Texting while driving, fines and points up

mfin

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37389800

Good.

I'm sure some people want to directly link this to cycling safety, but forgetting that marginal issue, it is generally a good thing full stop.

bendertherobot

The Daily Mail is an interesting read. This is a victory for them and their comments section lauds them on it.

Elsewhere they carry the West Midlands Police piece and the comments section is full of your average bloody cyclists running red lights tosh.

The readers can make no connection between the two.

sungod

doubt it'll make much difference though

it's been an offence for ages, people still do it, this won't stop them

pblakeney

Small point.
Who is going to enforce it?

kingstongraham

pblakeney wrote:

Small point.
Who is going to enforce it?

If they could do it with dedicated people in plain clothes it would easily pay for itself. But that would clearly be unfair and a war on motorists. If they try to enforce it with marked vehicles, they'll catch almost noone.

Lookyhere

mfin wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37389800

Good.

I'm sure some people want to directly link this to cycling safety, but forgetting that marginal issue, it is generally a good thing full stop.

pardon the pun but pointless, dedicated traffic police cut by 50% over the last few years and those that are left, are being trained up as Armed response.
everyone knows you can get away with it, very much like drink driving, little enforcement, means in rural areas, it is virtually impossible you ll get caught unless in an accident.

diamonddog

Should be an immediate ban and much larger fine IMO as people will still risk it for such a lenient fine and points.
Many of the ones caught are usually done by police in unmarked vehicles so they do get caught although the catch rate has dropped.

fenix

Let the police keep the extra fine as revenue to fund checks. Sorted.

pblakeney

kingstongraham wrote:

pblakeney wrote:

Small point.
Who is going to enforce it?

If they could do it with dedicated people in plain clothes it would easily pay for itself. But that would clearly be unfair and a war on motorists. If they try to enforce it with marked vehicles, they'll catch almost noone.

Both scenarios assume that there are policemen available in the first place.
There may be one token gesture arrest to make a point but I doubt there'll be a second.

kingstongraham

pblakeney wrote:

kingstongraham wrote:

pblakeney wrote:

Small point.
Who is going to enforce it?

If they could do it with dedicated people in plain clothes it would easily pay for itself. But that would clearly be unfair and a war on motorists. If they try to enforce it with marked vehicles, they'll catch almost noone.

Both scenarios assume that there are policemen available in the first place.
There may be one token gesture arrest to make a point but I doubt there'll be a second.

Does it have to be officers? It's pretty easy to catch someone on camera doing it and send enforcement notices isn't it?

mfin

diamonddog wrote:

Should be an immediate ban and much larger fine IMO as people will still risk it for such a lenient fine and points.
Many of the ones caught are usually done by police in unmarked vehicles so they do get caught although the catch rate has dropped.

They should add an immediate small ban of a month I think. If you added 4 days community service picking up dog censored that can be completed in that month of weekends that would be good. So a bit of inconvenience and a bit of humiliation.

wiznaeme

It is contrary to police culture to enforce road traffic legislation. The majority of officers regard dealing with almost all motoring offences as likely to make them unpopular with the community; so they don't take action. It is true that there are less Roads Policing than there were ten years ago, but this fact is misleading. Any officer can give out a ticket for using a mobile phone while driving and it's easy to catch people without using police cars or cameras. If you stand at a crossroads with traffic lights and look into cars as a pedestrian you will see a driver using a phone within five minutes (at least you do where I stay). A constable doing the same would simply have to radio to a colleague further up the road to have the driver dealt with. If the public could convince the police to enforce this legislation I think the change in penalty could lead to safer roads. I won't hold my breath.

capt_slog

The new fine is a step in the right direction.

I'll be happier when it gets to the point that they confiscate the car.

awavey

certainly the impression I take away from seeing that 35,255 motorists were charged in 2010 compared to 17,586 motorists charged in 2015 (ministry of justice stats) for mobile use, isnt that the penalty is necessarily set too low.

so will the police actually enforce it ? maybe make a token go so it appears in the local papers and hope the public get the hint, as I agree generally they avoid all but the most blatant motoring related road offences, speeding being the biggest one, but there was basically confirmation from one of the police forces the other week that they ignore APNR prompts about lack of tax/insurance etc as its a waste of their resources.

though Im sure the Met will be along shortly with another Operation Safeway to balance things up, cant have the motorist feeling under attack.

Stevo_666

Capt Slog wrote:

The new fine is a step in the right direction.

I'll be happier when it gets to the point that they confiscate the car.

I reckon they should make the penalties equivalent to drink driving. Similar point - impairing your ability to drive safely and endangering others. Hopefully that will get across the point that it is as bad as DD.

ukiboy

Great! About time this was taken seriously.
However.....
Laws are only as good as how well they are enforced. What is needed is a pro active and deliberate operation covering the whole of the UK, all territorial forces and over an extended period of time specifically targeting this offence, in much the same way as drink/drive is targeted at Christmas.
I'm cynical and don't believe this will happen. Forces, with their politically driven agendas will continue to find far more politically rewarding goals..
A road death caused by someone texting/talking on their mobile? Pah!
Investigating an offence against 'political correctness', even though it doesn't cause death or physical harm? Now we're talking! Looks far better for the Chief Constable and their political career ambitions...

mamba80

Stevo 666 wrote:

Capt Slog wrote:

The new fine is a step in the right direction.

