Mobile Phones and Driving

[Samuran]

This whole thread trumps me, it makes no sense... especially after reading the crap on the daily mail website, which even has a highlighted section which covers what has basically been argued out on here....

 

ohh and Korb, Science trumps everything. No exception.

[dirtyhabitz]

Science trumps me? Sorry, but it hasn't. 

I'm  a bus driver and we do  loads of courses on road safety as I'm sure you can imagine. Statistics for people killed by drivers on phones are horrific ! incidents regarding smoking are almost unheard of,he ones that do occur are mostly from drivers with an already poor accident record.

Lets face it, do you have animated two way conversations with a cigarette ? 

 

I bet we've all been walking along on the phone and ended up going totally the wrong way or walking into something. That's at 3mph not in a heavy metal box surrounded by soft human beings and other metal boxes.

[KORB]

I wouldnt belive the date in the Daily Mail 

Nor me, but sat in a waiting room with only The mail or The Sun,  you haven't much choice unless you read leaflets on STi's  no I haven't got an STI either! 

[TrickyTris]

I'll be sure to remember this argument... For when I'm driving on the M25 smoking my spliff, drinking my Stella Artois & texting my mate. All while some 40 year old knobber in an audi - doing nothing - is sitting 2 inches from my rear bumper ready to cause an accident.

 

This entire thread is moot.

 

[KORB]

This whole thread trumps me, it makes no sense... especially after reading the crap on the daily mail website, which even has a highlighted section which covers what has basically been argued out on here....

 

ohh and Korb, Science trumps everything. No exception.

Really? Science has not yet developed a clean reusable energy as it?   Science also did not predict that using fossil fuels would wreck our climate did it?  Science has not cured cancer yet either! nor Aids! Science lessons for you Samuran, you lose!  

[Noj]

The only people who actually know what happened are the driver and officers involved. Everything else is media driven supposition.

As Tris noted, the thread is moot.

Boobs over far right wing journalism for me please

[Smoothybb]

Really? Science has not yet developed a clean reusable energy as it?   Science also did not predict that using fossil fuels would wreck our climate did it?  Science has not cured cancer yet either! nor Aids! Science lessons for you Samuran, you lose!  

Not really a strong argument. Something that can be measured v's something that doesn't yet exist. Very different.

[Samuran]

Really? Science has not yet developed a clean reusable energy as it?   Science also did not predict that using fossil fuels would wreck our climate did it?  Science has not cured cancer yet either! nor Aids! Science lessons for you Samuran, you lose!  

 

Which useable forms of energy have been developed without science? Science did indeed predict exactly that, politicians chose not to believe it. The rest isn't even worth dignifying with a response. What trumps science then? (appart from you of course).

[KORB]

Which useable forms of energy have been developed without science? Science did indeed predict exactly that, politicians chose not to believe it. The rest isn't even worth dignifying with a response. What trumps science then? (appart from you of course).

Here are a couple of your "scientific" evidence related tosh, you should enjoy reading this...

 

1- Studies Regarding the Danger of Smoking While Driving

The National Institutes of Health recently published a report which thoroughly examined the impact of smoking while driving and its consequences on road safety. The study found that on average, people who smoked while driving were even more distracted than people who used a cell phone. Cigarette smokers averaged 12.0 seconds of distraction (equitable to traveling 525 feet without looking at the road), while cell phone users averaged 10.6 seconds of distraction (traveling 492 feet).

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration strongly discourages smoking while driving in its training material for CDL drivers. The FMCSA conducted its own half-decade study into the dangers of smoking while driving a truck and found that smoking was a source of distraction in 0.9 percent of distraction-related crashes, which equates to approximately 12,780 crashes over the five year period examined.

 

2- Smoking is One of the Many Distractions

Sure, we've all heard of a driver who is distracted by his/her mobile phone or fighting the temptation not to text a friend back.  Many drivers, even you, may have been a distracted driver at least once or twice.  Distracted driving is not just a driver using a mobile phone, but is any activity that could divert a driver

[hebby]

Didn't bother to read past the first page so don't hoot me if it a same post.

Ok here goes......

As a driver with a phone and a none smoker I would gladly say people who use there phones whilst driving should have there license taken away for 18 months at least!

