Mobile Phone Kits...

[Jelster]

I'd like to know how many of you that have cars actually have a "proper" in car phone kit.

I have, it's the Sony Ericsson blue tooth kit which was only £120 fitted and I've had it for some time. That's combined with a cheap phone holder on the dash. I rarely make calls while driving, but am able to accept them, totally hands free.

I just look around at all the people I still see every day driving while holding a telephone to their ear and can't understand why... Most companies will pay for a phone kit for you if it's a company phone and they expect you to take calls "all day".

I've posted this here as I consider this to be a biking issue..... I'd be interested in how many of us actually practice what we preach.

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[Filipe M.]

Are you considering the bluetooth headsets as "proper" phone kit? It's not docked to the car, but I can operate it completely handsfree, so I would say yes. I'm holding my vote until you clarify this. :)

[dirtydog]

If i need to make or take a call while mobile i always use my bluetooth headset as i don't need to do it that often.

[Carsick]

No car and when I have had a car I didn't answer the phone at all while driving.
If I was doing a job that involved taking alot of important calls, then I would almost certainly get a handsfree kit.

[Mr Toad]

I try not to make calls when I'm driving, unless I'm trundling along a motorway or dual carriageway and there is not much traffic about

I usually take calls, but try to be very careful, and will pull over if necessary to call back.

When I first got the kit I thought great now I can make calls with no probs :D
But then I had a bit of a near miss when trying to explain something technical to a work colleague, so I learnt my lesson pdq :shock:

A handsfree kit just means you can keep your hands on the wheel - it doesn't enable you to concentrate on 2 things at once :roll:

[timwilky]

Company policy, you have a co car, company phone you get a kit, like it or not. Been that way since before the law made phone use illegal, pity police don't enforce it though.

Proper piece of kit. wired in, charges phone, linked to external arial, cuts out radio when phone rings or is in use, remote speakers/mic etc.

My company was once enlightened. I was sent on a driving course because of the miles I rack up, they view driving as using any other piece of equipment and want to ensure your trained to use the provided equipment. Safety manager got his **** kicked as he used up his training budget sending the top 8 milage drivers on the course and there were 30 people with company cars plus 600 others who technically could be required to drive as part of their job.

[mac]

I used to be a service engineer and had a full handsfree kit in the car, but i still tried not to make or recieve calls on the move.

I think while you are on the phone you arent paying 100 % attention to the road.

[andy]

I think while you are on the phone you arent paying 100 % attention to the road.

I agree, I think that any mobile phone use while driving should be ilegal - handsfree or not - studies have shown that you are 4 x more likely to have an accident on hands free than no phone at all.

If going 5mph over the speed limit is considered so dangerous then why is chatting on the bloody phone considered OK?

Mobile phone laws are a bloody joke.....they are too lenient and not even enforced properly!

[tricky]

Saw a thing on "Myth Busters" on Discovery Channel a few weeks ago where they tested to see which was more dangerous, driving whilst drunk or driving whilst talking on a mobile phone without a handsfree kit.

THe test was to drive a slalom course and then avoid a hazzard.
I can't remember how much alcholol they had for the drunk test, but the conclusuin was that driving whilst on the phone was more dangerous.

[amarko5]

Saw a thing on "Myth Busters" on Discovery Channel a few weeks ago where they tested to see which was more dangerous, driving whilst drunk or driving whilst talking on a mobile phone without a handsfree kit.

THe test was to drive a slalom course and then avoid a hazzard.
I can't remember how much alcholol they had for the drunk test, but the conclusuin was that driving whilst on the phone was more dangerous.

they were just under the american drink drive limit.

and yes it was totally agreed mobile phones were a worse scenario.

i vote never use phone in car (never seen the need, pull over if you consider any call that important) and anyway i am a dinosaur from the age of no mobiles and by god we still managed to live our lives, arrange bike meets, meet women, ETC ETC.

also am not a big lover of loud music in cars (although i do listen to radio) just at a sensible volume , so i can hear what's going on around me.

might just be this old git here , but i have no one to impress with my mega woofers / rear window breakers. :wink:

short answer hands free or not mobile phones should not be allowed in cars full stop. and anyone with a radio over 80db should be hung drawn and quartered :lol: :lol:

[Cloggsy]

also am not a big lover of loud music in cars (although i do listen to radio) just at a sensible volume , so i can hear what's going on around me.

http://www.british-mobility.co.uk/mediac/400_0/media/Pink~Walking~Aid.jpg

Sorry mate, had to be done :lol: :lol: :lol:

[amarko5]

also am not a big lover of loud music in cars (although i do listen to radio) just at a sensible volume , so i can hear what's going on around me.

http://www.british-mobility.co.uk/mediac/400_0/media/Pink~Walking~Aid.jpg

Sorry mate, had to be done :lol: :lol: :lol:


your gonna get clobbered with it next time i see you :P :lol: :lol:

[Viney]

When i had my nokia, i had the full kit. When i swapped to my Ericsson, i wanted a hard wired kit but found it really hard to get hold of a kit for the K750, so settled for a car holder and wired headset that came with the phone. Only recenly, have i purchased a bluetooth earpiece for use in the car. I would have brought a bluetooth car kit, but they use the cars speakers, and i have a bit of a system in the car, so that wount work.

