Drivers on the phones: its getting scary!!

Weepsie

Grab All Association wrote: »

Truth is they don’t have the proof and this is another stealth tax on people. I’d say woman putting on makeup is far more dangerous than using a mobile phone behind the wheel.

I'd say they are about the same degree of danger. Either way the driver is not looking at the road. Make up person is looking at mirror etc. Phone person, unless they're talking, are texting, tweeting, reading etc.

I actually don't see as much people using phones to make calls as I used to, except delivery drivers etc. I see all sorts eyes down at their screen replying to the latest "bants" in their WhatsApp group that just can't wait.

It's most visible in slow moving, urban traffic and probably why their have been fewer accidents.

I bet it has been a direct cause of multiple accidents, but it's hard to prove.

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If you want to rant about ecigarettes on trains take it to a different forum. It's off topic and not the thread forum for it. -- MOD Note

Rubberchikken

This is so common here its become commonplace and tbh noticing a driver who isnt on their phone is a surprise.
Its illegal and dangerous and arrogant but until the driver is caught or involved in an accident. Their disregard for other road users is shameful.

meeeeh

Grab All Association wrote: »

I challenge you to show at least 5 road fatalities be it driver, cyclist, or pedestrian caused by someone using a mobile phone in Ireland. Not speculation actual prosecution by the courts or determination by the coroners court into the cause of the accident.

It's not in Ireland but I know of an accident that wiped out a family. They stopped the car on hard shoulder of motorway, a truck driver who was watching something on phone/iPad veered out of the lane into them at full speed. At first they thought there were 3 fatalities until they found a body of a five years old child wedged under the front seat because of the impact. The truck driver disappeared from location of accident and was later found dead, he committed suicide. I guess that makes it 5 fatalities in one go.

Using phone while driving is extremely dangerous but special place in hell should be reserved for those who text/type, watch something on the phone or use face time and similar.

meeeeh

Rubberchikken wrote: »

This is so common here its become commonplace and tbh noticing a driver who isnt on their phone is a surprise.
Its illegal and dangerous and arrogant but until the driver is caught or involved in an accident. Their disregard for other road users is shameful.

That's a bit of hyperbole.

magicbastarder

Grab All Association wrote: »

E-cigarettes are banned on trains yet there’s no single case of anyone dying due to second hand exposure to vapour.

urinating in public is verboten. it's not because it's fatal to passersby.

loyatemu

Grab All Association wrote: »

Truth is they don’t have the proof and this is another stealth tax on people. I’d say woman putting on makeup is far more dangerous than using a mobile phone behind the wheel.

yeah, research schmesearch! It's no match for a good reckon, or an "I'd say"

Pinch Flat

Regularly see crazy stuff with people on phones.

Caught a guy watching the last ireland soccer game in traffic, as you do, a while back. I’d say about a third of drivers are on phones in central Dublin. Either stuck to their ears or texting / twitter / Facebook.

Passed two cars on the motorway driving to Galway a few weeks back. Swerving inside 2 wheels well within the hard shoulder. Both engrossed on their phones at 120 kph. My wife drove me as a passenger on the same route last winter - the glow of phones from cars as you passed them was unbelievable.

But hey. Cyclists are out there breaking red lights, weaving in and out of traffic and generally bothering joe “road tax” public.

NewApproach

Arequipa wrote: »

Hi there!
I commute to work most days through Dublin city and out the south side.
I am just becoming more aware of drivers looking at/ texting/ talking on their phones while driving.
Regularly I see a car veer towards the opposite lane and then correct.. as the driver is on the phone....
it seems on the traffic lined up.on the far side... at least 50% of drivers are glued to their phones while waiting in traffic...

Last weekend, I was cycling on tge bike path to Sutton Cross and traffic was moving very slowly to my right side... one car was moving at about 7-8kmph but gradually cutting across the bike lane and towards the kerb... the lady driving.. had a phone high up on the steering wheel and was fully engaged with it.. i looked in the window and her poodle started barking at me...


any of you experience this?

