was out in a Sprinter couple of weeks back, M6 south bound and don’t mind saying I was between 70-80mph, when this guy comes passed me, probably doing around 90mph, paper work on the steering wheel and a pen writing, about 2 car lengths off the one in front.
It never ceases to amaze me the number of people i see texting or speaking with the phone to their ears, I know a driver who had to admit to his boss he was using his non hands free phone whilst driving his company van, he was pictured in the local paper, you could clearly see his face and company name on the bonnet, he kept his job, only just though.
So removing a mobile phone completely from the equasion, has anyone been driving and can’t remember part of their journey?
MR VAIN:
So removing a mobile phone completely from the equasion, has anyone been driving and can’t remember part of their journey?
yes
but i believe that is a sign of tiredness. dont know how true this is but if you cant remember passing the previous 2 junctions you are on the verge of starting to doze off to sleep so pull over and have a power hour!
MR VAIN:
So removing a mobile phone completely from the equasion, has anyone been driving and can’t remember part of their journey?
That is actually mentioned on the Roadcraft video/dvd and is usually caused by tiredness or heavy stress.
yamrider:
It never ceases to amaze me the number of people i see texting or speaking with the phone to their ears, I know a driver who had to admit to his boss he was using his non hands free phone whilst driving his company van, he was pictured in the local paper, you could clearly see his face and company name on the bonnet, he kept his job, only just though.
one of my ex-drivers informed me a while ago that he had been pulled by the plod for using his (the work) phone without hands free and he wanted me to pay the fine as it was (in his words) a work related call 
thing is, the truck is fitted with a fully operational hands free kit that the phone sits in, it has a microphone and speaker, so there should not be a problem
when i enquired as to why he was using it without the hands free kit, his reply was
“well, i could hear it better if i took it out of the cradle” 
needless to say, i told him it was his stupitidy, he can sort it and pay for it
ROG:
MR VAIN:
So removing a mobile phone completely from the equasion, has anyone been driving and can’t remember part of their journey?That is actually mentioned on the Roadcraft video/dvd and is usually caused by tiredness or heavy stress.
Or deep in thought?
MR VAIN:
ROG:
MR VAIN:
So removing a mobile phone completely from the equasion, has anyone been driving and can’t remember part of their journey?That is actually mentioned on the Roadcraft video/dvd and is usually caused by tiredness or heavy stress.
Or deep in thought?
true - the concentration is there but in the wrong place - mentioned in the book Mind Driving
We are only human.
Giblsa:
i used to use a blue tooth until a 2 weeks or so ago. while i was on the phone having a natter to the wife about her day at work, on the bluetooth, for some reason i completely missed my junction on the motorway. now this brought it home to me how much i wasnt concentrating on my driving. i didnt do anything dangerous but obviously missing a junction just goes to show how much attention it does take from the road. since then i have put my phone on silent and only answer it if its safe tio pull over or ring them back when i get the chance.i know i only missed the junction but when i looked back on it, it quite scared me to think what could have happened.
lesson learnt i would say
I teach this all the while and trainees just do not believe me can I use your post as a quote please.
Rick
Data Academy:
Giblsa:
i used to use a blue tooth until a 2 weeks or so ago. while i was on the phone having a natter to the wife about her day at work, on the bluetooth, for some reason i completely missed my junction on the motorway. now this brought it home to me how much i wasnt concentrating on my driving. i didnt do anything dangerous but obviously missing a junction just goes to show how much attention it does take from the road. since then i have put my phone on silent and only answer it if its safe tio pull over or ring them back when i get the chance.i know i only missed the junction but when i looked back on it, it quite scared me to think what could have happened.
lesson learnt i would say
I teach this all the while and trainees just do not believe me can I use your post as a quote please.
Rick
please feel free to use it. if it helps stop one person having an accident then it has done its job.
MR VAIN:
So removing a mobile phone completely from the equasion, has anyone been driving and can’t remember part of their journey?
Yes, and it’s stayed in my mind for over 20 years. 1987, M1 north, Friday night about 8.30pm, I passed Watford Gap and the last time I noticed I was at Newport Pagnell.
I can only put it down to being on “automatic pilot”. Scary. 
Gibsla, I’ve done that too. At the time I was just annoyed but when I thought back it rattled me a bit.
gnasty gnome:
MR VAIN:
So removing a mobile phone completely from the equasion, has anyone been driving and can’t remember part of their journey?Yes, and it’s stayed in my mind for over 20 years. 1987, M1 north, Friday night about 8.30pm, I passed Watford Gap and the last time I noticed I was at Newport Pagnell.
I can only put it down to being on “automatic pilot”. Scary.
