____ing WHilst driving

[Crazy Dazz]

There's been a big furore in the west recently about distracted drivers, and changes to the the law to make it illegal to text or use your mobile phone whilst driving.
I was listening to senior policeman on the radio answering questions, about all sorts of hypotheticals, including the use of "google" glasses, and he claimed that further changes to the law would be required to keep pace with emerging technology...

Really?
Is that how retarded our society has become?
Do we need a law that specifically says "don't drive your car from the back seat whilst waxing your bikini-line" or can we figure out on our own that it would be plain stupid?
As always, it seems to me that stopping morons and crackheads from driving would solve a lot of problems.
Furthermore that learner drivers should be required to demonstrate an understanding of the basic physics involved in a 2 tonne car travelling at 100kph.
Beyond that, the law requires a driver to take all due care and attention, and you can be fined for breaching that irrespective of whether another specific activity was involved.

Concentrating on multiple inputs (speed, steering, traffic, pedestrians, signals, sounds) is PART of driving. Some do it better than others, and its when you fail to pay adequate and timely attention to one of those that problems occur.

By all means EDUCATE ignorant drivers of what they need to be doing and the dangers of distraction. But I think ridiculous nanny laws are going in entirely the wrong direction.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Do we need a law that specifically says "don't drive your car from the back seat whilst waxing your bikini-line" or can we figure out on our own that it would be plain stupid?

The answer would be Yes, I see many morons on the roads doing everything they should not do behind the wheel of a car.
Slight lapse of concentration can have dire consequences for all road users as proven in many accidents.

[Iggle Piggle]

I thought the thread title was censored and this was going to be about joining the yard-high club.

[Vekgib]

Originally Posted by Iggle Piggle

I thought the thread title was censored and this was going to be about joining the yard-high club.

Same

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by trublu

The answer would be Yes, I see many morons on the roads doing everything they should not do behind the wheel of a car.
Slight lapse of concentration can have dire consequences for all road users as proven in many accidents.

Yes, and if a cop sees a woman smoking and using the rear-vision mirror to apply her lipstick whilst driving, he should be able to pull her over and charge her. Regardless of whether there is a specific law against lipstick/ lip-balm/ gloss/ liner/ whatever.

[mik]

So many distractions in cars these days, the thing is some people can multi task , others have trouble walking and chewing gum.

[Mesa]

Originally Posted by mik

So many distractions in cars these days, the thing is some people can multi task , others have trouble walking and chewing gum.

When I'm hungover it takes me ages the next day to be able to walk and talk comfortably at the same time....I can sympathies with the gum chewers.

[Trevor 57]

the modern driving task is just to complicated for the average punter, they (the drivers) have proven that

[SensationFG8]

I reckon ban automatics

That way one hand is on the steering wheel and one hand is required for gear changes. Much harder to fiddle with other stuff in a manual.

[aussiblue]

Do we need a law that specifically says "don't drive your car from the back seat whilst waxing your bikini-line" or can we figure out on our own that it would be plain stupid?

Afraid so there seems to be a disproportionate number of stupid/selfish drivers on the road in WA. Nine 9+ of the rear enders I have had in the last 20 years were caused by people on mobile phone not stopping while I was in a queue at red lights and stop signs etc, Mostly car damage but some concussion with longer term health impacts too.

In recent months, in addition to lots of head down texting people, I have seen:

a) a women in the right hand south bound lane of the Kwinana Freeway editing or correcting a paper (head down pen in hand papers held on the steering wheel) - my attention was drawn to her as she kept speeding up and slowing down holding up traffic as well partially wandering into the adjacent lane and heavy braking by her neighbours in the lanes on her left. She was copping plenty of abuse from other drivers but she was just ignoring that and focussing on her paperwork. A few weeks later I saw her again doing the same thing with similar traffic chaos on the left hand lane of the Roe (I suspect she is a teacher who does her marking while driving home).
b) a women on the Roe freeway eastbound in a BWM X5 holding a baby and trying to change it's nappy while driving (albeit most of the nappy changing activity was happening during the wait at each set of lights). Hopefully the safety cameras at the lights got some nice shots and she was pinged.

I used to commute by train and for my train waiting entertainment observe the drivers I saw from the high vantage point Murdoch train station hurtling along at 100km/hr (between 6am and 7:40am ish) head down texting or with a mobile phone stuck to their ear. It was around 1 in 10 cars and the texters were mostly young women (around 90% and yes they are better at multitasking but...) the phone holders were often truckies or tradies. A lot of the male offender had extra dark window tint (and there was a definite correlation between having extra dark tint on any vehicle and phone usage) but you could see what was happening through their windscreen.