I am getting nervous commuting as many people seem really distracted...


A

If you’re that nervous you should pay more attention to the road and not so much on what drivers are doing inside the car.

Kaisr Sose

NewApproach wrote: »

If you’re that nervous you should pay more attention to the road and not so much on what drivers are doing inside the car.

Why so?

Any competent cyclist is paying attention to everything around them.

Competent drivers should be too. That’s his point, he observes that they are not paying attention and that makes him nervous.

Happy4all

I saw a cyclist wobble out in front of a car today, near miss. Cyclist had two arms on handlebars and was texting away oblivious to nearly causing an accident.

magicbastarder

Grab All Association wrote: »

I want to see a linked prosecution of someone who caused a fatality between 1996 and 2018 whilst using a mobile phone in this country who was convicted and sentenced for it.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/road-death-motorist-has-39-convictions-26514425.html

happy? that literally took me ten seconds to find.

07Lapierre

Happy4all wrote: »

I saw a cyclist wobble out in front of a car today, near miss. Cyclist had two arms on handlebars and was texting away oblivious to nearly causing an accident.

I saw a car driving on the pavement once.

Rubberchikken

Which part is hyperbole?
Driving while on a phone is dangerous. Fact.
Using a phone while driving is illegal. Fact.
Disregard for the safety of othets is shameful. Fact.
Attitudes such as your 'statement' ate a good example of arrogance. FACT.

meeeeh

Rubberchikken wrote: »

Which part is hyperbole?
Driving while on a phone is dangerous. Fact.
Using a phone while driving is illegal. Fact.
Disregard for the safety of othets is shameful. Fact.
Attitudes such as your 'statement' ate a good example of arrogance. FACT.

The statement that noticing a driver who is not using a phone is a surprise. I don't use phone, I know plenty of people who don't. I stated in one post above the one you didn't quote (but I assume you were responding to me) what I think of it but I don't like lazy generalizations on any side of the argument. Btw if you were a bit more factual I wouldn't respond.

SimonTemplar

I've been learning to drive over the last year and the amount of people on their phones whilst driving is just not on. It really pisses me off.

When I'm a pedestrian standing at a traffic lights at a corner, I got into the habit of looking at the different ways of how drivers turn the steering wheel when turning onto a road, just for my own interest while learning. I was shocked at the amount of drivers looking at their non-mounted phones whilst turning at lights! I could almost forgive it on a straight stretch of road where you know conditions won't change for a few seconds, but looking at a phone resting on their lap while in the middle of a turn is just the height of stupidity and selfishness. Typical "rules don't apply to me" attitude.

Guards need plain clothes cyclists / unmarked cars and drivers caught doing this should have their phones confiscated.

velo.2010

Weepsie wrote: »

I'd say they are about the same degree of danger. Either way the driver is not looking at the road. Make up person is looking at mirror etc. Phone person, unless they're talking, are texting, tweeting, reading etc.

Actually, I think a lot of women are using their phones (front facing camera) as mirrors to do their make up. Still dangerous however they do it.

Grab All Association

magicbastarder wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/road-death-motorist-has-39-convictions-26514425.html

happy? that literally took me ten seconds to find.

1 death. More people were killed slipping on tiles in their homes that year. Also take into account he had 39 convictions and was speeding (which is the biggest killer on our roads)

How are the RSA saving hundreds of lives as they claim

Sleeper12

Motorists, cyclists and pedestrian should all be find for being on their phones.

magicbastarder

Grab All Association wrote: »

1 death. More people were killed slipping on tiles in their homes that year. Also take into account he had 39 convictions and was speeding (which is the biggest killer on our roads)

How are the RSA saving hundreds of lives as they claim

those goalposts must be getting heavy. you should put them down and give yourself a break.