I'll be happier when it gets to the point that they confiscate the car.

I reckon they should make the penalties equivalent to drink driving. Similar point - impairing your ability to drive safely and endangering others. Hopefully that will get across the point that it is as bad as DD.

Come on steve0, yet again, sweeping knee jerk statements, you are not looking at the socioeconomic backgrounds, poverty plays a huge part, did they have the opportunity to go to grammar school for example? their diet, parents education??? again your reaction is just one of a privileged tory supporter.

On the other hand, i think i am absolutely in full agreement with you

now if we could only agree that Police cuts have gone to far, then we could be on to something more promising

ukiboy

Police cuts have definitely gone too far. T May is no fan of the Old Bill and it was telling at a recent PMQ's that it was J Corbyn who paid tribute to a copper who was stabbed and injured in the line of duty; that was his opening gambit and it was great seeing May squirm when she had to acknowledge and also pay tribute to the police..
I'm no Corbyn fan or Labour voter but credit where it is due - Corbyn highlighted what should be mentioned more often.
The Tory's look upon 'plod' as uneducated oiks with too much power and I can't see them wanting more police enforcement of this new law.

Stevo_666

mamba80 wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Capt Slog wrote:

The new fine is a step in the right direction.

I'll be happier when it gets to the point that they confiscate the car.

I reckon they should make the penalties equivalent to drink driving. Similar point - impairing your ability to drive safely and endangering others. Hopefully that will get across the point that it is as bad as DD.

Come on steve0, yet again, sweeping knee jerk statements, you are not looking at the socioeconomic backgrounds, poverty plays a huge part, did they have the opportunity to go to grammar school for example? their diet, parents education??? again your reaction is just one of a privileged tory supporter.

On the other hand, i think i am absolutely in full agreement with you

now if we could only agree that Police cuts have gone to far, then we could be on to something more promising

The enforcement will always be an issue regardless of spend, look how many drivers are on the road at an time and how many thousands of miles of roads we have. The best way IMO is to get the mainstream perception to shift so it is seen as be as bad as DD. Then it largely becomes self policing. Enforcement is a part of that as are the severity of the punishments, but often it is the combination of severity with a reasonable likelihood of being caught and some sensible publicity (including publicising offenders) that will change views.

I'm sure that last bit will come up in the other thread at some point

ukiboy

Unfortunately it won't be seen as bad as DD because not everyone drinks. However, these days everyone has a smart phone and everyone, especially the younger folk who've never known a life before mobile/smart phones see it as their entitlement to be online constantly. And it's seen as 'normal' to have your smart phone permanently welded to your palm.
I'm not sure what the answer is other than constant police enforcement coupled with punitive punishment, neither of which modern society would tolerate...

veronese68

I nearly got collected by a driver texting as the police were diverting traffic around the scene of a fatal accident. My shouting at him to get off the phone and look where he was going went unnoticed, or ignored, by the policemen we were passing at the time.
This will make no difference at all until, as Stevo says, it is morally unacceptable as there is so little risk of being caught. Passing a fatal accident wasn't enough to make this particular idiot think about concentrating on driving, what hope is there?

capt_slog

Part of the problem is that people think they are capable of both driving and looking at the phone. Sadly, you only have to see them trying to walk and text at the same time to know this is not the case.

ballysmate

Plsae ecxuse my speling. Tryng to kepe eyes on teh raod.

slowbike

Whilst there is the issue with people who will recognise that it is highly unlikely to be enforced I believe (well hope) that the vast majority of close passes are not intentional - it's just the way that they drive - publicising the change in policy may just make them think a bit more about what they are doing.
The ones who want to make punishment passes whilst on the mobile phone, drinking coffee, applying makeup and shaving at 50% over the speed limit will continue to do so - once a knob, always a knob....

I have to say though - since this was published I had noticed a bit more space being given to me on my commute home (sample journey 2 ... so early days)

Stevo_666

ukiboy wrote:

G
A road death caused by someone texting/talking on their mobile? Pah!
Investigating an offence against 'political correctness', even though it doesn't cause death or physical harm? Now we're talking!

Seems like some people on here have been listening to you

mamba80

Stevo 666 wrote:

ukiboy wrote:

G
A road death caused by someone texting/talking on their mobile? Pah!
Investigating an offence against 'political correctness', even though it doesn't cause death or physical harm? Now we're talking!

Seems like some people on here have been listening to you

Thats not really true is it?

Plenty of people have been sent to jail for killing people whilst texting, the problem is that we need to stop/deter people before they kill someone and that takes resources, so i m assuming Steve0 will be campaigning for extra spending on the Police ? :shock: