bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/ … lion.shtml
Maybe they can’t think things though.
robert1952:
sinclair89:
Did anyone else find it unnerving by the fact that none of them really showed any fear…like this wasn’t the first time it happened and they knew how to control the situation?Yes!! I found that quite eerie. They reminded me of the implacable faces of the youngsters in Children of the Damned! Robert
+2. Noticed that too - how relatively unruffled they were when they looked up to find they were off the road or right up the backside of someone`s pickup… then more than likely went straight back to concentrating on their all-important phone screens.
This video should be shown to all new drivers. My daughter’s will watching it before they go anywhere near a steering wheel
The impossible texting & driving test: youtu.be/HbjSWDwJILs
DaiDap:
This video should be shown to all new drivers. My daughter’s will watching it before they go anywhere near a steering wheelThe impossible texting & driving test: youtu.be/HbjSWDwJILs
Well found, DaiDap! This is a brilliant example of reverse-psychology! Robert 
the mobile phone law is a load of ■■■■.e and use of them in a vehicle should be banned completely or not at all. the hands free element is completely irrelevant.
I think most people can drive quite competently one handed however when deep in conversation even the most experienced driver won’t be concentrating fully. Many times I’ve been chatting to mates for an hour or more on hands free and i can’t recall a single thing about the journey, almost like i was in a trance for the entire call! 
i also find it hard to figure out how using a phone is more distracting than say playing with the radio, talking to a passenger or smoking. All of which IMO much more distracting than taking a phone call.
How many on here have missed their junction whilst on a call - hands free?
How many will stop talking whilst on a call whilst looking for that company or street - hands free
We all know it takes SOME of your concentration away, which is why we do the above, but I think when hands free, you’re instincts and control are still there, whereas using a handheld phone you’ve lost at least some control in an emergency situation.
I think if a child ran out (the old example) when you’re hands free, you’d avoid them if possible under normal circumstances, but with a phone in your hand, I don’t think you could.
andy187:
Probably why some insurance companies want driver facing cams?
Thing is, these teenagers were happy to text & drive etc. KNOWING the camera is upon them. WTF?
Were they really that daft?
Then there’s the look on the faces… I dunno about “Children of the Damned” (I assume you mean these particular kids)
- but the look on faces at the moment of lost control is more of “Oh dammit! - Dad’ll kill me for losing his no claims bonus!”
“A brick wall… I’ve got to…Think…of a Brick…Wall.”
Dammit I’ve just crashed into one.
ckm1981:
No worse than SOME HGV drivers I’ve seen.
Me too and the fine for us is much much higher
they are American what did you expect?
waynedl:
How many on here have missed their junction whilst on a call - hands free?How many will stop talking whilst on a call whilst looking for that company or street - hands free
We all know it takes SOME of your concentration away, which is why we do the above, but I think when hands free, you’re instincts and control are still there, whereas using a handheld phone you’ve lost at least some control in an emergency situation.
I think if a child ran out (the old example) when you’re hands free, you’d avoid them if possible under normal circumstances, but with a phone in your hand, I don’t think you could.
I saw news of a bit of research a couple of years ago that showed that in a young, fit, healthy human the brain is only capable of making up to eight decisions simultaneously; and that driving in traffic often uses up most or all of that capacity, leaving no room for anything else. Robert
Winseer:
KarlM:
Have they announced another crackdown in this country on mobiles? I remember hearing a few things on the news about people not taking the law seriously. I thought ah well, pretty much nobody uses them while driving now (I was a van driver at the time). Once I got on HGV’s I realised when waiting in traffic a large number of people texting/facebooking holding the phone under the dashboard. I thought oh well, they’re stopped in traffic, not the worst crime ever. Then one of the new drivers came with me for the day to get used to the trucks, jobs etc. On the way back I was the passenger and I could not believe how many people I saw texting etc. while on the move…not just teenagers either. …when you see traffic slowing down quickly on the motorway its quite scary to imagine how many currently don’t have their eyes on the road.Did anyone see that clip in that video of the guy changing the music tracks? This makes me think of another thing. Could there be more people not paying proper attention now as many use their phones etc. to listen to music? I had an ipod connector on my old car that allowed you to change playlists and tracks from the head unit…didn’t even need to look at the ipod, but many phones just have a headphone jack, so people will actually look at the phone to change tracks etc.
