newmercman:
So are you telling me that everyone drives with both hands on the wheel, constantly aware of everything happening in front of them? Because I’m calling BS on that.
Reaching into a bag for a sandwich or pork pie, peeling a banana, unwrapping a packet of ■■■■, rolling a ■■■, having a cup of tea from a flask, reaching for and opening a bottle of pop, looking at a map or your notes, scratching your balls, pulling your socks up and a million other things are things that drivers have done since the invention of the wheel.
I’m sure there’s been a few crashes over the years where the driver was preoccupied with one of those too, but there wasn’t the outcry like there is in this case.
Now I know people tragically died in this particular case, but I don’t agree that we should be calling for the bloke to be hung, drawn and quartered. Yes he was holding a phone, but it could’ve been a banana or a Mr Kiplings Bramley Apple pie and wouldn’t have evoked such a response.
Firstly I don’t buy all the bs about two hands on the wheel at all times.Bearing in mind that pilots regularly land aircraft of all types with just one hand and manual transmission by definition means plenty of one handed steering.
But that’s not the same thing as the suicidal combination of anyone taking their eyes from the road unnecessarily or not leaving enough seperation distance to stop safely in the event of it being essential.
The issue in this case probably being just as much a matter of seperation distance as stupidly unnecessarily taking his eyes from the road for too long to use a mobile phone.The result in either case being the absolute offence of running into stationary traffic ahead.
As for the rolling tea break,or changing the radio or heater settings,or finding and putting a tape in etc that can all be done without anyone needing to look at what they are doing and taking their eyes from the road ahead.Often by necessity anyway in the case of an unlit motorway and avoiding the equally dangerous scenario of putting the interior lights on and the resulting reflections removing all outside vision.
Braking distance is almost impossible to achieve on today’s heavily congested roads, it’s a miracle that there are not more accidents. After a few years in Canada I came back to the UK to sort out my affairs and did a couple of weeks driving, it scared the bloody life out of me the first time another lorry passed me, he nearly took my wipers off as he came back into lane one. I already felt quite vulnerable as I was used to a pool table sized Peterbilt bonnet in front of me and in the FH I was driving all I had was a dashboard between me and anything I ran into.
But, back to taking your eyes off the road, how about when there’s a decent bit of totty alongside, it’s a nice day and she’s got a short skirt on with plenty of leg on show, can you honestly say you don’t have a good look? You would have your eyes off the road for a similar time as the driver who piled into the line of stationary traffic.
newmercman:
But, back to taking your eyes off the road, how about when there’s a decent bit of totty alongside, it’s a nice day and she’s got a short skirt on with plenty of leg on show, can you honestly say you don’t have a good look? You would have your eyes off the road for a similar time as the driver who piled into the line of stationary traffic.
It’s all a matter of risk assessment such as how long attention is diverted and the conditions/speed at the time.Get that wrong and even that scenario could foreseeably result in taking out a bus queue or running someone over on a pedestrian crossing for example. At that point it’s no good anyone then whingeing when the law turn up and throw the book at them which they definitely would.
I agree, taking your eyes of the road for anything other than a brief glance at the dash or in the mirrors can have disastrous consequences, however we all do it for one reason or another, so I don’t agree with the hang him from the nearest tree views, yes the bloke messed up, but it’s only the way it is because of the anti phone propaganda, if it was a banana or something other than a phone it wouldn’t have received the publicity it has.
There are lots of deaths on the road and as snowman rightly said, all were preventable one way or another, many of those killed are mums and kids, they don’t all get the same media attention as one that involves a mobile phone though.
newmercman:
I agree, taking your eyes of the road for anything other than a brief glance at the dash or in the mirrors can have disastrous consequences, however we all do it for one reason or another, so I don’t agree with the hang him from the nearest tree views, yes the bloke messed up, but it’s only the way it is because of the anti phone propaganda, if it was a banana or something other than a phone it wouldn’t have received the publicity it has.
There are lots of deaths on the road and as snowman rightly said, all were preventable one way or another, many of those killed are mums and kids, they don’t all get the same media attention as one that involves a mobile phone though.
I think the point is that they will ( rightly ) throw the book at anyone who takes their eyes off the road ahead ‘in a way’ which will very likely have ‘disastrous consequences’.Running at speed into stationary traffic ahead obviously providing some damning evidence in that regard.On that note no I don’t think it would have made any difference whether he’d been peeling a banana,tuning the radio,looking at a bird in a short skirt,or not leaving enough seperation distance for mirror checks,or falling asleep at the wheel,or using a phone in this case.It’s the running into stationary traffic ahead wot done him first and foremost,not why he did it.
Yes this is true, but would the penalty have been so severe if it was anything other than a phone in the driver’s hand?
That’s my point, too much importance is placed on what’s in your hands, yet there are a ton of different things that can distract you from doing what you should be doing when you’re driving down the road.
Why is sorting out a playlist or texting worse than peeling a banana, or any other thing that means you take your eyes of the road?
There are people that would happily kick the poop out of that driver for what he has done, but would they have the same views if it wasn’t an electronic device that took his attention from the road?
newmercman:
Yes this is true, but would the penalty have been so severe if it was anything other than a phone in the driver’s hand?
That’s my point, too much importance is placed on what’s in your hands, yet there are a ton of different things that can distract you from doing what you should be doing when you’re driving down the road.
