Ok the discussion has been going on in the news, radio, and papers for the last couple of days, so what does everybody think.

Having just watched BBC South Today where the presenter used a arcade style driving wheel with some form of racing game on a laptop and then took a phone call from a colleague where she promtly fell off the track.....................................what utter bollocks!

Point 1

Computer simulation racing games do not give anything like the feel or sense of driving a real car

Point 2

The presenter was sat at a desk, and not in her car

Poiont 3

If its the conversation that is supposed to be so distracting, then the family outing is going to be a fairly quiet event, or are these to be banned as the wife mapping reading or the kids fighting in the back could be distracting

Point 4

What about all those other services that require them to speak on the two way radio while driving, Police, Ambulance service (hospital transport type, who take you to and from hospital) Taxi, Waterboard.

Point 5

Are we going to ban the radio (CD & Cassettes players included) in the car as singing along to your favourite tune or disagreeing with the comments of some interview on radio3 is equally as distracting.

There are many other distraction that are carried out in cars while the vehilce is moving, reading a map, reading a book, reading a paper, brushing your hair, shaving, putting makeup on, inspecting face in mirror, using laptop, looking at the scenery, the list is endless.

Personally I think that you should only use a mobile in a car if you have a full hands free kit, then you should not start a call while moving but only receive one.

Thats my 5 pence worth, whats your

ebbing

I agree with the handsfree only part, unless its an automatic car, in which you do not need the other arm to change gear.. so its more free (although i suppose may still be need at sometime)


Thats the bit i have never understood

I think they should ban mobile phones period.

They're bloody annoying. I hate 'em.

I love em (hence many mobiles). How can you hate them?

Do you never leave the house?
Phone friends?
Want to read the news when on the move?
Check the latest stock market figures?
Check your e-mail?
Inform people you are meeting that there may be alterations?
Prefer to pay more for you calls by using a land line?
Not want to send your mates pictures & audio of something interesting that you see when out and about?
Call somebody in an emergancy?

Mobiles are ace!

There is one fuction on every mobile that everybody forgets about it is called the off button!

My mobile is for work first, anything else second, if I go out and don't want to be called I switch it off simple. A lot of user only think there phones stops working when the battery goes flat or they run out of credit.

I was asked when I purchased my last phone if I wanted to sign up for the wap service so I could collect my e-mail and surf the internet, when I asked the sales assistant why I should want to read my e-mails on a 40mm square screen when I have a perfectly good 17" monitor at work and at home he had no answer.

If you don't like mobile phone fair enough just leave those who do alone


ebbing

Kids fighting in the back is far more dangerous than using a mobile, until carrying passengers is banned (it never will be), a ban on mobiles cannot be justified.

The Government are not interested in safety, if they were the roads would be in much better condition. They are looking to raise revenue by getting the Police to collect fines.

Can hate them fairly easily actually, and though I have one I do get irritated with people who insist on having stupid ringtones set incredibly loud and then shout down their phone when they're on the train/bus/standing in a shop.

In answer to your questions:
1 - Yes
2 - Yes
3 - No
4 - No
5 - No
6 - maybe
7 - not necessarily applicable to everyone, me? no.
8 - No
9 - Yes

Just out of sheer nosiness, how many phones do you have?


*checks up thread* Yes, I was right, you started this thread inviting discussion about banning mobile phones.

I think that using a phone without using a handsfree kit whilst driving should be banned. No matter what everyone says about how careful they are, and how it doesn't affect them, it will. If you only have one hand on the wheel then your steering reaction will be affected. Other reactions will also be affected as your attention is divided. Yes, your attention is still going to be divided if you're talking on the phone, or changing a tape/CD, or using your sat nav system, but I can't see ICE systems being banned and likewise sat nav systems.

Nokia 7650 - T-Mobile Contract
Nokia 3330 - T-Mobile Contract
Nokia 3310 - Orange Contract
Nokia 8210 - T-Mobile Pay as you go
Nokia 5110 - T-Mobile Pay as you go
Nokia 3210 - T-Mobile Pay as you go
Motorola C520 - T-Mobile Pay as you go (but mum borrows this)

Did have a Samsung A300 (i think, it was that model) gave it away, VERY crap phone.

Also a Siemens C35i, gave that away, VERY crap phone.

I normally carry the 7650 & 3310. Yes i also find people who have stupid loud ringtones, and leave the phone ringing for ages, and then say "i am on the bus" very annoying, but there is no need to do that, i do not.

But then again do you hate car stereo's because some people abuse them, and play them very very loud at night in the streets?

There isn't any need to do that, and that's my point. Some people feel the need to draw attention to themselves by shouting and having annoying ringtones. I don't hate the phones because of it, I'm irritated by the people.

Quote:
“But then again do you hate car stereo's because some people abuse them, and play them very very loud at night in the streets?”

Same as above, I don't hate car stereos, but I do hate the people who abuse them. On that subject I've never understood the need for spending thousands of pounds on car stereo systems so that you can have one louder than all your mates or whatever.

What can you possibly need with seven phones?

The others are rarely used, its just i upgrade about every 6 months, i love mobiles, i like to have the latest nokia so as you can guess a collection starts to build up, like it has...

Do you never leave the house?
Yes I leave the house.

Phone friends?
Yep, from home.

Want to read the news when on the move?
not really.

Check the latest stock market figures?
not really.

Check your e-mail?
I check my email at work and home. I dont get that much.

Inform people you are meeting that there may be alterations?
not really.

Prefer to pay more for you calls by using a land line?
haha yeah right. You telling me mobiles are cheaper. whatever..

Not want to send your mates pictures & audio of something
I use my pc's for that.

interesting that you see when out and about?
huh? dont understand that.

Call somebody in an emergancy?
This is the only reason I'd ever consider getting one.

What really annoys me is ppl leaving them ringing and ringing at work, when we already have a huge land-line telephone system installed anyway.

When I'm at home I have a phone there. When I'm out, I dont want to be disturbed anyway. It's mainly just the ppl that leave their phones on their desk and walk off leaving them to ring and ring. Very annoying when you want some quiet to do my work.

Yes they are

National Day Time Call BT = 0.8p a min, T-Mobile 0.5p (Also remember free minutes could make this call FREE)
National Evening Call BT = 0.5p a min, T-Mobile 0.5p (Also remember free minutes could make this call FREE)
Local Day Time Call BT = 0.5p a min, T-Mobile 0.5p (Also remember free minutes could make this call FREE)

There are even some price plans where all calls are free at peak hours to Land Lines & T-Mobile, with no stupid if its longer than 1 hour it does not count. Also plans where its FREE all the time.

Also peak rate calls to mobiles are vastly cheaper... around 25p on a BT Line.. only 20p on T-Mobile, so just a 4 minute call could cost you 20p more which can soon mount up.

I never use the land line for any call other than data, as its way to expencive for me, its a rip off.


You do not understand? Not seen newer phones? Let me explain.. some of the new phones have camera's on. You take a pic using the phone, and you can send it via MMS (next version of text messaging) to another MMS compatable phone, which eventually all phones will support MMS (give it a few years)

Mobiles are not just for phone calls, they have progressed, and make communications so much better. Also another big advantage, telesales? Its seems that landlines get these, and mobiles rarely do, because of the way call centers work (rip out a page of the phone book )

until carrying passengers is banned (it never will be), a ban on mobiles cannot be justified

A ban on using non-hands-free mobiles whilst driving SHOULD have been implemented years ago.

It's simple common sense that something that requires you to remove one hand from the wheel for extended periods and deliberately divert your attention from the road is a very bad idea indeed - and that's before you look at the accident figures, which demonstrate that someone using a mobile whilst driving is four times more likely to have an accident.

If people who use mobiles whilst driving were only running an increased risk of killing themselves, fair enough - but as the statistics prove, they're highly likely to kill other people, too.

Research by the transport research laboratory shows that using a mobile while driving is more dangerous than drink driving:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1885775.stm

I believe that phoning whilst driving should be banned - have you seen how people can walk along the street when on the phone? Have you seen people just walk out onto the road because they're so distracted by their ongoing phone call?!

Talking on the telephone is much more demanding than talking to a person next to you.

Quite simple really.

The test should have been to watch an important programme whilst talking and summarise after and then repeat with a conversation with the person next to them.

Don't we already have a suitable piece of legislation covering dangerous driving.

Introducing more legislation that the police don't have the resources to enforce isn't the solution.

After all - we already have legislation defining the font / spacing for number plates - but have you ever seen/heard of it being enforced.

Besides - if using a mobile is so dangerous - then why aren't they banning smoking when driving - I've seen far more dangerous acts by people struggling to light a cigarette on the move.