As I have said before, I think it is more dangerous that some of the minor hooning and in addition to the fines they should seize and smash the phones of the offenders.

[LoudPipes]

It is often reported that studies here and overseas show the use of mobile phones whilst driving distracts a driver to a similar level to that of drink driving.
The consequences being a growing percentage of accidents and fatalities are due in some part to mobile phone use.
Why aren’t drivers using mobile phones punished in the same way as drink drivers with large fines and disqualified licences?

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by SensationFG8

I reckon ban automatics

That way one hand is on the steering wheel and one hand is required for gear changes. Much harder to fiddle with other stuff in a manual.

Nah

Just means plenty of idiots driving around in 1st gear all day.

[dirtyclevo]

I believe its right. I don't touch my phone when im driving and nor should anyone else.

if you have hands free, by all means feel free to call someone.

the reason behind these laws are pretty simple, mobile phones they are distracting.
to take this one point further. people are addicted to mobile devices and the introduction of mobile phone jammers should be implement into all new cars. that only disengage once they are connected via bluetooth to the cars built-in telephony.

know i'm not targeting women, but they are 5x more likely to be texting and taking selfies while driving. its a fact

[zlcrazy]

Originally Posted by SensationFG8

I reckon ban automatics

That way one hand is on the steering wheel and one hand is required for gear changes. Much harder to fiddle with other stuff in a manual.

Great idea, its amazing how much more alert i am when im driving a manual. Always predicting traffic ahead etc etc. All new drivers should made to learn to drive in a manual and have to drive one for the first year or so to make them concentrate.

[CoupeKing]

When I got my P`s, the driving test was a piece of cake. No rain, no driving at night, nowhere near a Highway, on a practiced route. Doubt too much has changed in the last decade or so. I did read somewhere around 25 people die each year on our roads as a direct result of being distracted by a mobile device. Cant find the link but from memory about 12 months ago a repeat offender ran some poor sod down and the sentence was laughable.

[LoudPipes]

If all new drivers had to learn in manuals and drive them for the first year of their licence then most families would be forced to own manual cars.
My wife wouldn’t drive at all if that was the case. Which may not be a bad thing.

Making having a licence something you truly earn and not a right by introducing tougher testing in regard to vehicle control, driver awareness and courtesy would go a long way in the right direction in my opinion.

[zlcrazy]

Originally Posted by LoudPipes

If all new drivers had to learn in manuals and drive them for the first year of their licence then most families would be forced to own manual cars.
My wife wouldn’t drive at all if that was the case. Which may not be a bad thing.

Making having a licence something you truly earn and not a right by introducing tougher testing in regard to vehicle control, driver awareness and courtesy would go a long way in the right direction in my opinion.

Yeah fair point, just get so sick of seeing drivers looking down at their damn phones. An seeing so many near misses because of it. Especially around schools. Makes me so angry.

A example of this was a couple years back i was taking my little 5yo nephew to the Launceston Show. My vehicle was t-boned at a round-a-bout by a young p-plater who failed to give way because he was texting. I didnt give a stuff about my car and my little nephew was fine, it was the fact he narrowly missed a family with three little boys under the age of 6 that had just crossed that intersection and he wasn't even aware of it.

[XD 351 Ute]

I purchased a new phone recently, bought the cradle, the blue ant hands free bizo, the works. Phone lives on the dash away from fingers, thought I could just use the blueant device for calls etc....
Buggered if I can get it to work. Background noise, my Australian way of talking etc, and the blueant thing is a waste of time.
SO now the phone can ring like it did before. Bloody waste of money. IF you can get service....
I think we should go back to Milo tins and string!

Ed

[LoudPipes]

Originally Posted by zlcrazy

just get so sick of seeing drivers looking down at their damn phones. An seeing so many near misses because of it. Especially around schools. Makes me so angry.

