Britain bans (handheld) car cellphones

http://globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031201.wphon1201/BNStory/International/

Britain bans car cellphones

Associated Press

London -- British motorists are no longer allowed to use handheld cell phones while driving, under a law that came into force Monday and put Britain in line with most other European countries.

... Hands-free mobile phone kits are permitted, but Transport Minister David Jamieson warned that "police can use other powers to prosecute a driver if they are distracted by a call on a handsfree phone."

Police can issue immediate fines of about $50 (U.S.). The fines can rise to as much as $1,700) if the case goes to court.

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Perhaps journalists can work up a generic story:

"Britain bans guns"
"Britain bans car cell phones"
"Britain bans _____________"

Gosh, what will be next? New York state bans ... drunk driving?


http://www.drivers.com/article/275/

Date: 2000-04-15

Australia:
All states except Western Australia have banned the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving.

Austria:
Hand-held phone use banned

Belgium:
In process of making law

Brazil:
Has legislation against cell phone use while driving

Britain:
Has legislation against cell phone use while driving

Chile:
Has legislation against cell phone use while driving

Finland:
Survey completed recently. Older legislation against wireless devices may cover cell phones ( Note )

Israel:
Has legislation against hand-held cell phone use while driving ( Note )

Italy:
Has legislation against cell phone use while driving

Japan:
Legislation came into effect on November 1, 1999 ( Note )

Netherlands:
Member of parliament currently working on a proposal

Norway:
Hand-held mobile phones banned after March 15. 2000. After March 15, all phones in cars must be "handsfree" and firmly mounted - for instance on the dashboard.

Portugal:
Has legislation against hand-held car phone use

Russia:
Has legislation against hand-held car phone use

South Africa:
Has legislation against hand-held car phone use

Spain:
Has legislation against cell phone use while driving

Switzerland:
Has legislation against use of hand-held wireless phones ( Note )

USA:
New York state has legislation against hand-held car phone use

In Canada highway traffic rules are under provincial jurisdiction, as they are under state jurisdiction in the US and Australia. I'm not aware of any bans to date, but I'd sure as hell welcome one where I'm at.

Justifiable limitation on individual liberty to protect the public and keep it safe from the lunacy and/or pigheadedly self-interested actions of some of its members, obviously.

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I have no problem with the hands-free adaptors but the use of handheld phones inside moving vehicles has to stop (everywhere). I've seen and heard of quite a few accidents that have happened because some jackass thought he needed to be talking on the phone while he/she was driving down the busy street. Use a hands-free device or pull over.

No phone call is important enough to have even a little bit of your attention when you're behind the controls of potentially dangerous multi ton machine.

If you think about it, it already takes a tremendous ammount of trust to drive on the roads. You can be an excellent driver and pay attention to every detail. But all it takes is for one idiot to get distracted by a ringing phone, a dropped phone, or any number of things to maim, kill, or cripple you.

"I'm sorry you're in a wheelchair...I'm sorry your loved one was killed, but I had a really important call..."

When you're driving, you're driving, and thats all you should be doing.

I've had too many close calls lately with assholes trying to pilot oversize SUVs with the damn cell phone in one hand, usually the left hand (blocking their peripheral vision to the side).

A ban on having boyfriend/girlfriend in the car? Sure, I've seen inattentive drivers talking on cellphones, but I've also seen people distracted by other things such as eating, children, etc.

The first time I read your post, I must admit, you almost had me...I was thinking..."Well..s/he has got a point". But it didnt seem quite the same... , so I thought about it a bit and then I realized the flaw.

This isnt a ban on having a cell phone in your car. Or even talking on the phone. It's a ban on talking on handheld phones while driving.

While talking on a handheld phone, you're often blocking your own vision with your hand. You're also concetrating more on the phone by very nature of having to hold it to your ear. You're also not keeping both hands on the wheel, which further lessens your control over the vehicle.

A ban on having a bf/gf in the car? No....more like a ban on trying to make out with said bf/gf while driving in said car.

People should concetrate on the road. Period. There is no excuse for laxness behind the wheel, you're not just endangering yourself, you're endangering everyone around you. Just the other day a friend and myself were almost hit by some ass who was....surprise....on the phone.

I was on the side that was almost hit and I watched the guy the whole time, he wasnt even aware of how close he came to hitting us. He just kept right on going, oblivious to what almost happened. Had my friend not had the quick reflexes (and a, luckily, clear spot to duck into, even though the road was fairly busy) then our two vehicles would have been swapping parts and paint.

No phone call, no hamburger, no nothing is important enough to warrent not paying attention to the task at hand, if it's that important, pull over, take care of it, then continue.

You simply cannot control a vehicle as safely while doing two or three things at once.

that most jurisdictions actually have laws about drivers distracting themselves while driving (mine does), which would probably cover using hand-held cell phones, as well as making out or making a sandwich, while driving.

Those sorts of laws generally only get enforced in the case of an accident though, when someone is charged with breaking them, like a lot of highway traffic laws. They're too vague for systematic enforcement.

Sometimes a specific law is needed to address the specific problem.

Kinda like how female genital mutilation is already covered by assault laws, but it was realized that there was a need to *specify* that it is an assault.

Talking on a hand-held cell phone is a serious and widespread enough problem that it seems to need addressing in a specific, clear law.

There's a poll on a Cdn news site today:

Q1: British motorists are no longer allowed to use handheld cellphones
while driving. Would you support the same kind of law in Canada?

Total Votes for this Question: 2000

So far, 84% have voted for Yes.
So far, 13% have voted for No.
So far, 2% have voted for Not sure.

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I saw a guy driving over an overpass the other day that was drinking a cup of coffee, smoking a cigarette, talking on a cell phone, while driving about 10 miles per hour because he was steering with his knees.

I say lock'em up. :)

They didnt make an inanimate object illegal, they made using it irresponsibly on public property illegal.

Guns are obviously legal. But, if you walk into the middle of city park and start firing rounds up into the air, then you're going to draw some ire.

It makes everyone feel good and that it.

I hate as much as anyone getting near someone gabbing on the phone and paying attention to his/her driving.

But the reality is that these kind of laws are very difficult to enforce.

If you are talking on a phone and see a cop, what do you do? drop the phone.

Hell, we cant even enforce speeding laws.