Occassionally using a mobile can actually save lives - I've broken down once in a very dangerous position (middle lane of the A3 - unable to get out of the car because of the speed of other traffic !!!) - but the police got to me quickly - because other drivers called the police.

By all means, fine / ban the dangerous drivers - but don't make innocent people criminals because when they stuck in stationary traffic they make a quick call.

I think there is a far bigger danger than just using mobiles phones whilst driving and that's people who insist on text messaging whilst driving.

Using the phone to make a call is fairly straight forward. Find the name, dial, talk.
How people can text message though, I don't know. You are constantly having to check the screen to see what you have written. You can instantly tell when someone has sent you a message whilst driving as it's 90% unreadable!

I do think that something has to happen with regards to mobiles. Hands free kits are a must, even the ear phone only type are 100% better than holding the phone. Not sure how you stop people messaging but I think this really needs to be looked at aswell.

Oh and people smoking while driving REALLY pee's me off. I don't mind them smoking so much, it's the winding the window down and flicking it back towards my car that I hate.

I've been in the passenger seat whilst the Driver was smoking, the lit end dropped off and fell between the drivers legs, there followed an interesting 20 seconds where he tried to remove it before pulling over.

So the government want to ban people from using mobile phones in cars. Well I have a better plan why not just ban cars

Here is all you need to know about the danger of being on the road.

Road Traffic Accident stats UK 1998 Department Of Transport

Personal Injury Road Accidents: Great Britain 1998 Key Statistics

238,923 Injury accidents (71 per day)
3,421 Deaths (9 per day)
40,834 Serious Injuries (111 per day)
280,957 Slight Injuries (770 per day)
(Total 890 deaths or injurys per day)

As you can see motor vehicals are very dangerous!

I'll accept a ban on mobiles when they ban smoking whilst driving. What can possibly be more dangerous than driving and playing with fire!

Driving attracts all sorts of idiots - some of them use phones, some smoke, some eat sandwiches, some read paperwork. Ban idiots, not phones.

And would you be so kind as to tell us the tarriffs your are referring to as, BT charge more than that for their calls and you should really tell us the monthly subscription for the T-mobile tarriff you are comapring it to. I'm sure it's more that a landline equivalent for unlimited off peak calls to geographical numbers.

Last time I checked, If i have a T-mobile and only used it for a few minutes a month (just like my mum does with her BT line) I would pay 40p a minute at all times (on PAYG - just thought I'd mention a tariff as no-one else seems to want to).

My opinion - NO-ONE can concentrate 100% on the road while having a converstaion with a mobile in their hand.

I am willing to agree however, that hands-free kits are more acceptable.

I like me mobile phones too, but I hope this law is brought in.

Cat amongst the pigeons
I can honestly say that if I engage a conversation via a mobile phone whilst driving that:
1. If its hands free my mind wanders!!!
2. If I hold the phone it highlights the fact that im struggling to manouver the car, hence "I will call you back"
3. This is my observation and based around city driving.
Do you feel the same?

Its the Anytime 200, same call rates on a few of the other tarrifs., when i was on Pay as you go before i was 18, when i would run out of "credit" (grrr, i hate that saying now, "i have run out of credit", pisses me off,) i would get really knackered by parients when phone bill came in for land line...because i would be using that and not my mobile, and we talking phone bills over £300 here....

Valid point, however hardly anyone is as considerate as you and most just think they can cope and continue chatting.

I am waiting for a Bluetooth module to be fitted in my car. They don't half take their time introducing these things.

Meanwhile, I use an earpiece, and along with voice dial and voice answer, it is the best solution, for now.

I still don't feel totally happy driving and talking to someone outside the car, and so I keep the conversation to a minimum. I don't feel you can compare a conversation on the phone with a conversation with someone inside the car. The person who is with you, can see any dangers and will only talk when it's safe to do so. Conversations within the car are less demanding than those on the phone.

To say it's OK to hold a phone to your ear in an automatic car is losing sight of the requirement to have two hands on the steering wheel when driving. OK, in a manual car, you have to take one hand off the wheel for a short time, but it then returns to the wheel when the gearchange is made.

I can usually tell when a car in front answers a call, the driver will almost always slow down, and will continue to slow down during the call. This is because his concentration is moving outside the car, and he is devoting a minimum amount of his mental effort into driving the car. Slowing down like that will cause other drivers to try to overtake and it is dangerous.

I really don't see any excuse for not having a handsfree kit. Mine cost £4.99 and it works with my voice dialing feature.