I had a family member knocked down when she was 10 on a zebra crossing by a driver on his phone and she spent 6 months in hospital and 2 of them in intensive care.

She survived but was left with brain injuries that made her feel so low when she was 15 she decided she would no longer feel the way she does and later that day on her 16th birthday was found dead in her room after taking a cocktail of tablets and drink.

The driver went to court and was sentenced to 2 years in jail suspended for 2 years and ordered to pay

[hebby]

Oh and what really gets on my tits is a driver who texts whilst driving WTFFFFFF! Is it that important?

[Noj]

It appears to me that this thread was started simply to rag on smokers, which makes little sense, when the original issue was about a motorist drinking whilst in stationary traffic.

Whatever has happened in your life that has released these latent feelings today? It has to be more than just reading an article in the Mail? I hope you get it sorted soon

[hebby]

I agree Noj

And my post was about both smokers and phone users who drive

[KORB]

It appears to me that this thread was started simply to rag on smokers, which makes little sense, when the original issue was about a motorist drinking whilst in stationary traffic.

Whatever has happened in your life that has released these latent feelings today? It has to be more than just reading an article in the Mail? I hope you get it sorted soon

That's exactly the sort of crap one expects from those who do not bother to read everything in front of them. It had nothing to with me ragging on smokers.what is that load of crap about?? it was a question asking if the law should be equal for smokers and talkers on phones in cars. 

Why you feel the need to trash a question with blatant BS says a lot about you. 

 

I too have a relative with brain damage after being hit by 2 cars and left for dead in the road when he was 5, he is now in his late 20s and his entire life is destroyed. 

The reason you won't read the evidence is obviously simple, you don't like being proved wrong! 

[Veed79]

For me to the original question yes,I think our police should arrest people on the mobile phone clear evidence that its extremely dangerous,not only do I see people making dangerous manoeuvres like u turns in busy rds and reversing into main rds I regularly see them do it whilst on the phone, so I have no sympathy for anyone fined for it when most phones come with some form of ear piece.

Should smoking be illegal at the wheel I don't think so either as said there is no evidence to support that it causes large numbers of accidents, I've spent nearly 14 years in the fire brigade and seen plenty of rd accidents involving phones and not one through smoking, not saying it hasn't happened but clearly not enough for it to be classed as illegal.

The problem is where would we stop? I often turn round to shout at the kids when there playing up, should that be illegal? We all do things in the car everyday that could cause accidents but if they were all illegal then the police would be even more stretched than they already are!

[KORB]

For me to the original question yes,I think our police should arrest people on the mobile phone clear evidence that its extremely dangerous,not only do I see people making dangerous manoeuvres like u turns in busy rds and reversing into main rds I regularly see them do it whilst on the phone, so I have no sympathy for anyone fined for it when most phones come with some form of ear piece.

Should smoking be illegal at the wheel I don't think so either as said there is no evidence to support that it causes large numbers of accidents, I've spent nearly 14 years in the fire brigade and seen plenty of rd accidents involving phones and not one through smoking, not saying it hasn't happened but clearly not enough for it to be classed as illegal.

The problem is where would we stop? I often turn round to shout at the kids when there playing up, should that be illegal? We all do things in the car everyday that could cause accidents but if they were all illegal then the police would be Smoking in cars

 

 

 

 

Smoking in cars

In September 2007 the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), an executive agency of the Department for Transport, updated the Highway Code for the first time in eight years. Smoking has now been added to a list of distractions listed in the code that already included:

Loud music

Trying to read maps

Inserting a cassette or CD or tuning a radio

Arguing with your passengers or other road users

Eating and drinking

According to the Department of Transport, a fixed penalty notice could be issued to people who smoke while driving at the discretion of the police.

Some anti-smoking campaigners are now calling for ban on smoking while driving, in the same way that the use of mobile phones is prohibited.

[KORB]

BECAUSE SMOKING ISN'T DANGEROUS. you are a none smoker thereby you do not understand the process of smoking and the mental requirement. ironically roads would be more dangerous if people couldn't smoke as there would be a lot of very angry drivers rushing to get to their destination to have a fag.

i'm not sure how to make any clearer. smoking is not distracting and does not inhibit ones driving ability or attention the the road as it is a subconscious action requiring no thinking, the same as having a drink etc whilst driving (non-alcoholic)

I like your "SMOKING ISN'T DANGEROUS", if smoking isn't a danger why do over 100K people die in the UK each year? you might want to revise your comment? It's a killer!