Scary stuff…I will admit to a quick bite of a sandwich or sip of coffee while sitting at the traffic lights but anything that takes my eyes off the road is a definate no-no.
Can’t you now get done for diddling with an mp3 player whilst driving - or drinking from a coke can, eating, and other things that might occupy the hands…?
These Russian dashcam crash vids one comes across… Makes you wonder if nearly every car or truck running off the road, or going into a skid for no apprent reason is “text” related don’t it?
I think they come under driving without due care and attention. I think mobiles came under that before they made a law for it. Wonder if this can include eating etc while stopped in traffic…although suppose a copper would need to be having a really bad day to do you for that!!
dcgpx:
It’s not just teenagers, I’ve see loads of trucks blabbering away holding phone up, think they’d at least have sense to get a hands free!I’ll freely admit to using my phone via Bluetooth on the move to talk to Mrs or kids especially more this week as I’m working and they’re off school. Occasionally I’ll answer work[emoji57]
I don’t think they need banning, just used legally.
Yes and how many have the phone on loudspeaker and hold it a few inches from their face…what’s this logic? Do they think it makes it legal or something?
KarlM:
Wonder if this can include eating etc while stopped in traffic…although suppose a copper would need to be having a really bad day to do you for that!!
I came out of a multi storey car park in Glasgow and got stopped at traffic lights behind a bus. I noticed I had left my phone on the dash so I moved it to the centre console behind the gear stick. Lights go to green and 50 yards up the road I get the blue lights. In the back of the van she explains im being charged with “using a hand held device while in charge of a vehicle”. My reasoning fell on deaf ears (apparently its safer to leave it on the dashboard and risk it sliding about and possibly falling under your brake pedal on the motorway 
). I contested the case and her reasoning for charging me was this -
“The road was busy with vehicles and pedestrians and the accused had his mobile telephone in his left hand and appeared to be texting.”
She conveniently left out the fact my vehicle was stationery,behind a bus,with cars on the right hand lane and NO pedestrians near me at the time. Or that I wasnt ACTUALLY texting,only that I APPEARED to be. Result? £150 and 3 points on a license thats been clean for 14 years.
Its why all the statistics mean ■■■■ all. How many others contributed to the “hand held device offence” statistic when its all out of proportain? And the more recorded “offences” justifies more draconian laws. A more cynical person might feel thats the whole point
My main point here is that if the eating behind the wheel law comes in,which I fully believe it will some day,then that coupled with all the other driving offences you can get done for means your clean license and insurance premiums could hinge on whether the copper sat behind you got some last night or not. A very scary thought
Mobiles are a distraction if not used with caution. Used hands free and with a degree of common sense they are perfectly safe for some drivers and probably not for others. I think it unreasonable that the idiot filter needs to be applied to everyone, because a few haven’t a clue and are incapable.
And what of an even bigger distraction to drivers than a mobile phone? The one that really does distract beyond everything? Shall we ban that as well? I refer of course, to the carrying of young children, having a tantrum/arguing with each other/throwing things/paddy-ing and generally causing mayhem, as mum/dad tries to cope with them and driving at the same time… 
maga:
the mobile phone law is a load of [zb].e and use of them in a vehicle should be banned completely or not at all. the hands free element is completely irrelevant.
So you’re going to say that studies done by two world leading universities are a load of crap? You and the other muppets are a governments ■■■■■■■■■. You buy all the crap they spout. All they have to do is say it kills kids and you’ve bought it.
THINK OF THE CHILDRUUUNNN…