Do you text / browse / spotify while driving?

Sheepdish1 · 30-07-2017 12:02PM #1

Mod feel free to move this thread somewhere more appropriate if needed.

I was astonished on Friday evening to see a guy (30's-40's) texting while driving from South Circular Road as far as Adamstown in rush hour traffic that was driving faster than 50km most of the time. He was looking at his phone the *whole way* on a dual carraigeway of what must have been at least 10km stretch.

He hardly had his eyes on the road the entire time, probably a 10km stretch with maximum capacity of cars and merging of cars from motorway etc.

I caught up beside him in traffic when it slowed , beeped at length , he didn't notice as he was so engrossed in what looked like Facebook messenger....

beeped a few more times and waved until I got his attention...signalled to keep his eyes on the road etc. He proceeded to smirk and snigger at me. I don't care about this as I genuinely concerned he would crash into someone and he was obviously quite low on the intelligence scale anyway....

What I found even more shocking was he a NEWBORN child's seat in the back of his carðŸ˜± I couldn't believe that someone was driving so irresponsibly with a newborn in the back seat.

There is often times I pass people on roads and they have their eyes glued to their phones. I actually think its more dangerous than drink driving. I see it every morning people texting and driving while kids are crossing roads for schools.
Gives me the shivers as my daughter is one of these school kids.

Can you report these people and if so what happens?

Do you text / use social media / browse
when driving?

suicide_circus · 30-07-2017 12:04PM

hate to point out the obvious but your own eyes cant have been on the road much if you were watching this guy for 10km

dudara · 30-07-2017 12:04PM

People using their phones are a scarily common sight while commuting in the morning / evening, on the motorways at 120 km/hr etc. It's literally one of the most stupid things you can do while driving and still people do it. Just look around at drivers and you'll often the see the downcast eyes that are the giveaway.

I don't use my phone while driving. It's usually in the boot in my handbag, and I have a Bluetooth connection.

Sheepdish1 · 30-07-2017 12:06PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

hate to point out the obvious but your own eyes cant have been on the road much if you were watching this guy for 10km

This is a ridiculous comment. I was observing this person in a completely safe manor, he was behind me and beside me the entire time and anyone observing traffic around them could see this

SwD · 30-07-2017 12:07PM

Its an addiction for most.

That's the sad thing, and no doubt somebody will pay the price for it. An innocent bystander most likely.

The majority of people are just in denial about it.

Society, today, expects us to always be on alert.

Collie D · 30-07-2017 12:07PM

It's even worse as a pedestrian. The amount of ****ing idiots who have gone through a red light as I'm crossing is unreal.

ED E · 30-07-2017 12:08PM

Number of truckers at it is the worst bit. Should be an instant 2yr ban for HGVs IMO.

Burial. · 30-07-2017 12:09PM

Have I done it, yes, of course I doubt there are many if any who haven't checked the phone/sent a quick text while driving before. I drive pretty fast and thankfully don't have long journeys usually so I never need to use it much. Saying that if I'm in slow moving traffic and I get a notification beep I'm definitely going to check the phone.

Sheepdish1 · 30-07-2017 12:10PM

Collie D wrote: »

It's even worse as a pedestrian. The amount of ****ing idiots who have gone through a red light as I'm crossing is unreal.

I get where you are coming from here but to be honest I would prefere a predestrian texting to someone driving a car/ bus / lorry as they are least likely to kill someone. At least this way chances are they'll only get themselves injured or killed if that makes sense ?

neonsofa · 30-07-2017 12:12PM

I've always thought that holding the phone to your ear is bad enough but the amount of people who are looking down at their phones while driving, and not just stopped at lights- on roundabouts, turning corners etc. I've seen it so many times that I'm almost not shocked anymore. So many times stopped at lights and the person will be so engrossed in their phone that they sit there while everyone else waits for them to start driving. It's disrespectful to other road users if nothing else.

I obviously give out way too much about this while driving, and about people not indicating, because my little one will comment on both while we're in the car

"is your indicator broken" is her new phrase. I've created a monster.

Collie D · 30-07-2017 12:13PM

Sheepdish1 wrote: »

I get where you are coming from here but to be honest I would prefere a predestrian texting to someone driving a car/ bus / lorry as they are least likely to kill someone. At least this way chances are they'll only get themselves injured or killed if that makes sense ?

