Or a £10 headset.....

That was a long time ago!

£10 headsets are gay. And besides, I don't need to use the phone in the car that often. I just got unlikely on one particular occasion. For the most part I either wait, or I can pull over if absolutely necessary.

Dude come on. I'd rather have a 'gay' headset than points on my license and/or a fine. I'm not arguing your reasons for using your phone but you surely knew before you answered it what the consequences might be. Its kind of indefensible.

Personally I dont have a headset (havent bothered to buy one for the new phone due to lack of driving) so I just dont answer the phone if im in the car.

Snap.

I'd rather make my 15 second call and then go about my business. Of course I knew the potential consequences and given my previous luck with the filth maybe it was a foregone conclusion. But I'm not spending money I don't need to, as I'm a lot of debt at the moment and a headset just isn't needed. I don't make calls as rule. I got caught out, and then raped up the ass by the government. So be it.

Like I said, I know people here hate it and I mostly agree. However, on a quiet, straight dual-carriageway - I can't see the problem. I wondered what people's opinions were relative to speeding, but I guess that's ok by most everybody here.

Out of curiosity did you get a fine or points? I dont know what the current punishment is but surely its more than a £10 headset that you cant afford?

Also if and when people are speeding (on a dual-carriageway/motorway) they're likely to be concentrating on the road. Having a convo on the phone (an 'urgent' one at that) probably means some of your attention is diverted elsewhere.

If you're issued a company mobile (or need to be contactable by phone) whilst having to drive then order a handsfree kit on company expenses.

The company I work for takes the line that using a mobile phone whilst driving, either hands free or not, is a disciplinary offence.

My phone is either turned off or with the passenger.

A very sensible attitude from your company I'd say.

Did you come up with a solution to your quandary before we stole your thread and beat it up with the moral and legal stick?

Mark

+1

Yeah, sorry Al. What happened?

Back off topic, yes I was fined £60 and given 3 points. Along with a load of abuse about how powerful my car is and was I running a remap etc. etc.
Straight answer for two straight questions:
1) Does me talking on the phone on said "safe" piece of road, constitute more loss of concentration than talking to someone else in the car?
2) Is my behaviour more dangerous than the millions of people speeding every day on the same "safe" piece of road and getting away with it?

You think the road is safe, the authorities may think otherwise. When you speak to someone else in the car you don't hold them, I guess.



No, some people along the same stretch of road will be speeding, others will be on the phone, and some may be doing both. Of all of those just mentioned not all will be caught doing so.

I don't think it's about more dangerous, but whether it's dangerous at all (well, let's say "significantly" dangerous. Everything is slightly dangerous). Just because an aspect of someone's driving is less dangerous than a worse case scenario does not make it OK.

I refuse to talk on the phone whilst driving, because I believe that I would be a danger to others on the road if I'm thinking about a conversation rather that watching out for idiots on the road who think changing 3 lanes in 30 yards is OK. (Yes, I am a cautions driver, but not a stupidly slow one. I know what an accelerator looks like )

1) Yes, both are distracting but maintaining a full conversation requires more attention than a short conversation. Safe just means you aren't aware of the dangers it poses.
2) Yes, you can't drive safely when on a telephone having a conversation, yet driving 1mph over the limit is less difficult for an experienced driver, braking distances etc are usually much shorter now given all the advances in modern cars.