Why is sorting out a playlist or texting worse than peeling a banana, or any other thing that means you take your eyes of the road?
There are people that would happily kick the poop out of that driver for what he has done, but would they have the same views if it wasn’t an electronic device that took his attention from the road?
Co incidentally we’ve got an example of a similar type of event caused by falling asleep at the wheel resulting in a 32 month sentence.So maybe the law is applying double standards for some reason,who knows.
its only what it is because of the mobile use,and driver facing camera making it more interesting and story worth for the media. flipflop,juggernaut,camera footage,carnage,pileup…all makes good reporting…the other A 34 dude only got 32 month for ploughing a granny in a car…multiply that x 4 and theres no comparison for the 2 sentences other than media coverage and the bleating victim statements going viral by plod shwing them.personally id rather watch youtube and Russian drivers…best entertainment ever,though in this flipflops case,i personally like how he made a grab for his sandwiches in his bag when he ploughed the cars.mabey someone will invent a seat belt for carp sarnies now.
And that is what I’m saying, it doesn’t matter what you are doing, if you hit something through inattention, the penalty should be the same, whether it’s a post or you kill a coach full of kids, the ‘crime’ itself is still the same, it’s only the carnage that changes.
Not enough info to have an opinion about that one. The red light does make it seem an open and shut case, but I don’t know the junction in question and whether or not it was a mistake when the driver went through the red light or he just went for it regardless.
newmercman:
And that is what I’m saying, it doesn’t matter what you are doing, if you hit something through inattention, the penalty should be the same, whether it’s a post or you kill a coach full of kids, the ‘crime’ itself is still the same, it’s only the carnage that changes.
It could seem excessive though if you got 10 years inside for holding a mobile when there was no accident! or are you looking at this from the other extreme and have a standard £100 and 3 points no matter how many died ?
If the penalty for distracted driving is severe enough then nobody would peel a banana or look at their phone or whatever takes their eyes from the road.
That’s what a law should be, a deterrent, not a source of revenue, so yes I would advocate a severe penalty.
Just a thought ,We have self driving cars and trucks now ,why are we not getting this type of
Thing in Trucks to stop such disasters if the driver fails to react,Then the computer steps in ! .it could stop all this .Autos are computer controlled ,trucks have multiple cameras ,why are the manufacturers not implementing that into trucks .like a gear down on fast approach to wake the driver up ,or a brake controlled through a speed sensor / camera …
So many accidents and deaths could be stopped …
ok i haven’t read all of this thread but while this guys actions have caused a tragedy and there no getting away from the fact it was his fault ,but if we are all honest how many times have you done something that takes your attention off the road ? i imagine all of us have at some point ,the guy didn’t go out to kill someone that morning what we should all take from this is that we need to be aware and mindful of the devastation a lack of concentration or allowing yourself to get distracted can cause so next time you think i fancy a sarny and start rooting around in your bag think twice
With respect NMM, I think you are missing the point a little. If I chose to read a paragraph of a book at 56 mph and then ploughed into traffic, I would expect to be treated like a criminal because DELIBERATE and WILFULLY negligent behaviour took place.
If I went to take my fuel card out of my pocket at 56 mph and place it in the dashboard and it fell on the floor, and I then reached down for it and took my eye off the road for 2 seconds and then clipped the side of a car, I have still committed the same crime.
The card could have stayed on the floor, but I CHOSE to risk for a couple of seconds other peoples safety. Other than a sneezing fit or a wasp in your face etc, there is NO reasonable excuse to take your eyes off the road.
This prick CHOSE to scroll through music for a considerable length of time whilst taking his eyes off the road. Unless the clown was mentally challenged, he knows damned well that doing this action is extremely dangerous. He didn’t think it would happen to him because he was TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL, and a selfish prick.
THERE IS SELDOM ANY REASON TO TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD. If you CHOOSE to do so for any reason other than a rare occasion where the purpose would be to continue to safely operate the vehicle, then you deserve everything you get. DELIBERATELY PUTTING OTHER PEOPLES LIVES AT RISK IS A CRIMINAL ACTION.
Albert1:
Just a thought ,We have self driving cars and trucks now ,why are we not getting this type of
Thing in Trucks to stop such disasters if the driver fails to react,Then the computer steps in ! .it could stop all this .Autos are computer controlled ,trucks have multiple cameras ,why are the manufacturers not implementing that into trucks .like a gear down on fast approach to wake the driver up ,or a brake controlled through a speed sensor / camera …
So many accidents and deaths could be stopped …
I havn’t driven one of these all singing all dancing modern pieces of electronic wonderment either - but apparently since the end of 2015 all lorries have to be fitted with AEBS (automatic electronic braking systems) so presumably if the driver had been in one of these it should have automatically slammed on the anchors (hopefully stotting the drivers own heed of his own windscreen)
The concern that I have over all these electronics is, if lorries that can follow the vehicle in front at a set distance (acc), warn you if you start to drift out of lane (lane departure) and brake for you in an emergency (AEBS); will more drivers be tempted to concentrate less and faff about doing other stuff, could the all important watching the road half a mile ahead be a thing of the past. May be a large spike from the steering wheel to the drivers chest could instil the greatest levels of care.
At that point it’s no good anyone then whingeing when the law turn up and throw the book at them which they definitely would. 
