New mobile phone law-Police on London area TV

Did anyone see the old bill on local London telly a couple of weeks ago showing how using a mobile phone whilst driving decreases peoples attention? They sat a reporter in a stationary car (a few different times) and made him/her have a conversation on the phone. Then a copper sat next to the reporter and proceeded to ALSO have a conversation with said reporter. Obviously the reporter couldn't hardly concentrate. Now can someone explain how having two conversations at once whilst not driving has the same inmplications as having a single converstion whilst driving? Beats me, it really does.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT condone nor encourage talking on the phone whilst driving, so please don't have a go at me! I'm sitting firmly on the fence.

From that it seems to me the point was you cant concentrate on two things at once...

Have you ever tried to navigate a really busy roundabout and talk on the phone (or to a passenger) at the same time.

It's not about what I can do.

It is a different kettle of fish though isn't it?

I'm tempted to say apples and oranges comparison.

No I can't have two conversations at once but i can walk and talk at the same time I can and do bash out emails about one thing while having a chat with my team mate about something else, I can do a rubix cube while talking, but I can't have two conflicting conversations at once.

different parts of the brain doing different things.

[Ch00]

The fact he had a copper sitting next to him probably put him off a lot more than if it was a mate of his!!

Ch00

Even when I am chatting to a passenger and come up to a roundabout or pull onto a motorway I go all slow and slurred whilst I concentrate on the manouvering. My bird says I can't multitask and laughs, but I just say she can't drive as she concentrates on the chatting.

[Balky001]

You don't have to hold a passenger so hands free mobiles are legal(IMO all phones should be banned whilst driving) - I suppose when you are in the car with someone you can talk at more appropriate times and also if you are driving its easier to ignore than someone on the end of the line. My wife constantly talk but I can't remember the last time I listened to her in the car, or whilst watching TV!

Originally Posted by Balky001

You don't have to hold a passenger so hands free mobiles are legal(IMO all phones should be banned whilst driving) - I suppose when you are in the car with someone you can talk at more appropriate times and also if you are driving its easier to ignore than someone on the end of the line. My wife constantly talk but I can't remember the last time I listened to her in the car, or whilst watching TV!

There is nothing wrong with telling somebody on the phone "I'll call you back" either...

I can't see the difference between having a conversation with somebody in the car, and having a conversation on a hands free phone. If anything, people in cars tend to look at each other, so it's worse.

I have no problem telling my boss or a customer that I'll call when I'm able to do so, or have a simple yes/no conversation. BUT, what does really wind me up is people with expensive cars that don't (or won't) buy a hands free kit....

After a bloke jumped a red light whilst on his mobile then tried to push me into a traffic Island today. The shouted at me when i remonstrated with him for doing two illegal things " who do you think you are Old Bill" took his number and phoned the aforementioned. They wearnt interested but certainly made him drive off at a rate of knots.

H