Sometimes I wish I was a cop!

[Pilchard]

Picture it L plate driver, windy road and a loose ended station wagon traveling at 80, talking on her mobile phone!!Nearly hit two oncoming vehicles as she was over the double whites by 2' the mother needs her frigging head read.

Maybe I am just being a cranky bastard but this really annoyed me and I called the cops but without a photo or other evidence they cant do a thing, maybe I should have pulled out my camera and took a couple of quick ones before I backed off to a 100m distance I case she hit someone head on.

I was a learner once too but well before phones were the norm and I'm not that old.Taught my brother and sister to drive and if they had tried a stunt like that they wouldn't have a teacher.

Is it me or are people getting dumber??

[A Duke]

Picture it L plate driver, windy road and a loose ended station wagon traveling at 80, talking on her mobile phone!!Nearly hit two oncoming vehicles as she was over the double whites by 2' the mother needs her frigging head read.

Maybe I am just being a cranky bastard but this really annoyed me and I called the cops but without a photo or other evidence they cant do a thing, maybe I should have pulled out my camera and took a couple of quick ones before I backed off to a 100m distance I case she hit someone head on.

I was a learner once too but well before phones were the norm and I'm not that old.Taught my brother and sister to drive and if they had tried a stunt like that they wouldn't have a teacher.

Is it me or are people getting dumber??

That does not sound any brighter

[Pilchard]

I was joking

[HazzaB]

Hey Pilchard,

I'm only a Young Fella Too, (according to the old fellas at Woodturners Group) I'm a 1961 Model, and yes there are heaps of times that I wish that I had a 'Blue Light Taxi' the mobile phone and Driving Don't mix. I had a young (P plater) today give me the Finger and a mouthfull of profanities, because I interupted her phone conversation while we were negotiating a couple of round-abouts, this afternoon. (apparently I'm a Grumpy old Fart, NOW).
In a previous Life I did an apprenticeship as a Golf Course Greenkeeper, my boss at the time taught me a couple of valuable lessons, #1 'You can't Please ALL the People All the Time, and you can't please None of the People None of the Time, and #2 'Common Sense, isn't so Common anymore.
It has taken nearly 30 years and his lessons are finally making sense.

HazzaB

[Pilchard]

I'm a 79 model and I think I'm getting old quick. I drive a diesel and haven't been booked for 10 years. My wife has only just got her license and on the green p plates taught her to drive also. She was a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to driving probably because of the car accident she was in as a kid, killing her mother and seriously injuring her and her 2 siblings. There is something that makes you take care when you are thrown through a windscreen and found 40 meters up the road from the accident. She still bears the horific scars today.

I was a kid once too and enjoyed living on the wild side, slider bikes were my thing and chook chasers through the scrub at mad speeds, but people need to open their eyes and seethe dangers. I have Chanel 3 film footage from the archive of my wife's accident when she was 3 years old and it churns my stomach to think she survived it. Telegraph pols are not forgiving.

The gov has done it with my smokes so why not new drivers, put them into a scare campaign of crashes and make the look at the aftermath. We would have alot safer roads or safer by a bit I would hope.

[BobL]

Just to demonstrate that it does happen, two years ago I was run into head on by an absolute eedjet texting on a mobile phone.
Lucky I saw him and braked and was almost stopped but he was doing ~50 kph and totalled both cars.
Guy claimed he had fallen asleep at the wheel but I now know he was texting.

Full story and pics in this thread. https://www.woodworkforums.com/f43/wh...inking-126905/

Now every time I see people driving while using a mobile I recollect seeing my life flash before my eyes and the skin on the back of my neck crawls a little.

[Opelblues2]

I find it hard for people on a duel lane road to talk on their phones, when there is a duel trumpet truck horn going off 5 feet from the drivers door it's very loud

[artme]

Trouble with that Opelblues is the fright caused may lead to a bingle.

[Bob38S]

Not really sure what the "absolute" answer is to this problem.

It has been touted that technology should be introduced to block the phone's signal when the motor is going. One of the reasons for this is that the fines don't appear to be working.

I say "No!" - once again, I'm expected to pay / be punished [whatever you wish to call it] for the actions of a few.

Perhaps the real solution or at least a good step in the right direction is

[1] $1000.00 fine,

[2] phone is crushed immediately - none of the "Hoon's Law" of you get a few goes before it is crushed.

I presume that as most phones are on plans that are not cancelled if you lose your phone that this action would serve as an extra reminder of the offender's stupidity.

Once again - "You do the crime then you get punished - not me." It is your problem not mine and I resent greatly if it is made into my problem.

[Sturdee]

Perhaps the real solution or at least a good step in the right direction is

[1] $1000.00 fine,

[2] phone AND CAR is crushed immediately - none of the "Hoon's Law" of you get a few goes before it is crushed.

Peter.

[A Duke]

"You do the crime then you get punished"
Unfortunately it would still be only for being caught and not for doing the crime.
Regards

[petersemple]

It has been touted that technology should be introduced to block the phone's signal when the motor is going. One of the reasons for this is that the fines don't appear to be working.

Problem with this idea is that it is still quite legal to use a phone when driving if you use it hands free. Whether that's a good idea or not has been argued both ways. Absolutely though it is quite fine (and sometimes really useful) for the passenger in a car to use a phone. Most technical solutions would block passengers's phone usage as well.

[Bob38S]

Problem with this idea is that it is still quite legal to use a phone when driving if you use it hands free. Whether that's a good idea or not has been argued both ways. Absolutely though it is quite fine (and sometimes really useful) for the passenger in a car to use a phone. Most technical solutions would block passengers's phone usage as well.

Totally agree - aside from the costs associated with the technology, the inconvenience to the general public who do the right thing should not be necessary because some people claim that they can't help themselves.

The idea I was referring to was one put forward by some "expert motoring authority" and was comparing the lockout of drunk drivers until they could pass some alcometer tied into the ignition. Their idea was that something similar could be used to lockout the phone while the ignition was active. Certainly not my suggestion nor seen by me as a viable solution to this problem.

I can't verify the accuracy of the following as I heard it third or fourth hand at a Christmas gathering [it did fall into the "that doesn't surprise me category"] - the conversation went -- "heard from an ambo that he has just had his third crash victim with a mobile phone impaled into the driver's hand...the last one was P plater and female..." Don't know the accuracy but as I said before - "It would not surprise me."

[fxst]

Just block them in car...we never had mobile phones until fairly recently and lived ok. What is so important that we must have it whilst driving ?? Even tradies never had them and still got plenty work. As a mobile locky I worked with a pager whilst mobile and that was annoying enough and got a mobile brick which helped to get to jobs faster but I would turn it off when in the car.
Pete

[Big Shed]

Maybe I am missing something here, but what is wrong with a "hands free" kit of some sort?

In my day to day car (Commodore) I have a Bury hands free kit which routes the call through the radio, "look Mum no hands" like.

In my 4wd travelling car I installed a JVC radio that has Bluetooth and again, "no hands".

As all of us talk to our passengers, and passengers talk to us, at some stage, talking on the phone "hands free" should not be any more distracting than talking to our passenger(s).

Every day I see people engaging in all sorts of activities in their cars, shaving, doing their hair, picking their nose etc. Also, most 4wd have 2 way radios and people use them all the time too, should we then ban all of these activities too?