Mobile Phone Kits...

Originally Posted by 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.

Sorry mate, had to be done

Originally Posted by Cloggsy

Sorry mate, had to be done

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

[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.

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".

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

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

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

Originally Posted by 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"

Garry

Originally Posted by independentphoto

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"

Garry

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)

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

Originally Posted by amarko5

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

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

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 )

Originally Posted by independentphoto

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

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.