BBCs Have Your Say - Mobile phone usage in cars

On 27/02/2007 19:15, Roger Thorpe said,

I often see this, especially when the nitwit on the 'phone is entering
the roundabout. They seem reluctant to stop. Why is this? Can anyone who
drives tell me what's going on. Are they trying t avoid changing gear or
something?

No - they're trying to avoid engaging their brain.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Pinky wrote:

wrote in message
oups.com...
On 26 Feb, 18:25, Martin Dann wrote:
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thre...?threadID=5651

An opportunity to make some comments about road safety to the BBC.

Don't know about anybody else here, but after a near miss, I almost
expect to look up and see the driver on the phone. It seems 80% of the
ones driving too close, cutting me up at junctions or pushing me off
on roundabouts have their phone to their ear.

I think you have a point! And on any 20 mile road trip I can almost guarantee
at least one near miss situation. It means to me that every time I am cycling
I am at the edge of being in a high risk situation.

Isn't the real problem about this dangerous and unlawful occupation that the
law is virtually unenforceable. There are many many motorists who totally
disregard the ban - and many of those are just incapable of driving "with due
care and attention" even without a mobile glued to their ear

Not just driving. A few years ago I watched a car driver park and get
out of his car one handed while nattering into his mobile. He then
walked from his car to the pavement & walked straight into a parking
meter which presumably "came from nowhere"!

--
Chris Malcolm DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

"Paul Boyd" wrote in message
...
On 27/02/2007 19:15, Roger Thorpe said,

I often see this, especially when the nitwit on the 'phone is entering
the roundabout. They seem reluctant to stop. Why is this? Can anyone who
drives tell me what's going on. Are they trying t avoid changing gear or
something?

No - they're trying to avoid engaging their brain.

You see, there's the flaw in your point. You're assuming there's a brain to
engage ;-)

Matt B wrote:
Speed cameras give the dangerous subliminal message that any speed up to
the limit, at any time, in any circumstances, is safe.

This is part of why I reply to CTC's calls for 20mph blanket urban limit
with a call for better enforcement of current laws on recklessness and
inconsiderate motoring, instead. Some roads shouldn't be driven along at
12mph on, let alone 20, and 20mph won't improve anything without better
enforcement. Why don't CTC members stop CTC wasting time on 20-limits
and crack on against reckless and inconsiderate drivers?

Then again, should we be surprised by the madness a organisation whose
president says on national TV that the roads are too dangerous to cycle?

Regards,
--
MJ Ray - see/vidu http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Webmaster/web developer, statistician, sysadmin, trainer, koha dev,
online shop maker, GNU/Linux, debian, gobo, gnustep, mailing lists.
Workers co-op @ Weston-super-Mare, Somerset http://www.ttllp.co.uk/