I was referring to drivers going through a red while I'm crossing.

Sheepdish1 · 30-07-2017 12:16PM

Collie D wrote: »

I was referring to drivers going through a red while I'm crossing.

Oh sorry, yeah that's what scares me. Drivers being oblivious to predestrians, many who are kids

Mint Sauce · 30-07-2017 12:21PM

Phone is usually totally ignored whilst driving. Anything over half an hour in the car, Bluetooth is set up for calls, if require the GPS, even if it's for the last section few miles/section of a long drive, it's set up before leaving the house, the very odd time I use spotify/tunein, that too is set up before leaving the house. I will admit, I do use social media, and other apps quite a bit, but am disciplined enough to but it away whilst behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, have too noticed a rise in people using their mobiles, you can even see the head down at traffic lights. Although I would not be usually aware of one single person doing it for 10km, there would be other drivers and traffic I am looking at, as well as all the road around me. But it does pee me off sometimes when I do see it.

J.pilkington · 30-07-2017 12:21PM

Sheepdish1 wrote: »

I was astonished on Friday evening to see a guy (30's-40's) texting while driving from South Circular Road as far as Adamstown in rush hour traffic that was driving faster than 50km most of the time. He was looking at his phone the *whole way* on a dual carraigeway of what must have been at least 10km stretch.

He hardly had his eyes on the road the entire time, probably a 10km stretch with maximum capacity of cars and merging of cars from motorway etc.

I was a passenger in a car and I was astonished on Friday evening to see a guy (50-60s) staring at another driver while driving from South Circular Road as far as Adamstown in rush hour traffic that was driving faster than 50km most of the time. He was looking at the other driver the *whole way* on a dual carraigeway of what must have been at least 10km stretch.

He hardly had his eyes on the road the entire time, probably a 10km stretch with maximum capacity of cars and merging of cars from motorway etc.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 30-07-2017 12:27PM

Burial. wrote: »

Have I done it, yes, of course I doubt there are many if any who haven't checked the phone/sent a quick text while driving before. I drive pretty fast and thankfully don't have long journeys usually so I never need to use it much. Saying that if I'm in slow moving traffic and I get a notification beep I'm definitely going to check the phone.

I have never used the phone nor checked it while driving. Bluetooth and the auto text reader is very handy but if I didn't have them the phone would just be totally ignored while I'm in the car.

Potential-Monke · 30-07-2017 12:31PM

I used to, back when phones had buttons so you didn't have to look at it. Nowadays, with touch screens, it's too much effort and really does take away from driving, so i don't do it any more. The odd time i've tried i've seen myself veer too much, so it's not worth the effort, plus with ageing comes the common sense (for me anyway) so i drive to the speed limit and no more, cruise control to keep me there.

Also, people should remember that the offence while driving is for holding a phone while driving, not being on it. Being an ex-Garda, the amount of people who try to get away with it by saying they weren't on the phone... fun times!

Sheepdish1 · 30-07-2017 12:32PM

J.pilkington wrote: »

I was a passenger in a car and I was astonished on Friday evening to see a guy (50-60s) staring at another driver while driving from South Circular Road as far as Adamstown in rush hour traffic that was driving faster than 50km most of the time. He was looking at the other driver the *whole way* on a dual carraigeway of what must have been at least 10km stretch.

He hardly had his eyes on the road the entire time, probably a 10km stretch with maximum capacity of cars and merging of cars from motorway etc.

It s reassuring to see that you see more of a problem with me *observing* this behaviour than the driver who was texting himself.

Anyone observing cars through means of tear veiw mirror/ side mirrors / windows could have seen this. His phone was mounted on a windscreen at a height so it was even easily to see than normal.

It's like saying I was driving dangerously for observing a car that is a greater risk to me which is just obserd...if it was a drunk driver would it be any different?

J.pilkington · 30-07-2017 12:38PM

Sheepdish1 wrote: »

It s reassuring to see that you see more of a problem with me *observing* this behaviour than the driver who was texting himself.

Anyone observing cars through means of tear veiw mirror/ side mirrors / windows could have seen this. His phone was mounted on a windscreen at a height so it was even easily to see than normal.

It's like saying I was driving dangerously for observing a car that is a greater risk to me which is just obserd...if it was a drunk driver would it be any different?

How do you know he was "texting himself"? Weird behaviour, has he no friends? Must have been quality staring from yourself to notice that.