[Ceri JC]

Whilst it may appear hypocritical as I regularly slate car drivers for driving on the phone I openly admit that I do it. The difference is, when I do it, it's on motorways, I make sure I'm in the left hand lane, put it on speakerphone and hold it with the same hand as I'm holding the wheel. I also make an increased effort to be aware of the road and not become distracted. Using a phone in this way is no more distracting than a conversation with a passenger. Also, and I'm not bothered if this comes across as egotistical; My driving, when I'm on the phone is still better/safer than the vast majority of road users (when they're not using phones).

The sort of phone use I hate is people crawling along miles below the speed limit, drifting over the edges of their lanes, trying to jerkily navigate round roundabouts and change gear with one hand, going through built up areas and not paying attention to the other traffic/people crossing, etc.

In short, I think a blanket statement of "all phone use in a car is wrong, wherever, whenever, etc." is as inaccurate and overly-simplistic as "speed is the main cause of all accidents".

[amarko5]

In short, I think a blanket statement of "all phone use in a car is wrong, wherever, whenever, etc." is as inaccurate and overly-simplistic as "speed is the main cause of all accidents".

Nah it's this simplistic it's illegal so why do people think that hands free is legal :?: it is not :!: using a mobile phone whilst driving is not allowed.

and you contradict yourself Ceri :!: you say i pull over the the left lane , then go on to say i hate people who slow down whilst using mobiles :? well i would assume your pulling over to the left lane would involve slowing down :wink:

anyway it's foolish at any level and illegal as well. :wink:

[independentphoto]

Nah it's this simplistic it's illegal so why do people think that hands free is legal :?: it is not :!: using a mobile phone whilst driving is not allowed.


This is not quite true. Use of a Hand-held telephone is illegal. If it's not hand held it's not a problem. Hands free is fine. Incidentally, the use of Hand-held radio transceivers is also perfectly legal - whilst not particularly clever. This is to keep the cops in the clear if the car set is playing up or whatever.

Always had a car kit (the full, real deal) and what really gets me is that it's the ones who'll spend £40K or 50K on a flash motor with all the bells and whistles that don't use one. "Look Hector I don't even have to hold it" :toss:

Garry :wink:

[amarko5]

Nah it's this simplistic it's illegal so why do people think that hands free is legal :?: it is not :!: using a mobile phone whilst driving is not allowed.


This is not quite true. Use of a Hand-held telephone is illegal. If it's not hand held it's not a problem. Hands free is fine. Incidentally, the use of Hand-held radio transceivers is also perfectly legal - whilst not particularly clever. This is to keep the cops in the clear if the car set is playing up or whatever.

Always had a car kit (the full, real deal) and what really gets me is that it's the ones who'll spend £40K or 50K on a flash motor with all the bells and whistles that don't use one. "Look Hector I don't even have to hold it" :toss:

Garry :wink:

you can be prosecuted for using a hands free phone as well go check it out ( I think the terms are not in full control of the vehicle)

[independentphoto]

Well pointed out mate, but that could apply to changing a cassette or CD, eating, drinking. What about my old favourite - sneezing. That's impossible without closing your eyes, and if you take a bad sneezing fit on the motorway unexpectedly, whilst observing the speed limit (closely), sober as a judge etc, etc. Are they going to prosecute for that? Or whould it be no verdict - one of those things.

Point being, if they want you, they'll have you.

Garry :wink:

[Ceri JC]

and you contradict yourself Ceri :!: you say i pull over the the left lane , then go on to say i hate people who slow down whilst using mobiles :? well i would assume your pulling over to the left lane would involve slowing down :wink:

anyway it's foolish at any level and illegal as well. :wink:

When I said slow down, I should off added "in a way that inhibits the flow of traffic". Specifically on country lanes, being sat in the outside lane of a motorway, oblivious to the person behind you flashing their lights, etc. I tend to cease overtaking, back off from 85-90 to about 70, and safely (observations, indication etc.) move into the inside lane, then click one button to answer, another for speakerphone (I can do this by "feel" without looking at the phone). If I'm in a car with a decent dash with non-slip coating, I won't even hold the thing, just answer and put it on the dash. If I can't do it safely, I let it ring off. My company has the unpleasent policy of the official line being "phones should never be used in cars" (so we can't get car kits/bluetooth headsets on expenses), whilst the unwritten one is, "but we'd better be able to contact you 24/7".

