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Noticed less people using their phone while driving?

  • 04-06-2014 10:40am
    #1
    BlackWizard
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,282 ✭✭✭


    Since the new legislation was introduced and there was a big media hype about it I just haven't seen any drop in people using their phone while driving.

    I drive on the M50 each day and see about 2 people using their phone per day. Some days it's a lot worse.

    I just recorded my journey home after a near miss the previous day with a person using their phone while driving. I was consciously looking out for people on the phone when I stopped the bike.

    Noticed a drop in people using their phones while driving? 112 votes

    I noticed a drop
    0% 0 votes
    No difference
    16% 18 votes
    I noticed an increase
    83% 94 votes


Comments

  • #2
    Alanstrainor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,157 ✭✭✭✭Alanstrainor


    Still see it all the time. I would say I see 3+ per journey through Dublin city centre. People veering off centre because they're not focusing, or have a cig in one hand and a phone in the other, blood boiling stuff!


  • #3
    dudara
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    I haven't observed any noticeable difference. Don't get how people can be so selfishly stupid.


  • #4
    djimi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    I dont tend to pay much attention to what is going on in the cockpit of other cars either way, but I havent noticed much of a decrease I suppose!


  • #5
    cml387
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,497 ✭✭✭cml387


    Of course it's purely subjective, but I believe I've seen an increase in the number of people pulled in to the side of the road on the phone.

    Now as to where they choose to pull in, well that's another matter.


  • #6
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    I've noticed an increase, bit in reality I've probably only noticed because of the media hype lately, having become accustomed to every second driver having a phone at their ear.


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  • #7
    jimgoose
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,180 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    Not on your nelly! I see it all the time, all kinds of drivers young and not-so-young, in all kinds of vehicles, driving one-handed while holding phones to their ears. Even while negotiating roundabouts! Utter madness. :mad:


  • #8
    NIMAN
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,998 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    No difference, see at least 4 or 5 per commute, and I wouldn't pass as many cars as city drivers.

    The media hype obviously didn't scare anyone into stopping.

    I don't know why the Guards don't fit cameras to their dashes, and just drive around, record their journeys then send out penalty notices to the owners of the car regs. Simple, no?


  • #9
    djimi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    cml387 wrote: »
    Of course it's purely subjective, but I believe I've seen an increase in the number of people pulled in to the side of the road on the phone.

    Now as to where they choose to pull in, well that's another matter.

    Thats always been a big problem. Make it illegal to talk on the phone while driving; people stop dead in the middle of the road to take a phone call... :rolleyes: I have actually lost track of the number of times I have been behind someone only for them to coast to a stop on the road, flick on the hazards and start talking on the phone. Bloody dangerous idiots.

    Try making a phone call while Im sitting up your arse blaring my horn every two seconds :pac:


  • #10
    Pedro K
    Registered Users Posts: 1,203 ✭✭✭Pedro K


    Jaysus that light stays red an awful long time.

    What helmet cam are you using BTW?

    On topic, I'm on my bike on motorways every day and in the car every other day. I haven't seen any drop off at all. The number of people texting while driving on motorways is scandalous.


  • #11
    BlackWizard
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,282 ✭✭✭BlackWizard


    It's the Palmerstown N4 junction. I'm lucky because I done something sneaky to get up to the top of that queue. I cut that bit out :)

    It is a GoPro Hero White

    The last few days I've been intentionally looking at people while driving so I've noticed it a lot more. Normally I won't notice it unless the driver does something odd.

    I feel texting is a lot worse than being on the phone but I'm not sure if there is a difference to the fine. There should be!


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  • #12
    Tropheus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,937 ✭✭✭Tropheus


    This morning on the M50, there was a guy sitting in the outside lane holding up faster traffic. I flashed him a couple of times and he wouldn't pull over. I could clearly see that he was on the phone. Ludicrous.


  • #13
    LadyLucinda
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭LadyLucinda


    whats the penalty now for being caught?


  • #14
    DoesNotCompute
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,375 ✭✭✭DoesNotCompute


    Haven't noticed any difference. Then again I didn't know there was any change in legislation, so I haven't been keeping an eye out for a change in behaviour.

    Having said that, I will be getting myself a dual lens dashcam after reading this thread:


  • #15
    Kaiser D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,880 ✭✭✭Kaiser D


    Actually, I meant to say this yesterday, but on my way from Dublin to Greystones yesterday I noticed 5 drivers using their mobile phones. One car was pulling a horsebox too. They really didn't seem to care at all.


  • #16
    Spike Witwicky
    Registered Users Posts: 373 ✭✭Spike Witwicky


    No difference unfortunately


  • #17
    ofcork
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,411 ✭✭✭ofcork


    The ones that annoy me are people who pull out of garages especially on the phone,why not have your talk and hang up drive off!


