Why do so many drivers use mobiles whilst driving?

Having just narrowly avoided being squashed by a van driver more intent on chatting on his phone than concentrating on his driving I again wonder why the Police just dont seem interested in taking action on drivers openly breaking the law?

I really am puzzled.

I'm sure we all see it day in, day out - loads of people texting and chatting whilst driving.

Go on YouTube and you'll find loads of videos showing near misses with drivers using phones too.

If nothing else it would be such a money maker with all the fines that could be issued.

I guess one day it'll become as socially unacceptable as driving without a seatbelt and drink driving?

They probably see it as too much effort to bother with. Short of a photo/video the driver could deny it till blue in the face and then its down to who is believed in court (with the burden of proof on the coppers). Unless they cause an accident I guess it's too much bother/cost to do stuff like check phone records for times of calls etc.

There are 3 things, when driving/riding, that will get 'my gander' up :mad:.
Lane discipline on roundabouts, the white lines are there for a reason.
Use or lack of use of indicators and
Mobile phone usage............well to get all three in one go, you can imagine...............
I was on my Trike, entered a 3 lane roundabout to turn right, IDIOT in middle lane, on phone, came into my lane and was forcing me towards the kerb of the island, no indication on his part.
Luckily it was summer and his window was down, I really shouted at him 'get of the f**king phone, he had no clue I was there and nearly s**t himself, but the look on his face was an absolute picture, talk about guilty.... I just went on my way laughing :D

I don't understand why people don't fit hands free kits if they want to use a phone while driving. I have one fitted in my van and use it if I really must for work. My car doesn't have one and I don't bother using the phone anyway but if I did I'd just pull over. Most of the time when I'm out on my bike my phones at home :)
I wish they'd never been invented, bloody things :D

The most annoying thing is when there are two people in the car and the driver is on the phone while the passenger isn't. Why don't they just pass the phone over????

Would it change people's driving if they had to have a B (for bad driver) sticker if they lost points from there license like naming and shaming some drivers see red at L plates in front of them. Guess it's sometimes a ego thing on the way road user's are treated by other road user's
Thinking back there was a time where you would get in a taxi who had on hand on his CB it's how you drive and other people making allowance for you that can save life's. Drive safely hope you all only see sandwiches on you're plate.

I've had 2 occasions recently when a driver (on a roundabout) was on the phone and didn't even know I was there. I didn't report them to the police .... but may be next time, I might be annoyed enough to get them prosecuted, if my life if endangered.

My funniest was in my car and the woman behind was yapping on the phone but not paying attention, as my car is an old banger I slowed right down with the gears and not the brakes... It was worth it to see her drop the phone so I gave her the phones 4 U sign.
she was still going bonkers miles up the road as I was still laughing.

when I'm on the bike I assume everyone drives like a 6 year old so it's no surprise when they don't indicate or do cut you up. I nearly kicked someone's door on a roundabout the other day as they didn't look and cut across the roundabout.

as for the police, there are less on the roads and most are going somewhere so haven't the time to do them.

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Originally Posted by Vulcanboy

I've had 2 occasions recently when a driver (on a roundabout) was on the phone and didn't even know I was there. I didn't report them to the police .... but may be next time, I might be annoyed enough to get them prosecuted, if my life if endangered.

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and you honestly reckon the Police would take any notice if you did report them? :rolleyes:

Where I work it is written in to our contract that if you are caught using a mobile phone while on company business this will be gross misconducted and may lead to dismissal.Maybe all company's should do this, may stop of some of these van drivers and so called professional drivers from using their phones while driving.

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Originally Posted by Silver Bird

Where I work it is written in to our contract that if you are caught using a mobile phone while on company business this will be gross misconducted and may lead to dismissal.Maybe all company's should do this, may stop of some of these van drivers and so called professional drivers from using their phones while driving.

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It is probably their bosses who are on the other end issuing instructions in many cases.

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Originally Posted by QB1

and you honestly reckon the Police would take any notice if you did report them? :rolleyes:

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I would imagine the police have to actually see them do it for any prosecution to be lawful.

Right, quick law lesson. In order to prosecute somebody for a road traffic offence (ie using a mobile phone), it has to be proved beyond reasonable doubt, with the burden of proof being placed upon the prosecution. (presumption of innocence). Now if an individual walked into a police station to report somebody using a mobile phone, the following information would be needed to even begin looking into the matter, time, date, location, vehicle reg, and description of the driver. very often the person reporting doesn't even have those basic details. Even if those details were provided and the person reporting was willing to provide a statement a prosecution would be unlikely to succeed as it will be the witnesses word against the drivers word and therefore an element of doubt would exist. Somebody suggested that phone records could be checked....firstly its not as simple as merely checking phone records, authorities are required before going through a persons phone details and if granted, which is unlikely due to the matter being a road traffic offence, (proportionality, justification, a persons right to a private life under ECHR etc etc), all this would show was that the phone was being used at a specific time. It wouldn't show who was making the call or sending the text, and it would only show a rough area where the phone was located at the time of the call, especially if the three masts used to triangulate the phones location are a fair distance apart. (We do this when trying to locate high risk (suicidal) missing people and sometime it gives massive search areas because the masts as so far apart). The technology does not exist to pinpoint an exact location, just an area. So in essence it is very difficult to prosecute somebody for using a mobile phone on a report from a single individual. Funnily enough, people seem to put their phones down when they see a police car behind them or passing them....those that don't are usually given a ticket or sent on a driver awareness course.

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Originally Posted by DaytonaDog

Right, quick law lesson. .........firstly its not as simple as merely checking phone records, authorities are required before going through a persons phone details and if granted, which is unlikely due to the matter being a road traffic offence, (proportionality, justification, a persons right to a private life under ECHR etc etc), all this would show was that the phone was being used at a specific time. It wouldn't show who was making the call or sending the text, and it would only show a rough area where the phone was located at the time of the call, especially if the three masts used to triangulate the phones location are a fair distance apart. .

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Maybe the person should stop by the SUN first. They will probably walkout out with a copy of the full phone conversation as well as a detailed GPS track of the movement while the call was being made ;)