07Lapierre

Grab All Association wrote: »

1 death. More people were killed slipping on tiles in their homes that year. Also take into account he had 39 convictions and was speeding (which is the biggest killer on our roads)

How are the RSA saving hundreds of lives as they claim

" although last October it was claimed that he had admitted to prosecutors that he had been watching a video on his mobile phone at the time"


http://road.cc/content/news/237175-driver-accused-killing-michele-scarponi-dies-cancer

Macy0161

Like drink and drugs, in the case of single vehicle fatalities, how much do the guards actually investigate when the victim or the possible perp has died?

Whilst I see it in the city, I see more impact of it nearer home when it's rural. I'm fairly regularly behind people who start to drift, or slam on and go slow while they do something on their phone. I would suspect it'd be a fairly high cause of single vehicle collisions in rural areas, of which minor one's probably aren't even reported, let alone investigated.

Pinch Flat wrote: »

My wife drove me as a passenger on the same route last winter - the glow of phones from cars as you passed them was unbelievable.

In fairness, if you passed me on the motorway, you'd probably see the glow of the phone from the handsfree, as I use it as a satnav. Not saying it's anywhere close to the majority, but must be a good few who do the same?

magicbastarder

also, i'm kinda bemused that a single article mentioning a single death attributable to mobile phone use somehow allows a leap of logic that it was the only such death that year.

anyway - doubling the usage of mobile phones results in an increased chance of serious accident of between 15% and 43%, according to one study:
https://ac.els-cdn.com/S1877705814010418/1-s2.0-S1877705814010418-main.pdf?_tid=ed17e928-1161-11e8-b7aa-00000aacb361&acdnat=1518597480_0783c2a1e414ea7eaf249cf388278e12

Kaisr Sose

Grab All Association wrote: »

1 death. More people were killed slipping on tiles in their homes that year. Also take into account he had 39 convictions and was speeding (which is the biggest killer on our roads)

How are the RSA saving hundreds of lives as they claim

We know you love stats of the inplications of illegal use of phones while driving, but what’s your opinion on motorists texting, social media, YouTube, sports, movies while driving ?

Rave.ef

iwillhtfu wrote: »

The best one if the artic drivers on the motor way that like to watch movies as they're driving along :eek:

What makes you think that. We spend thousands to get the license and all the certs so you can get your bicycle your phone's the food you eat even your sacks and jocks. So why would we be watching movies on the motorway when we spend 11 hours a night/day taking our daily rest when we have loads of time to be watching movies.

average_runner

If you think using a mobile is safe while driving, then your an idiot. You can't control the car if your not looking at the road or have a hand on the steering wheel(should be two).

amcalester

Rave.ef wrote: »

What makes you think that. We spend thousands to get the license and all the certs so you can get your bicycle your phone's the food you eat even your sacks and jocks. So why would we be watching movies on the motorway when we spend 11 hours a night/day taking our daily rest when we have loads of time to be watching movies.

Are you saying it doesn't happen?

magicbastarder

Macy0161 wrote: »

Like drink and drugs, in the case of single vehicle fatalities, how much do the guards actually investigate when the victim or the possible perp has died?

i'm not going to bother trying to dig it out, but i read an article years ago about some policeman or sherriff in the states who wanted more research into the role of bees or wasps caught in the car, in fatal accidents. there doesn't even need to be a sting for a coroner to find, and the wasp is likely to fly away or be overlooked when the authorities arrive. it's certainly an 'interesting' theory...

07Lapierre

Rave.ef wrote: »

What makes you think that. We spend thousands to get the license and all the certs so you can get your bicycle your phone's the food you eat even your sacks and jocks. So why would we be watching movies on the motorway when we spend 11 hours a night/day taking our daily rest when we have loads of time to be watching movies.

Your right...it would never happen... just listening to music on your phone is enough!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q1QJ7aplhQ

Rave.ef

I didn't say it didn't happen but people always generalise truck drivers just because one dips**t dose something doesn't mean "the best part is artic drivers watching movies on the motorway" is all of us. Same said for the lad changing music on his phone. It just really annoys me because for some reason we're public enemy no1... cycles being no2:P

Macy0161

Not sure on the difference licence requirements, but the 20 tonne tipper trucks are some of the biggest offenders I see on the roads for obviously being on their phones.