I fully support you with the phones.
A couple of years ago I had a women run into the back of my car while I sat at the traffic lights in George Street, Sydney. A street where the traffic constantly stops and starts.
I could see her in my mirror, she was looking down the whole time and I knew she wasn’t going to see me and stop and there was nothing I could do but brace for the hit.
She got out of her car with phone in hand and was still texting.
Words were exchanged and she called me a @*#&ing old women’s thingy. I backed off.
My insurance company wasn’t interested that she was on the phone, they said it was just a normal rear ender, they have hundreds every week.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by dirtyclevo

I believe its right. I don't touch my phone when im driving and nor should anyone else.

if you have hands free, by all means feel free to call someone.

the reason behind these laws are pretty simple, mobile phones they are distracting.
to take this one point further. people are addicted to mobile devices and the introduction of mobile phone jammers should be implement into all new cars. that only disengage once they are connected via bluetooth to the cars built-in telephony.

know i'm not targeting women, but they are 5x more likely to be texting and taking selfies while driving. its a fact

Read my OP.
My point is that if somebody is so stupid they need a law to tell them its dangerous to take your attention off driving for whole seconds at a time, they shouldn't be behind the wheel.
Targeting specific individual acts or items is not the solution. So ok, when I was young I didn't have a smat phone or gps, but I didn't try to set my graphic equaliser whilst driving either.

My 5th child is coming up on driving age, and I've got to say it is far too easy to get and keep a license.
I know that when I was a teen, certainly all the guys were interested in cars, how they worked, and I know that having an appreciation for the physics certainly helped me. Now days, there is to much emphasis on learning test answers by rote, and not enough actual education.

I watch a lot of those aircrash investigations shows, and one theme comes through repeatedly: Flying a modern plane is **** easy, figuring out what to do when the **** hits fan is what separates the Sullenbergers and de Crespignys from the tombstones.
Any idiot can drive a car. Doing it safely is another matter.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by LoudPipes

I fully support you with the phones.
A couple of years ago I had a women run into the back of my car while I sat at the traffic lights in George Street, Sydney. A street where the traffic constantly stops and starts.
I could see her in my mirror, she was looking down the whole time and I knew she wasn’t going to see me and stop and there was nothing I could do but brace for the hit.
She got out of her car with phone in hand and was still texting.
Words were exchanged and she called me a @*#&ing old women’s thingy. I backed off.
My insurance company wasn’t interested that she was on the phone, they said it was just a normal rear ender, they have hundreds every week.

My wife watched the stupid lady in the car behind us playing with her dog and not paying attention. Her car was rolling forward and hit the back of our wagon while wife was stuck at traffic lights with nowhere to move.
Lady didn't seem too care much.
She only got interested when the quote for repair was nearly $800.
She couldn't believe it as she had not hit us hard.
She carried on about no money blah blah - next time you might pay attention to whats going on while driving.

"@*#&ing old women’s thingy"

[DBourne]

People just treat driving as a secondary thing. It's what you do whilst your getting ready for work, putting make up on, talking on the phone, making sure the facebook world knows you've thought of something funny.

People don't give driving the respect it deserves.

[TheSneakiness]

Phones are the worst thing. The amount of people I see daily using their phone while driving and not paying attention to their surroundings.

And don't give me that flipping multi tasking excuse BS.

I wish I was a traffic cop sometimes, I'd be the biggest **** there is.

[Ben73]

Phones are not just a thing distracting younger drivers. Often see people well over 40 distracted by phones.

Bluetooth in my car is great. Answer the phone by moving my thumb a cople of centremetres. Microphone above me near the interior light, it's great. Not that I use my phone often while driving.

[irish2]

I did notice whilst driving in Europe there were far less distracted drivers. They drive much quicker, and actually pay attention to doing so.

[XR6WGN]

Originally Posted by irish2

I did notice whilst driving in Europe there were far less distracted drivers. They drive much quicker, and actually pay attention to doing so.

Had this same discussion with one of our Finance auditors at work recently. He lived in England and had a very nice Jag XJR - he told me of that sitting on the European autobahns being overtaken by very mature women (and men) - safely and without any agro!! You respect your fellow drivers on the road and give them room!! To them, driving has been ingrained since they were early teenagers and they have been TAUGHT to drive CORRECTLY from day one..

I am totally against this crap of cars being able to park themselves as well - Daughter was looking at a new Territory and the dealer was showing me the latest Focus - he got very irate with me when I told him "IF you can't at least reverse park a car then you should not be behind the wheel" Turns out he was one of them - tried three times!!

[dirtyclevo]

my 58 yr old mother still drives a manual. some women in a mazda 2 rear ended her last year because she was texting on her phone. my mum was going off! she said the girl was more worried about her iphone screen being cracked. unbelievable.

[deesun]

Don't all states have laws against using mobiles while driving? No wonder they call WA Wait Awhile.

I can't wait till every state gets 50 of those new cameras that can see 700 mtrs up the road and record all those d**kh**ds on their phones yapping and texting away.

[aussiblue]

Don't all states have laws against using mobiles while driving? No wonder they call WA Wait Awhile.

