texting more dangerous than drink driving.

Bikerbaboon

Simple poll, IF texting while driving is more dagerous than drink driving should it then carry the same consiquences?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/drivin ... 776063.ece

so you get pulled over for using a mobile while driving should you still face the fine and a slap on hte wrist or should you now be faceing a 12month+ ban ?

KitsuneAndy

What the results actually showed was that texting was more dangerous than being 'up to the limit' of alcohol, so not drink driving, just drinking up to the allowed limit and not over.

But yes, punishment should still be harsher in my opinion.

downfader

12 month ban, is that all? If I'm being honest here - there has been enough education towards drivers about distractions from the road and they know when they pick it up and play what the consequences could be. Plenty of courtcases people generally know of too..

So in my opinion I think a lifetime ban is more worthy, perhaps even risk of a big prison sentance. After all, you would buy a set of knives and walk through the street juggling them on the way home. :?

Bikerbaboon

KitsuneAndy wrote:

What the results actually showed was that texting was more dangerous than being 'up to the limit' of alcohol, so not drink driving, just drinking up to the allowed limit and not over.

But yes, punishment should still be harsher in my opinion.

to be fair it did show that you reaction time was reduced by over twice the amount thats its reduced by driving at the drink drive limit.....

cee

to be honest, even just applying the current law to mobile phoning drivers would be a good start.

It is unbelievable how many drivers I see with a phone pressed to their heads........

It seems to be largley ignored by the police.

I agree though that the penalty should be like the DD penalties...

I actually think they should reduce the DD limit to 0.....

Too many people think they are allowed 2 units, but in reality those 2 units will affect us differently on different occasions.

Bikerbaboon

i think the resoning for the drink drive limit is for the times when you have had a drink last night and you feel fine but you still have a small amount still in your system the next morning. . I think going out for just one drink then driving back is silly.

Nick6891

i think the punishment on using a phone whilst driving should be greater then people wouldn't take the chance of getting caught.

Anyone texting would most likely swerve out of there lane and could always hit a cyclist or an oncoming car.

STEFANOS4784

Depends on how drunk, surely :?

sc999cs

Not trying to be clever here but how on Earth do you drive and text at the same time? Most phones have such small keypads these days its hard enough to text at a desk.

chuckcork

The police could start with enforcing laws as they stand?

Only way I can see laws like this being enforced though i if they are able to be given over to private industry, who could be paid to go out and find people using mobiles, speeding etc, the same way it has been given over to private firms to manage parking, jails and so on.

Whe it comes to revenu raising all it would take would be getting a %-age of any fine levied, they'd be raking it in in no time at all.

Kieran_Burns

cee wrote:

to be honest, even just applying the current law to mobile phoning drivers would be a good start.

It is unbelievable how many drivers I see with a phone pressed to their heads........

It seems to be largley ignored by the police.

I agree though that the penalty should be like the DD penalties...

I actually think they should reduce the DD limit to 0.....

Too many people think they are allowed 2 units, but in reality those 2 units will affect us differently on different occasions.

I absolutely agree with your sentiments regarding proper enforcement of the current law. However, the plethora of speed cameras that seem to be the panacea for 'law enforcement' on our roads do not pick up people using the phone while driving / stolen vehicles / unlicenced / untaxed / no mot yada yada. The police have been pretty much removed from the road so there are very few fully trained officers available to CATCH these people.

Think about it: driving while using your mobile phone is effectively the same as driving along with a sign in the window saying "I am drunk while driving this car" while you ARE over the limit. They are advertising the fact that they are breaking the law, but there is no one available to catch them.

always_tyred

Not enough resolution.

There has to be scope for a range of punishments, depending on the circumstances, right up to very punitive punishments.

A lot of people on here tacitly tolerate RLJing when the circumstances permit. I think that they've probably got a point (although I'm of the opinion that the circumstances very rarely permit!) so to simply equate all mobile phone usage in a vehicle is similar to suggesting that all RLJing is equally serious: i.e. tjhat when you can't wait for a car to turn up to trip the lights, you are as irresponsible as riding across a major junction on red in the rush hour.