I really fail to see how that involves more distraction than, say, changing the radio station, turning the volume up/down, altering the heating, etc. I know theoretically all of those things should be done with the car stationary and safely pulled in. But, pragmatically speaking, everyone does it on the move and it very rarely results in accidents, unless they allow themselves to be distracted by it (IE looking at a CD multichanger to see what CD is on then changing tracks, all the while not looking at the road). Same goes for mobile phones. I really don't understand why mobile use is such a legal/social bugbear. People messing around with GPS on ipaqs/pdas that require you to look at the screen (touch screen so you can't operate it by touch) is something else that most people do while driving and I think that is a lot more distracting/dangerous, yet it doesn't get half the attention it deserves. Most of us have driven with someone who is entering a post code/address on the GPS with one hand driving with the other, eyes flitting between the screen and the road. It's a damn sight more unnerving than the driver merely talking to a third party who isn't in the car with you.

I completely understand that it's a lot easier to make a blanket ruling from a legal point of view, but I would hope the police would turn a blind eye if they saw it being done the way I described (not that I'd intentionally put that to the test you understand :) )

[Ceri JC]

That's impossible without closing your eyes, and if you take a bad sneezing fit on the motorway unexpectedly, whilst observing the speed limit (closely), sober as a judge etc, etc. Are they going to prosecute for that? Or whould it be no verdict - one of those things.

Point being, if they want you, they'll have you.

Garry :wink:

Add to that, contact lenses coming out, cramps, unexplained shooting pains, wasp/bee sting, none of which can be helped or in many cases, predicted. :)

[Red ones]

Don't hasve a kit - refuse to use a phone in the car - if the person calling can't wait then it's their tough problem (should have planned their calls better!)

[Jelster]

When i had my nokia, i had the full kit. When i swapped to my Ericsson, i wanted a hard wired kit but found it really hard to get hold of a kit for the K750, so settled for a car holder and wired headset that came with the phone. Only recenly, have i purchased a bluetooth earpiece for use in the car. I would have brought a bluetooth car kit, but they use the cars speakers, and i have a bit of a system in the car, so that wount work.

My kit is an Ericsson blue tooth unit which I use with my 750i. Works well and can have a number of different phones linked (but only 1 at a time)

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[Viney]

amarko, i have always put you down as a sound fellow, but what are you on about?

My handsfree kit is FULLY HANDS Free even using my earpiece. It auto answers, and has voice dialing, so i dont even have to touch my phone.

Its not illegal to use a phne in the car, only to hold it in your hand. If it is in a cradle/holder, then you can use a hands free device legaly. Technically pulling over and using the phone is also illegal under the current law.

I see this as no different than talking to someone in the car, or listening to the wireless.

If you have never felt the need to answer use your phone in the car, then i suggest you get more people that want to ring you ;)

Anyway, i dont know why a bunch of LAW ABIDING (Yeah right) motorcylists are moaning. We never speed, never put race cans on our bikes etc etc. :lol:
When i had my nokia, i had the full kit. When i swapped to my Ericsson, i wanted a hard wired kit but found it really hard to get hold of a kit for the K750, so settled for a car holder and wired headset that came with the phone. Only recenly, have i purchased a bluetooth earpiece for use in the car. I would have brought a bluetooth car kit, but they use the cars speakers, and i have a bit of a system in the car, so that wount work.

My kit is an Ericsson blue tooth unit which I use with my 750i. Works well and can have a number of different phones linked (but only 1 at a time)

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Yes, but i bet it goes through the speakers in the car? None of my speakers are attached to my radio, they go through a couple of amps. If its not, then do tell me more :D

[amarko5]

amarko, i have always put you down as a sound fellow, but what are you on about?


If you have never felt the need to answer use your phone in the car, then i suggest you get more people that want to ring you ;)



Ohh I have plenty of people that try to ring me whilst i am driving but the phone is switched off until i stop.

I usually stop at 1 to 2 hour intervals and if a reply in that time is not quick enough then it probably wasn't worth them ringing in the first place.

as i said earlier Viney I am from an era when mobiles phones were science fiction, and we used to use them red boxes on street corners :P :lol: :lol:

I have my reasons for hating phone users whilst on the move ( a friend was killed whilst having a chat with his wife, on a hands free i hasten to add :cry: and it was determined it was his fault by the police investigation / witnesses.

it took but a split second of distraction :( so yes it will allways be an imotive subject for me and rightly so ) :?

each to their own :roll:

[Jelster]

Yes, but i bet it goes through the speakers in the car? None of my speakers are attached to my radio, they go through a couple of amps. If its not, then do tell me more :D

The phone kit id directly connected to the ICE unit, so it switches the audio off, which I guess will switch off all the drive to the amps...

And the phone has to be in a cradle of some description.

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[jim@55]

as ataxi driver i have a mobile phone and the usual hand held radio as well,but i use a bluetooth headset for the phone .i actually stopped and asked a bike cop about legality of using hand held radio for work while moving and was told no prob :shock: but a phone is a no-no ,bit of a mistake there dont you think as they both distract you .one is legal and the other is not