Yes; WA has had some legislation for some time they have made, and have continued to make, some minor amendments:

http://www.slp.wa.gov.au/legislation..._homepage.html

265. Use of mobile phones
(1) In this regulation —
body, in relation to a mobile phone, means the part of the phone that contains the majority of the phone’s mechanisms;
held includes held by, or resting on, any part of the driver’s body, but does not include held in a pocket of the driver’s clothing or in a pouch worn by the driver;
mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio;
use, in relation to a mobile phone, includes any of the following actions by the driver of a vehicle —
(a) hold the phone;
(b) enter or place anything into the phone, or send or look at anything that is in the phone;
(c) turn the phone on or off;
(d) operate any other function of the phone.
(2) A driver of a vehicle must not use a mobile phone while the vehicle is moving, or is stationary but not parked, unless —
(a) the phone is being used to make or receive a phone call, other than a text message, video message, email or similar communication, and the body of the phone —
(i) is secured in a mounting affixed to the vehicle while being so used; or
(ii) is not secured in a mounting affixed to the vehicle and is not being held by the driver, and the use of the phone does not require the driver, at any time while using it, to press any thing on the body of the phone or otherwise to manipulate any part of the body of the phone;
or
(b) the visual display of the phone is being used as a driver’s aid in accordance with regulation 264 and the use of the phone does not require the driver, at any time while using it, to press any thing on the body of the phone or otherwise to manipulate any part of the body of the phone.
Points:
(a) during a holiday period: 6;
(b) other than during a holiday period: 3.
Modified penalty: 5 PU.
(3) For the purposes of this regulation, a driver does not use a mobile phone if —
(a) a text message, video message, email or similar communication is received automatically by the phone; and
(b) on and after the receipt, the communication itself, rather than any indication that the communication has been received, does not become automatically visible on the screen of the phone.
[Regulation 265 inserted in Gazette 19 Nov 2010 p. 5756 7; amended in Gazette 4 Apr 2014 p. 886.]
[266. Deleted in Gazette 10 Jun 2008 p. 2467.]

For example in April 2013 (Gazetted November 2010) it read:

265. Use of mobile phones
(1) In this regulation —
body, in relation to a mobile phone, means the part of the phone that contains the majority of the phone’s mechanisms;
held includes held by, or resting on, any part of the driver’s body, but does not include held in a pocket of the driver’s clothing or in a pouch worn by the driver;
mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio;
use, in relation to a mobile phone, includes any of the following actions by the driver of a vehicle —
(a) hold the phone;
(b) enter or place anything into the phone, or send or look at anything that is in the phone;
(c) turn the phone on or off;
(d) operate any other function of the phone.
(2) A driver of a vehicle must not use a mobile phone while the vehicle is moving, or is stationary but not parked, unless —
(a) the phone is being used to make or receive a phone call, other than a text message, video message, email or similar communication, and the body of the phone —
(i) is secured in a mounting affixed to the vehicle while being so used; or
(ii) is not secured in a mounting affixed to the vehicle and is not being held by the driver, and the use of the phone does not require the driver, at any time while using it, to press any thing on the body of the phone or otherwise to manipulate any part of the body of the phone;
or
(b) the visual display of the phone is being used as a driver’s aid in accordance with regulation 264 and the use of the phone does not require the driver, at any time while using it, to press any thing on the body of the phone or otherwise to manipulate any part of the body of the phone.
Points: 3 Modified penalty: 5 PU
(3) For the purposes of this regulation, a driver does not use a mobile phone if —
(a) a text message, video message, email or similar communication is received automatically by the phone; and
(b) on and after the receipt, the communication itself, rather than any indication that the communication has been received, does not become automatically visible on the screen of the phone.
[Regulation 265 inserted in Gazette 19 Nov 2010 p. 5756 7.]

The Police are simply saying that as technology develops there is likely to other devices where in car use will need to be regulated.

[aussiblue]

This is good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHixeIr_6BM and I suspect it won't be long be for Oz will also be able to say mobile phone use is now the leading cause of road deaths.

I also suspect it won't be long where someone in the US sues a mobile phone company for knowing in car use of mobile phones was the major cause of road fatalities and did not do anything about it although the technology exists to readily and cheaply detect when a phone is being used in a moving vehicle and prevent its use. In turn, I suspect the industry worldwide will move to introduce systems to prevent in car use of mobile phones and someone will also subsequently need to regulate to prevent hacking, to turn of such detection, illegal. You can see the parallels with the penalties that now exist for pubs serving drunks.