Bad drivers................

[Dawn]

I was walking my dogs last Friday. Came to a junction, heard a car approach from behind. Brought the dogs to a halt - only to see the idiot traversing the corner with his eyes firmly glued to his phone. If everyone drove electric politically correct cars and I had'nt also looked me and my dogs would be squished. I don't even know how he got around the bend on the right side. Chap was 40ish I'd say!

[75c]

Originally Posted by Mr Bone

They don't though, not all the time, and if a jammer was activated only when the engine was running they could phone for help with the engine switched off.
If they had broken down, this would be the most likely scenario.

I was thinking more about people calling for medical or police help.

There's plenty of real life examples I've seen in a+e of people who would have been stuffed if they hadn't been able to phone for help. A few that spring to mind are victims of domestic violence fleeing their partner, people trapped in cars, people who've fallen ill whilst driving or being driven.

There's no safe way to jam mobile phones from making calls. For older phones there are apps that prevent you from receiving calls when driving and there are modes on most new phones that do the same. Making them inaccessible for people who might need them to counteract the idiots who cant obey the law doesn't seem like the way to go.

Make the penalties for people who use phones heavier, treat the condition, cure the problem.

[Mr Bone]

Originally Posted by 75c

I was thinking more about people calling for medical or police help.

There's plenty of real life examples I've seen in a+e of people who would have been stuffed if they hadn't been able to phone for help. A few that spring to mind are victims of domestic violence fleeing their partner, people trapped in cars, people who've fallen ill whilst driving or being driven.

There's no safe way to jam mobile phones from making calls. For older phones there are apps that prevent you from receiving calls when driving and there are modes on most new phones that do the same. Making them inaccessible for people who might need them to counteract the idiots who cant obey the law doesn't seem like the way to go.

Make the penalties for people who use phones heavier, treat the condition, cure the problem.

I understand your point, but all of the examples given could (and most likely would) be made while the vehicle is stationary with the engine off. If a jammer was activated by the ignition none of the above would be affected.
As far as idiots go, there are too many of them to police, a minority are looking where they are going.

[RoverDan]

Oddly enough I was only wondering last week why we no longer hear of the once-common equation


pensioner + automatic + wrong pedal = car ploughing through crowd/shop/forecourt/garden/...

[Darcydog]

We had another example of a young driver driving badly just yesterday - driving past Sandy Balls Holiday Centre down the hill with the twists and turns - a young lad in a Golf had lost it and ping ponged from side to side down the hill.

Car a right off - blue lights everywhere.

When I went past a very shaken young lad was being interviewed.

So I know dodgy old drivers make a good story - but the real issue is the extraordinary high percentage of accidents caused by the under 25’s.

[guru]

Originally Posted by Darcydog

We had another example of a young driver driving badly just yesterday - driving past Sandy Balls Holiday Centre down the hill with the twists and turns - a young lad in a Golf had lost it and ping ponged from side to side down the hill.

Car a right off - blue lights everywhere.

When I went past a very shaken young lad was being interviewed.

So I know dodgy old drivers make a good story - but the real issue is the extraordinary high percentage of accidents caused by the under 25’s.

Absolutely, I'm not actually saying that 'old' drivers are the problem I'm saying its a lack of regulation and checks. To take your example if we had a basic driving assessment every 5 years *regardless of age* then assuming your 25 year old passed his test at 17 he would have been re-assessed already and the poor driving that led to the accident could have been corrected. It is a biological fact that as we get older our reactions slow which can have an effect on driving so age does come into it a bit but as previously stated everyone is different and some people are still extremely good drivers at 70+ whereas others are disasters waiting to happen in their 40's. I would also add that I think new drivers should have an assessment after 6 months to a year.

[Darcydog]

Originally Posted by guru

Absolutely, I'm not actually saying that 'old' drivers are the problem I'm saying its a lack of regulation and checks. To take your example if we had a basic driving assessment every 5 years *regardless of age* then assuming your 25 year old passed his test at 17 he would have been re-assessed already and the poor driving that led to the accident could have been corrected. It is a biological fact that as we get older our reactions slow which can have an effect on driving so age does come into it a bit but as previously stated everyone is different and some people are still extremely good drivers at 70+ whereas others are disasters waiting to happen in their 40's. I would also add that I think new drivers should have an assessment after 6 months to a year.

I like the idea that some countries have where new drivers get a graded licence - I think France has a system where new drivers have to have a limited KPH sticker on their car for a year or two.

Tho’ to be honest - looking at our overall accident stats - the system in France hardly seems something to be envious of!!

[75c]

Originally Posted by Darcydog

I like the idea that some countries have where new drivers get a graded licence - I think France has a system where new drivers have to have a limited KPH sticker on their car for a year or two.

We have that here, new drivers can't go above 45 mph, even on motorways.

[jackatesme]

Do you think this lad should be retested,he got off scot free. Police quoted lack of evidence. They should have looked behind him.

P1000703 by john barry, on Flickr

[jackatesme]

I don't know if it's the same in other parts of the country,but they can bring in as many rules as they like,phone,speed, parking on yellow lines,if there is nobody present to oversee the law breaking then everyone drives as they like. The only time we see police is after the incidents have occurred.