[KORB]

 

 

As for shouting at the kids, yesterday the idiots in west minster mentioned allowing children to sue for being shouted at and a host of other crazy crap that only crazy politicians could possibly dream up!

[norcoforever]

I like your "SMOKING ISN'T DANGEROUS", if smoking isn't a danger why do over 100K people die in the UK each year? you might want to revise your comment? It's a killer!

Don't be a pathetic I clearly stated in relation to driving and the idea of it being dangerous. I never stated smoking doesn't kill it does I know it does but it's my life. You have been well and truly proven wrong so it may be an idea to give up. Also if you recheck your quoting your quoted noj as hebby. The term think before you speak comes to mind.

smoking yes is dangerous physically to health not in terms of driving ability.

Try again!! Lmfao oh and your scientific figures by your own admission don't count. Hypocrite Edited April 2, 2014 by norcoforever

[Ste001]

Its simple -

If your driving, THEN DRIVE !

Nothing else, no phones, magazines, fags, monkeys or flying camels!!!!

Just do what ur ment to be doing and stop messing about

Imo

My feedback -

[Noj]

Korb, I find your whole attitude completely unreasonable, you started this thread merely to provoke argument, and continue to do so by openly attacking the intelligence of those members who can see through your angst ridden 'BS' and who have an opinion which differs to yours.

You know NOTHING about me, so please, don't embarrass yourself further by forming judgments based upon my honest opinions and comments. I have nowt to defend and am certainly not justifying myself to you, or anyone else; such is the nature of the wise and confident.

I request that you wind your neck in and, if you wish to be a useful forum member, desist in inciting bad feeling simply because you have several axes to grind.

I suggest reading The Sun, the next time you are in a waiting room, it may crack a smile

Mods, can we please have this thread locked before someone says something really offensive, thanks

[Smoothybb]

Here are a couple of your "scientific" evidence related tosh, you should enjoy reading this...

 

1- Studies Regarding the Danger of Smoking While Driving

The National Institutes of Health recently published a report which thoroughly examined the impact of smoking while driving and its consequences on road safety. The study found that on average, people who smoked while driving were even more distracted than people who used a cell phone. Cigarette smokers averaged 12.0 seconds of distraction (equitable to traveling 525 feet without looking at the road), while cell phone users averaged 10.6 seconds of distraction (traveling 492 feet).

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration strongly discourages smoking while driving in its training material for CDL drivers. The FMCSA conducted its own half-decade study into the dangers of smoking while driving a truck and found that smoking was a source of distraction in 0.9 percent of distraction-related crashes, which equates to approximately 12,780 crashes over the five year period examined.

 

I wasn't saying don't drive and smoke ,but the evidence above contradicts your so called scientific BS!  I was asking if it should be classed as the same as driving whilst using a phone. As per usual the MSUK gang without reading a question jump up and throw their dummies out of the pram. 

Excusing the fact that your "science" is ripped from a us lawyers website (I was tempted to start a livechat in spanish  ), it doesn't reference a specific report although a similar one from the AAA suggested using a mobile is more distracting than driving while over the drink drive limit. Reaction times are halved while certain negative behaviors increase. When discussing smoking and driving it offers 3 ways it can provoke distraction but fails to draw any conclusive results. It classifies smoking the same way as your statistics from the DLA do, ie. on a par with loud music and eating a drinking. The direction given to the police most recently was that depending on the circumstances and driver behavior, lighting a cigarette could fall under driving without due care.

 

Regardless, the general response from the smokers largely stems from the recent fascination by society to class us all as misguided lepers. Commonly labelled as beholden to the demon weed, a sub-species that should be forced outside, smokers tend to get a bit defensive when accused of further anti-social behavior. Cigarettes were around before cars and smoking hasn't come close to being banned at the wheel. That's not to say it won't in the near future but that will be pushed onto us based on the 'smoking is bad for you' line rather than than the RTA's it would prevent.

[Rover Man]

Think this thread as run its course.

 

Ill close it now before it gets too personal