Status update: using Twitter while driving is #bonkers

I agree that the number of penalty points should rise and should include a ban – which could come into force by a totting up procedure as for points gained in other ways. The fine should be much stiffer – say £500. I have reported to their employers a female driver of a very large articulated lorry who was on the (hand-held) phone while indicating, negotiating a right-turn at a roundabout, changing gear and steering as she approached me – and a male bus driver who was texting while crossing a mini roundabout, with several passengers on his bus, thus giving him the opportunity to kill not only his passengers, but also pedestrians. I would like to see more frequent publicity and news items on the television about this issue – especially highlighting the deaths caused by phone-using motorists. I believe that only offenders actually seen by the police can be prosecuted, but if evidence from the public is acceptable, I would be happy to devote some time with a video camera at a busy roundabout to supply evidence to the police. From my observations, it wouldn’t take very long to record large numbers of people on their phones!

I and my husband are still recovering from a car collision in October 2009 caused by a 17 year old van driver who apparently ‘didn’t see us’. We were in a V8 Silver Jaguar Saloon on a bright sunny day on a straight road, STATIONARY, in a line of traffic! The car was a write-off as the chassis was bent. He must have been travelling at 45 to 50 mph as he crashed us into the lorry in front and then re-bounded into our car. Our friends in the back were severely injured, we were all traumatised and thank God we were in the Jaguar, because if we had been in our Mazda 2, I would not be here writing this. He was obviously texting on his mobile. How can we stop people doing this? £60 is not enough. This guy has cost us thousands and has got away with a small fine and 4 points on his licence. Just not good enough!!

“The statistics for mobile phone use behind the wheel is nothing short of tragic. GoodMobilePhones.co.uk recently surveyed 1,859 motorists and discovered 81% admitted to using their mobile behind the wheel. ”

Did the statistics say how many of those on the phone were hands free? And therefore legal?

I use the phone in the car, mainly for traffic updates, but in its hands free cradle.

Is this any more dangerous than listening to talk radio or holding a conversation with a passenger?

But texting or things like Twitter are totally bonkers and anybody caught should have a very severe punishment, like confiscation of phone and car for a first offence. Those could then be sold off to help reduce the national debt.

Second offence should have a Swiss style fine added on – the more you are worth, the bigger your fine.

And anybody who does something as happened to Icsyt should as a minimum get a year in jail and have to re-take their driving test before being allowed back on the road.

I don’t believe that the 81% figure is correct – that is from a survey of mobile phone enthusiasts, and must be an exaggerated figure. But it continues to dismay me that so many people are still doing it and getting away with it. In fact seeing somebody doing it makes me just about as angry as anything that I can thin of. It surely cannot be beyond today’s technology to actually prevent in-car mobile phone usage unless the phone is plugged into a proper hands-free system, but there apparently is no great inclination on the part of anyone to do this. Driving bans are the only way to stop it. Most people get away with being spotted, and any major driving errors. But a few serious injuries and deaths every year are down to using mobile phones when driving, and not everyone (including me) can multi-task well enough to do it even hands-free without it affecting their driving!

I suggest the seizure and destruction of the phone would be an appropriate penalty. Forget the cost – the sheer inconvenience would deter most people from offending – and it would hit the phone addicts hardest.