  • #18
    Milly33
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,657 ✭✭✭Milly33


    Most defiantly have noticed more people..Spotted a woman just about to go around the roundiebout the last day and yes she had two kids in the back and she was chatting away on it


  • #19
    dgt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,985 ✭✭✭✭dgt


    Nope, quite the opposite actually. I nearly got ran over by a bint texting while driving her tuscon last night for example. Worrying part is I was at a gate about 6 feet away from the road (watching jackdaws)


  • #20
    oldyouth
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,754 ✭✭✭oldyouth


    Just seen a Garda in a marked squad car texting as he drove, looking down at the phone on his lap, on a busy Wexford Town Street, then going around a roundabout.

    Ah, but he is highly trained :rolleyes:


  • #21
    jameshayes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,772 ✭✭✭jameshayes


    I've noticed a difference of the number of people texting/playing with their phone while sitting on the canal, normally every 2/3 cars you'll have someone poking at their phone, I went down the canal this morning and I didn't see a single person with a phone in hand..


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  • #22
    myusernamehere
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭myusernamehere


    The stricter penalty is surely a deterrent. However..
    Tonight I was driving home and my phone in the side pocket (driver's door) lit up just as I could make out 'garda' on top of a high vehicle coming towards me.. They didn't flash but instead put the hazards on and half slowed down, weird I thought and carried on. There were cars behind them too, I kept driving not sure what to do, and they didn't come after me., but I'm now thinking it must be more than a coincidence? Did it look like I was using it? Would they have turned a camera on or something maybe, even taken the reg down.?
    Lesson learned either way, keep phone well away!


  • #23
    Noccy_Mondy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,845 ✭✭✭Noccy_Mondy


    myusernamehere wrote: »
    The stricter penalty is surely a deterrent. However..
    Tonight I was driving home and my phone in the side pocket (driver's door) lit up just as I could make out 'garda' on top of a high vehicle coming towards me.. They didn't flash but instead put the hazards on and half slowed down, weird I thought and carried on. There were cars behind them too, I kept driving not sure what to do, and they didn't come after me., but I'm now thinking it must be more than a coincidence? Did it look like I was using it? Would they have turned a camera on or something maybe, even taken the reg down.?
    Lesson learned either way, keep phone well away!

    The phone light wouldn't have been bright enough to illuminate the full car would it? - hence drawing their attention. Doubt the gardai seen you tbh. Definitely wouldn't have gotten the reg.


  • #24
    endplate
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 991 ✭✭✭endplate


    Just after the announcement about the fines I notice people stopping in all sorts of dangerous spots to answer the phone. Don't know which is worse the dangerous parking or actually driving with the phone stuck to their ear. Anyway the dangerous parking has stopped and people seemed to have returned to their old habits.


  • #25
    Dord
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,817 ✭✭✭✭Dord


    No difference. I've seen people using phones and tablets while driving.


  • #26
    Odyssey 2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,065 ✭✭✭✭Odyssey 2005


    I have noticed an increase in the practice. What really gets me and I see it very regularly around here is the fookin egits who leave their own driveways on the phone or pick up to dial a number within 30 yards of leaving home.


  • #27
    kevohmsford
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,316 ✭✭✭kevohmsford


    I have noticed alot of people on their phones either texting or talking.


  • #28
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,264 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Almost inevitably if I'm driving on the motorway and see someone tootling along at 60km or so in the inside lane, when I pass, I can see they are texting.

    Sometimes the ten year old part of my brain would love to have a loud air horn type lorry horn and blow them out of it. I'd rather the guards caught them though. Surely if I can see so many while doing fairly occasional motorway driving, it would be worth their while to run a car up and down certain stretches a couple of times a day catching them.


  • #29
    First Up
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,823 ✭✭✭✭First Up


    The M50 is full of young wans at it. Usually in the middle lane.


  • #30
    Odyssey 2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,065 ✭✭✭✭Odyssey 2005


    spurious wrote: »
    Almost inevitably if I'm driving on the motorway and see someone tootling along at 60km or so in the inside lane, when I pass, I can see they are texting.

    Sometimes the ten year old part of my brain would love to have a loud air horn type lorry horn and blow them out of it. I'd rather the guards caught them though. Surely if I can see so many while doing fairly occasional motorway driving, it would be worth their while to run a car up and down certain stretches a couple of times a day catching them.
    Here Here


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  • #31
    LadyLucinda
    Registered Users Posts: 133 ✭✭LadyLucinda


    can anybody tell me what the new fine is?


  • #32
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,264 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    LadyLucinda wrote: »
    can anybody tell me what the new fine is?

    http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/drivers-caught-on-mobiles-to-face-1-000-fine-1.1759612
    Up to €1000 for a first offence, more for repeat offenders.


  • #33
    Jesus.
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,794 ✭✭✭Jesus.


    BlackWizard wrote: »
    I was consciously looking out for people on the phone when I stopped the bike.

    I think somebody needs to get themselves a hobby or something...


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