Media interviews tomorrow

[T.C.]

Tomorrow I have to be up at 5am, in London for 7.45 and geared up for multiple radio interviews around the country during the day as a road safety expert and regarding our safety campaign relating to the turning off of mobile phones whilst driving.

I have been doing my homework in preparation for any questions that might be thown in my direction and it surprised me that in a recent survey, the number of drivers who thought it was not acceptable to use a hand held mobile had dropped from 84% in 2014 to 78% in 2016. In other words 22% of drivers think it is OK to use a hand held mobile whilst driving to make or receive calls, send texts or check social media. That is worrying.

Anyway, if any of you listen to local radio in your area, you may well hear my dulcet tones. At the last count, there were apparently about 18 radio stations who had booked an interview so it will be a long day, the last being at 5.20pm tomorrow night.

[Kwacky]

That sounds like a long day, but it's a message that we have to get across to drivers - don't use your phone when driving.

It's alarming the number of people I see each day using their phones.

[D41]

Good luck with it, it sounds like a busy day.

What %%% of RTA's are cellphone related in terms of cause/contributing factor??

[Kwacky]

I know it's 1 in 4 in the States. not sure about the UK

[D41]

There's a few reasons I ask....

1. Nearly everything here is automatic...so frees up a hand for the phone.

2. Er....I forget??? But I do remember reading that it's not the physical act of holding a phone rather the distraction of the conversation itself...which makes sense to me...you're not thinking of driving anymore...or as much.

I know my Dad would never let us speak to him in the car when he was driving.....work habits & all that.

[Kwacky]

It's more about people texting and looking on the internet now. A call is ok if it's short (but yes, it's still distracting) but I see people staring at their phones as they're driving along.

[D41]

Oh yeah....forgot about that. Not much of a texter myself, but the last company I worked for got into that stuff and it was great...saved me trying to write addresses down while piloting several tons of truck down the freeway.
Just a quick 15 call from them to say they were sending it, and then all my info. for some BS extra work would show up on my phone.

[T.C.]

It is also about the fact that once you start holding the phone, texting and so on, not only is it concentration but potentially 50% of your control of the vehicle goes as well.

[D41]

I know it's 1 in 4 in the States. not sure about the UK

Nah...I think in the States it's a perfect 4 in 4.

[T.C.]

Did interviews with 14 radio stations across the country this morning all one after the other with 15 minutes allowed for each one. I was bloody knackered by the time we finished, but hey ho all in a good cause.

[Kwacky]

top work

[D6Nutz]

top work

I'd like to know how many people would think it unacceptable to use a phone while driving, but would happily use a tablet (or other non-phone device)

In fairly sure there is a high number who think the laws are phone specific.

[Cav]

I have to say I'm guilty of 'using' my phone while driving. That said, the phone is mounted to the windscreen, to glance at the screen I can still see the road infront of me in it's entirety (unlike looking at the radio to turn the volume down or to change the air con temperature).

I read texts, I'll make a speakerphone phone call (3 taps of the screen to make a call) and I'll have Pokemon Go loaded just to collect distance and to spin a pokestop occasionally (if there are no pedestrians, not many cars, not busy, etc) - I'm not actually playing the game if that makes sense.

Also, by my phone being mounted everyone next to me or possibly behind me can see what I'm doing - i'm not trying to hide it and crotch text

[DaytonAndy]

Do I think I'm capable of using a phone while driving?
Yes.
Do I think the majority of people are capable?
Hell no!

[Kwacky]

That's the problem - the vast majority think they're fine using a phone when they're driving.

[C00kiemonster]

No -one is capable of driving while using a phone in any way - me included.

Any form of distraction is a %age less of attention as far as I'm concerned. Some cars themselves have too many functions and buttons as it is - way too distracting. As for cars who read your Facebook updates for you etc etc - ridiculous.

There should be a government standard in this country for how phones can be interacted with and connect to the car.

Beyond that, use of mobile phones whilst driving should be a severe offence (i.e. a BAN)

But - saying all that, there is no-one to enforce it anyway as the police are stretched as they are (while doing a good job generally).

[Cav]

I think the police are doing a worse job but only as a function of being over-stretched in the first place.

Also, I rarely see a copper patrolling these days. think I have seen maybe 3 this month besides traffic police that have pulled cars over on the motorway or dual carriageways

[T.C.]

I think the police are doing a worse job but only as a function of being over-stretched in the first place.

Also, I rarely see a copper patrolling these days. think I have seen maybe 3 this month besides traffic police that have pulled cars over on the motorway or dual carriageways

And you won't whilst numbers continue to be depleted.

One of the questions that everyone asked yesterday was "Why did I think that drivers continue to flout the law?"

It was a simple answer.

There are few Police on the streets
Traffic policing is no longer considered main stream, front line policing or sufficiently important.
Therefore enforcement is minimal because there is too much reliance on camera which do not discriminate and therefore cannot detect dangerous drivers
Drivers will always take risks in thesame way as they do with speeding, and they know the risk of being caught or prosecuted is minimal
They also have the attitude that it will never happen to them, or, I am a great driver so I can multi task and everyone else is at fault.
Those coppers on the streets are too busy or not interested

The powers that be have decided that Traffic coppers are not worth the money despite the fact that they usually make more crime arrests and see more dead bodies in a year than their superstar (opps sorry CID) counterparts and they ignore the fact that if the presence of a traffic car prevents one fatality, then that is £1.5 million saved.

When I served, there were 42 of us full time motorcyclists in my force. Now they have 4 part time. Traffic overall was 200+ specialists. Now it is probably about 60 forcewide.

Education has tried and failed.
Increaing the penalty to £200 and 6 points next year will have diddly squat affect.

Instant or immediate disqualification for first time offenders may have an affect as that will be far more inconvemient and hard hitting than a fine.

But at the same time, the phone manufcaturers have the technology and the capability to prevent drivers from using the phone when behind the wheel by being able to block the signal, so they could also do more.

[Kwacky]

Reducing police numbers is short sighted and very poor policy if the desire is to save money.

Like you mentioned, each fatality on the road costs a minimum of £1m (that's the figure I was told by a coroner) Active and visible policing reduces crime, gives the public more confidence in the police and has an overall benefit to the economy.

That said I do wish that more police forces would use marked cars when they're on the road.

[T.C.]

Like you mentioned, each fatality on the road costs a minimum of £1m (that's the figure I was told by a coroner)

I had the figures through last week. £1.4 million os the average cost per fatality. I did see the cost per category, pensioner age was around £125,000, motoryclist was around £800,000 (I can't find the specific values at the moment) but the average taking into account about 8 categories worked out at the £1.4 million

The £1million figure goes back to about 12 years ago.