Fuckwit alert!

I simply ignore the mobile whilst driving unless there is someone else in the car with me. Then they can answer and talk. Hats of to you for agreeing with your fine.

Things like tomtom navigator units can sometimes act as a hands-free, although I know my 910 isn't that good so I don't answer calls with it. I do similar to you, let it ring, if it's important they'll leave a message, and I can use the tomtom thing to call voicemail to see if I need to pull over and make a proper call.

I've always found hands-free kits, certainly sony-ericsson ones, to be so s**te that the last one I had ended up being thrown against the wall in a rage and smashed to pieces.

Ah but a passenger in the same car is aware of the driving situation and shuts up automatically (or a sensible one does) when the driver needs to pay attention to the road.

Having used both two way radio and a phone whilst driving, a phone takes far more concentration than a two way radio. I'm not sure why, it might be the fact that a handheld phone is not on a loudspeaker, combined with the full duplex and delayed nature of a phone.

But then you get people who shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car in the first place... (half a smilely)

Not at all. A passenger is in the car with you, can see what you can see, can appreciate when a bit of silence is called for, shuts up for a long overtake, and all that. Someone at the end of a phone doesn't know any of that, and the temptation is to try to keep up a normal phone conversation. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I find that talking on the phone whilst driving takes up just too much of my available concentration. If I'm talking, I get in the slow lane and do a steady 55 for the duration, but it's not ideal. I didn't do well at multitasking when I was 21, and I'm a bloody sight worse at it now.

i try my best to ignore mine when im not driving too :)

I meant that it was, until Nige, unheard of.

Richard

So what we need is a mobile fone that will shut up when asked to do so.or shush itself intuitively if road conditions demand the drivers attention. That doesnt have any annoying LED lights or bleeps. And that when answered only uses a fraction of our intelligence leaving us free to drive with safety in mind...I have to use my bonce when on the fone to the missus in case I sign sommat. I ignore it in cab. I agree with what someone said. Ban mobiles altogether. Then they wouldnt be "Mobiles", Cept on foot.

I know ...

On or around Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:44:53 GMT, "ZoNeHeaD®" enlightened us thusly:

trouble is, it's a variable thing, innit. Some traffic conditions demand

100% from the best driver. Some drivers have to apply 100% of their ability to drive even in average traffic. Taking myself, I (and others, whose opinion I believe) rate myself mostly as a good driver. I'm as capable as any of making cockups, and doing stupid things, but just driving along in average traffic I don't reckon I use more than about 50% of my attention; which leaves enough spare to carry on conversations by phone or in person. Obviously, if the conditions demand more attention to the driving, the phone conversation has to take second place - if necessary, I'm quite prepared in an emergency to drop the phone on the floor and retrieve it later. I've come a damned sight closer to a serious crash as a result of trying to work out where a wasp that flew into the motor had gone than I ever have from talking on the phone.

The problems come from the people who don't/won't accept that the driving comes first, and continue to talk on the phone to the detriment of the driving when the conditions change.

Theres no doubt that skill levels differ and that theres a whole subsection of drivers who need to put all they have into simply staying on the road. Trouble is, who thinks they're in that group? After all, only half of us can actually *be* above average drivers. I'd bet that more than that half of drivers actually think they're in that group. And if as you say you only use 50% of your attention, does that really mean that the rest is 'spare', or does it mean that you're wrong thinking you're a good driver because you're not concentrating enough!? What it really comes down to is a *series* of judgement calls - does the driver have the ability to judge whether or not its safe to answer, is that judgement correct, would the driver abandon the call if circumstances changed, etc. They're all reasons why a blanket formula doesnt work. But then, all those reasons and more apply to drivers judgement calls about their speed too, and somehow we feel able to impose blanket policy on THAT. Or in short, yes, there are definitely people who should be able to be safe making calls and driving, just the same as there should be people who can go faster than others safely. But since theres no way of accurately differentiating between those groups, tough shit, we'll all have to abide by the lowest common denominator. No going faster than 70. No taking calls on the phone. Easy.

I agree with the above. Plus I have to say that those drivers who think they are good are usually the worst, *particulalry* when it comes to tollerance and awareness of other road users, which are

*the* most important parts of driving.

Me? I'm crap, I admit it. Thinking through my 5 mile drive to work this morning I can think of 3 times where if some (addmitedly unlikely) event occured, like missing a gear, there would have been some danger. Mind you, the black Golf we see every morning takes that many risks in 300 yards! And he *knows* he's a good driver..... he's told me!

Richard

In news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Austin Shackles wibbled :

I rather think pretty much every driver thinks and believes they are a good if not excellent driver and that everybody else is not.

But in my opinion, humble or otherwise, it is those that feel able to make comments like that who are the good drivers.

Also they drive as if everybody else on the road is an idiot or a homicidal maniac or both. IThey are rarely surprised, disappointed nor wrong.

Amen to that!

Round here the number of people (very often women) driving with a lit cigarette wedged between their fingers always bothers me, even more so when they are on the phone as well! At least a phone doesn't burn you and require your immediate attention if you drop it into your lap....

Lizzy

Depends if the phone is on vibrate!!!:) I really should stop watching Carry On movies, LOL.

I can't drink beer and drive, but I can smoke a narcotic (tobacco). Strange.

Phone back, I'm almost there ;-)

Reminds me of that episode of Ab Fab (when pagers rather than mobiles were the New Thing), where Patsy sets her pager to vibrate, stuffs it down her tights (can't remember why) and then cries "Edina! Call me! Call me!"

It's great that you see what you've done wrong, but as a biker do you see what that momentary lack of concentration might have resulted in if a bike had been in the vicinity and not an unmarked car...

That is precisely why I disagree with mobiles in cars. It's not the hand fumbling that is the problem, it's the mind - it may be just the wife asking you what time you'll be home (no lack of concentration likely) or it could be the boss telling you he's going to sack you if you don't get the next sale (probable complete lack of concentration of the job in hand).

On or around Thu, 05 Apr 2007 07:52:12 GMT, nullified enlightened us thusly:

...if any dibbles are looking... :-)