Attitudes to the road toll

[ian]

what gets me is last time I looked, you could
play with an iPod or iPad
play with a hand held GPS
use your laptop
read the paper or a magazine or book
eat
drink (as long as the drink is non alcoholic)

all while driving.
It's just phones that are verboten.

and while hands' free phones use is "legal" the concentration required to follow a conversation is just as distracting as playing with the contact list to make a call.

go figure

[BobL]

In WA iPods, Ipads and laptops etc are covered by the non essential VDU rule.

driver shall not drive a motor vehicle that has a television receiver or visual display unit in or on the vehicle operating while the vehicle is moving, or is stationary but not parked, if any part of the image on the screen — (a) is visible to the driver from the normal driving position;
or
(b) is likely to distract another driver.

Not even your passengers should use an iPad etc if the driver can see the screen.
Holding an iPad up to a vehicle window so that another driver can see the screen is also an office. I wonder who gets charged?

Some VDUs like, despatch devices, vehicle monitoring system, GPS and displays integrated into the vehicles display are exempt.
Device MUST be fixed to the vehicle.

Ipads and computers with coms sim cards are deemed mobile phones

GPS cannot be touched while driving.

[ian]

GPS cannot be touched while driving.

so that's why the hands free phones and GPS in Beamers, Audis, Mercs and Volvos are controlled by knobs and buttons on the centre console.

[Dibbers]

while i agree with the ban on the use of mobiles etc while driving, there are so many other distractions that go unchecked.

For 1, the amount of times i constantly have to check my speedo because on a 1km stretch of road the speed limit changes 3 or 4 times is ridiculous. Also, School zones. I agree with them in principle. however on a main arterial road, where the footpath is fenced and a pedestrian bridge is provided to cross the street, i don't think there should be a school zone present. It creates a traffic jam, with people getting frustrated and constantly looking at their speedo to ensure they aren't going faster than 40km/h (except for the occassional nutjob).

School Zones are a good thing in general, but i don't think there should be a blanket rule that all schools have one if the above conditions are present.

[A Duke]

Hi,
Bring back the guy running in front with a red flag.