Six points & £200 fine for using a mobile phone at the wheel

[T6 CFO]

Our business now has a policy of no mobile phone use whilst driving. if we call someone and hear road noise we say bye and call back later. Even our emergency engineers have to pull over to answer their phones.

We had various people from emergency services come in and talk about the reality of accidents. There was one guy, a truck driver, had spent years in jail and had killed someone. He was on hands free but thought he was on a dual carriageway because he was distracted by a mundane conversation. He went to overtake a hit a van head on. The other driver died. His story (from prison) sure did hit home and he was clearly broken by the experience.

It sure makes you think twice. So much so I didn't get a mic fitted on my van in the end.

Sad story. Tactic I used with my boys when they started driving even though there generation an awful lot better than mine.
"Why don't you drink and drive" puzzled look as it's obvious.
"Reason has nothing to do with getting caught or disqualified, your a good lad and if you caused an accident and injured or killed someone and had had a drink you would never recover from it"

That's the deterrent and also applies to this thread and a great deal of other things in life. Personal responsibility.


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[MattBW]

It's a good tactic to have. There is plenty of evidence that even a hand free call can be just as bad if not worse than having a drink.

Studies have shown the risk of being in a crash is increased four times for drivers on both hand-held and hands-free phones. I am sure I read an article that said reactions during phone calls were actually 30% slower than driving at the UK drink drive limit.

 

[Stoneybroke]

Our business now has a policy of no mobile phone use whilst driving. if we call someone and hear road noise we say bye and call back later. Even our emergency engineers have to pull over to answer their phones.

We had various people from emergency services come in and talk about the reality of accidents. There was one guy, a truck driver, had spent years in jail and had killed someone. He was on hands free but thought he was on a dual carriageway because he was distracted by a mundane conversation. He went to overtake a hit a van head on. The other driver died. His story (from prison) sure did hit home and he was clearly broken by the experience.

It sure makes you think twice. So much so I didn't get a mic fitted on my van in the end.

That sounds like the e

Our business now has a policy of no mobile phone use whilst driving. if we call someone and hear road noise we say bye and call back later. Even our emergency engineers have to pull over to answer their phones.

We had various people from emergency services come in and talk about the reality of accidents. There was one guy, a truck driver, had spent years in jail and had killed someone. He was on hands free but thought he was on a dual carriageway because he was distracted by a mundane conversation. He went to overtake a hit a van head on. The other driver died. His story (from prison) sure did hit home and he was clearly broken by the experience.

It sure makes you think twice. So much so I didn't get a mic fitted on my van in the end.

Interested to read you comment in the thread about the hgv driver and the prison sentence where he is giving input to courses - that sounds like the collision I referred to in the link to the express & star (Cannock).

 

[Stoneybroke]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1116115728532912&id=205285549615939&ref=bookmarks


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Very, very powerful video.

 

[MattBW]

That sounds like the e

Interested to read you comment in the thread about the hgv driver and the prison sentence where he is giving input to courses - that sounds like the collision I referred to in the link to the express & star (Cannock).

I just read the article and it does sound very like the story from the video we saw, it is likely to be the same chap. The course we had at work was called "Crash Course" and involved police, fire and ambulance workers and videos. Each describing the reality of incidents and experiences, often too much information to be frank. The fireman's callout to his own friend/colleague's fatal accident was particularly harrowing. There were plenty of tears in the room and utter silence throughout the 2 hour session.

It had a similar effect on us as that video above, and I'm glad to work for a responsible employer who simply said no more phones whilst driving. The course ensured it was done.

Funnily enough my boss called me this morning whilst I was driving asking for urgent info. As I was driving I didnt listen to the voicemail until I arrived at work which was too late for his meeting but it was accepted as part of a safe organisation.