Gibsla, I’ve done that too. At the time I was just annoyed but when I thought back it rattled me a bit.
I have done it too, neither tired or stressed, maybe a little bored with the same run every time. I have missed several service areas & junctions up the M1 when running between Howden and Dunstable
It’s called human nature, some people can’t drive to save their life but they can text without looking at the screen so would be no more dangerous if they were texting when driving, some people are good drivers but can’t text, some can do both & some can do neither. That somebody has died is tragic, but did this girl set out to kill somebody, I doubt it, I see no need for the death penalty here, a few years in the nick, without doubt, she broke the law & must suffer the consequences.
But I disagree with the more draconian amongst you about the use of the phone whilst driving, I do it all the time (It’s not illegal here) & I always concentrate on the road first & the phone second, I would say that driving is instinctive to me (& most of you) after all if you had to actually think before you reacted to stuff you would crash quite a lot, using the phone doesn’t stop this from happening.
MR VAIN:
So removing a mobile phone completely from the equasion, has anyone been driving and can’t remember part of their journey?
Yep, back in the late 70’s I was coming up to Watford Junc at 02:30am, next thing I know I’m at Corley and it 4am. I think it had something to do with the flashy light thingy that had been flying parallel to my truck for half an hour 
Plus my backside was sore
Under deep regressive hypnosis I found out I hadn’t been abducted by aliens. I was just tired and bored and suffering from piles caused by a crappy Merc seat 
The time delay was because I missed the M6 junc an went the long way round without knowing 
ROG:
ianbaddog35:
Why don’t they change the law to £1000 fine and revoke the driving licence and made to do a re-testAnd make the law very simple & sensible…
- no mobile phone use unless the handbrake is fully applied
- that way a driver stopped in a traffic hold up with the handbake applied would legally be able to use the mobile and would take away the hands free talking distraction when on the move.
The law is simple, in Scotland anyway and i assume the same in England.
You ain’t allowed to use a mobile phone unless your stationary with the engine turned off. Sitting in a layby with the engine running not allowed to use a mobile phone, even if the handbrake is on. That stops the arguments of well was sitting at traffic lights and quickly sent a text.
This lassie is a clown, her defence is really stupid, ignorance ain’t an excuse, its like me being caught drink driving and saying in court well i only drove two miles thought that was ok, as long as you werent going really far thought you could drive home.
She should have gotten a better lawyer, should have accepted responsability for her actions, her BS reasoning and unable to take responsability, she is prob looking at getting the book chucked at her, will no doubt be 5-7years, where as taking responsability still be going to jail but maybe 3 years.
Kenny1975:
ROG:
ianbaddog35:
Why don’t they change the law to £1000 fine and revoke the driving licence and made to do a re-testAnd make the law very simple & sensible…
- no mobile phone use unless the handbrake is fully applied
- that way a driver stopped in a traffic hold up with the handbake applied would legally be able to use the mobile and would take away the hands free talking distraction when on the move.
The law is simple, in Scotland anyway and i assume the same in England.
You ain’t allowed to use a mobile phone unless your stationary with the engine turned off. Sitting in a layby with the engine running not allowed to use a mobile phone, even if the handbrake is on. That stops the arguments of well was sitting at traffic lights and quickly sent a text.
This lassie is a clown, her defence is really stupid, ignorance ain’t an excuse, its like me being caught drink driving and saying in court well i only drove two miles thought that was ok, as long as you werent going really far thought you could drive home.
She should have gotten a better lawyer, should have accepted responsability for her actions, her BS reasoning and unable to take responsability, she is prob looking at getting the book chucked at her, will no doubt be 5-7years, where as taking responsability still be going to jail but maybe 3 years.
Can you still legally use a hands free phone whilst driving in Scotland or have they been sensible and banned that form of distraction 
Yes you can Rog.
pecjam23:
ROG:
the 21-year-old said she had felt there were times when using a phone while driving was acceptable.
I do wish the law was a total ban on using mobiles when driving as well as any alcohol consumption - much simpler.
It amazes me how many HGV drivers I see out and about blatantly on the phone with it resting again their ear, on motorways and even while on a roundabout!!!
Over took one truck on the A1(M) near Peterborough and he was clearly texting while at the wheel……when will people learn.
At the risk of offending some people, I find the worst culprits for having a mobile glued to their ears whilst driving are tipper and skip lorry drivers. I actually wondered if it was a job requirement or something?
I think anyone who uses text messageing when driving is foolish,
But i can’t see a problem with talking on the phone.
If the women on the hard shoulder had checked her vehicle before setting off then she wouldn’t have been on the hard shoulder therefore she wouldn’t have died.
So who is really at fault?
Accidents happen.