Ok to be on phone while stationary...

staker

Was on the mobile at red lights in the right hand turning lane today, waiting to go green.
I know, I know, I won't do it again.
A Garda jeep pulled up on the inside lane and wheels down his window, I'm thinking "I'm done now"....
I threw the phone into the door swab without hanging up,which he saw,and wheeled the passenger-side window down before he says
"Hang up before you pull away, you're grand stationary":eek::eek:
I said thanks Garda, and proceeded to finish off my call....
The lights took an eternity to go green, or maybe it just felt like it..

Is this true? Or was he just doing me a favour?; top form either way.

Big Nasty

Having the phone in your hand while commanding a vehicle on a public road be it stationary or not is a no-no.

He was just being decent.

Gumbo

i think he was doing you a favour!

afaik he could of still done you for being on the phone.

EPM

Sounds like you were lucky to be honest

Vain

I have heard before that you can be on the phone while your stationary, don't know if its true or not. I suppose your not driving the car so it should be ok, dont hold me to it tho:D

congo_90

The law is that if the ignition is on then your *technically* driving the vehicle regardless if you're moving or not.

I'm not gonna do a high horse on ya but f*ck me you were quite lucky to get ayay with it.

I *try* to use a handsfree headset thing or put the phone on speaker and rest it on the door handle

Victor

Being stopped is part of driving. What if you were concentrating on the call and didn't see a pedestrian crossing or indeed, didn't see the green light? Doing all three can be difficult.

Preferably, only use the phone when parked up and the engine off, but if doing this on a high speed road, try to find a lay-by or side road, you don't want a truck rear-ending you if you are ont eh hard shoulder.

mikemac

He could have given a ticket and penalty points, you were lucky

Volter

Staker, you had a lucky day.

staker

As I thought.....

Wouldn't mind but i have a bluetooth kit in the van, just gone too lackadaisical in pairing it up.

He would've seen this too from the jeep

I have learned, just really relieved, thanks for the replies

dutchcat

you were lucky,igot 80 yo yo fine and 2 pts the first day this was enforced about 3 years ago stuck in traffic goin nowhere:mad:

galwaytt

Hold on, that doesn't make sense. This morning my phone rang, I pulled in to the side of the road, and took the call. So where is the line between sense and........illegality?....I'm hardly going to pull up, and stand outside in the rain, now am I.............??

staker

As Victor said, once the engine is turned off, it's ok to be on the phone.....

He sounds like he's in the know....

faceman

A friend of mine was fined and given points for texting while being stationary so I think the OP got lucky.

Cionád

Friend of mine got 2 points for using a phone when pulled over at the side of the road. Engine has to be off apparently.

Toyota_Avensis

Garda was probably just being daycent.. Consider yourself lucky, have heard of so many people that have been got for that.. Anyway the price of Bluetooth Kits are coming down, places like Halfords etc selling them reasonably priced.
It should soon be the day when every car should have one, and it should be made as standard on most new model cars. At the moment, it's an option.

Scruff

what happens if you are just using the gps on the phone to find where you are going? Ideally it should be mounted in a holder i suppose...

I remember reading about how is some other country (possibly NZ) where they introduced this clause as not applicable for penalties due to the ever increasing amount of gps use on handsets.

fletch

What about if you drive an efficient dynamics BMW that automatically shuts off at traffic lights?

BlackWizard

You are in the middle of the road fletch. You should get double points for trying to be smart.

fletch

BlackWizard wrote: »

You are in the middle of the road fletch. You should get double points for trying to be smart.

It was a genuine query...similarly, if I am in traffic, can I turn the car off while at a light I know is going to stay red for ages, complete my call and then turn the car back on. I just think the law should be more defined.

BlackWizard

Fair enough. I've no idea what the law says. I was just applying common sense.