence. If the Police could actually be arsed
to enforce the laws we already have there wouldn't be the need to invent
new ones to act as a deterrent.
A couple of successful convictions for DWDC&A while using a mobile would
soon make people think twice before using a one. The problem is, I see
mobile phone use while driving two or three times a day. I don't know
anybody who has been fined for doing it.
--
regards, James Luff Gamertag: Lufferov
remove 'nospam' to e-mail
"There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those that understand binary, and those that don't."
JAF (anarchSPAMKILLER@ntlworld.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :
>>I'd rather look like a star trek cast-off with a naff lump of
>>plastic in my ear for that incredibly important phone call
>>that simply wont wait, than than lose my livelihood by losing
>>my licence.
> What did you do before mobile phones?
Wasted a lot of time.
> And if it's that important, won't they ring you back?
Or leave a message, yes.
Of course, you won't actually GET the message until you get to your
destination and turn your phone back on.
Bit of a bugger if the message left five minutes after you leave the office
tells you that the meeting you're heading to (three hours away) is
cancelled ...
> And if you're any good at your job, won't you get other work?
Interviewer - Why did you leave your last job?
Interviewee - I lost my company a major client, because I refused to use a
perfectly safe and legal tool-of-the-trade.
Interviewer - Don't call us, we'll call you...
About time too! 
an.2007.01.22.20.31.46.71050@t.om.myy...
Linear Mode