To be honest I'd advise focusing more on your own driving, if you feel threatened by another driver drop back, it's much safer than spending 10kms staring at them and getting hugely over worked about the situation.

When you get home report them to the gardai rather than the sataire / p1ss take section of a random website

frozenfrozen · 30-07-2017 12:38PM

ridiculous to suggest it was dangerous to keep an eye on what would be one of the biggest hazards around OP at the time.

Wanderer78 · 30-07-2017 12:42PM

Phone is rarely on, never on while driving, phone and internet babysitting is just odd

Sheepdish1 · 30-07-2017 12:47PM

J.pilkington wrote: »

How do you know he was "texting himself"? Weird behaviour, has he no friends? Must have been quality staring from yourself to notice that.

To be honest I'd advise focusing more on your own driving, if you feel threatened by another driver drop back, it's much safer than spending 10kms staring at them and getting hugely over worked about the situation.

When you get home report them to the gardai rather than the sataire / p1ss take section of a random website

I was not starting at him for 10kms. He was an increased risk that due capacity of cars and traffic flow was continually in my vicinity. Every time he was in my vicinity he had his eyes stuck to his phone.

I wasn't worked up. I merely said I was astonished and then shocked that this person had a new born child in his car

mel.b · 30-07-2017 12:48PM

I never text or browse while driving. My sister however (who lives in NZ) is constantly on the phone while driving. When i was over there recently her facebook account was hacked and she was getting loads of messages from friends telling her. She was answerig everysingle one of them while driving at 100km in back roads until i took the phone off her and told her that she is responsible for my life and i rather like my life the way it is. After that, any time i got in the car with her i made sure i had her phone. I remember another time when i was in NZ for her wedding years ago. she was driving through the centre of chrsitchurch, phone up to her ear, reading her diary at the same time and gave out to us when we suggested she pull over. Sadly, i'm worried she will learn the hard way

Sheepdish1 · 30-07-2017 12:49PM

J.pilkington wrote: »

How do you know he was "texting himself"? Weird behaviour, has he no friends? Must have been quality staring from yourself to notice that.

To be honest I'd advise focusing more on your own driving, if you feel threatened by another driver drop back, it's much safer than spending 10kms staring at them and getting hugely over worked about the situation.

When you get home report them to the gardai rather than the sataire / p1ss take section of a random website

I also did say to mod to move it if this isn't correct forum. Don't really see what the problem is

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 30-07-2017 12:51PM

J.pilkington wrote: »

How do you know he was "texting himself"? Weird behaviour, has he no friends? Must have been quality staring from yourself to notice that.

To be honest I'd advise focusing more on your own driving, if you feel threatened by another driver drop back, it's much safer than spending 10kms staring at them and getting hugely over worked about the situation.

When you get home report them to the gardai rather than the sataire / p1ss take section of a random website

I would be concerned if a motorist wasn't paying particular attention to another motorist who is clearly using his phone as said other motorist is probably the greatest hazard on the road at that time.

Creamy Goodness · 30-07-2017 12:53PM

My phone has voice control which is pretty good to send off a quick text or change song. Don't see why you'd need to look at the screen.

donegaLroad · 30-07-2017 12:54PM

here are 5 text messages sent just as the person was killed as they crashed because they weren't watching the road.

branie2 · 30-07-2017 01:38PM

No! I'm too sensible for that!

Auldloon · 30-07-2017 01:57PM

I admit I used to. Videos like this have made me think and stop though. A mum and 3 young kids ffs

The video is very grim btw!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tu14lMAZEfU

Turtyturd · 30-07-2017 02:04PM

donegaLroad wrote: »

here are 5 text messages sent just as the person was killed as they crashed because they weren't watching the road.

'You'll never believe number 4'

Used to always be at it with Spotify but would never take my eyes of the road for more than a second so ended up making so many mistakes that it wasn't worth it. Just use voice controls now.

pragmatic1 · 30-07-2017 02:10PM

Not a chance and I'm not the most responsible fella by a long shot. A man actually crashed into my parked car while using his phone and driving a few months ago. The brain has limited resources.

PowerToWait · 30-07-2017 02:10PM

If people on here admitted to taking a pint and driving they'd be crucified by every high horse around the place.

Checking phone, texting, etc, equally or more dangerous, is fine.

Do you text / browse / spotify while driving?

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