Mobile Ban Sparks a New Safety Crisis

I do have to agree with Mike H that Gordon should not be the "first point of contact". There ust surely be others closer to the lifts that can carry out this role. Do the lifts not have a phone to a central point within either the building or to the lift contractors? Again let the voice mail service take a message and then retreive when safe to do so.

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If Gordon Le Moignan is 'on the road' so much then he is quite simply the wrong person to be the first point of contact. I would sugest that a mobile phone is also a poor choice for such a contact. Again I ask what happens when you are not within range of a signal? do those in the lift know to happily wait until you are!

Bob Ward and Mike H are both absolutely spot-on. No-one needs answer a mobile phone while driving. LET VOICEMAIL TAKE MESSAGES. Stop in a SAFE place and turn your engine off before using your mobile. It is not difficult nor is it rocket science. The mobile phone ban is not causing accidents -- the motorists themselves are in their urgency to answer the phone. How sad that these people's lives are ruled by mobile phones and even sadder for the lives they put at risk.

Included in the area for which i am responsible are four exterior passenger lifts. They are extremely unreliable and on occassions passengers do become trapped in them. I am the first point of contact to arrange the release of these people, and sometimes the only person available for the call. I must therefore disagree with the view that there are no circumstances where it is necessary to answer a phone. However, if possible i still stop the car to answer the phone as i consider any call to be a distraction to my driving.

For the avaoidance of doubt, you only have to re-apply for the renewal of your licence at 70 and every 3 years thereafter. You do not need a doctors ?note? to do this, but you self certify that you are fit and healthy to drive.

There are, however, a number of stipualted health conditions that may require you to obtain your doctors agreement that, in his opinion, you are fit to hold a driving licence. These apply at all ages though and not just to those over 70. However, those under 70 who may develop one of these conditions are obligated to notify Swansea and get their doctors consent to retaining their licence. I suspect that many probably never know, let alone act on this statutory requirement. It is probably those people that need targetting rather than those over 70 who are often more aware of their capabilities.

Furthermore, because of this rather unfortunate reliance upon technology (cameras) to enforce traffic laws, the number of traffic police is declining rapidly. So you can drive as poorly and inconsiderately as you wish and the chances now are that you are significantly less likely to be ?pulled over? by the police thgan you were even 5 years ago. However, drive at 45 in a 40 speed limit on a clear rural dual carriageway at 2.30 on a dry clear summers morning and you will get flashed by the camera!! There is something wrong here I think?

Mike Garland is spot on about those of us who passed their test many years ago. We have had to adapt and alter our driving skills and styles as road use and vehicles have evolved. Those who have not got adequate roadcraft skills should be the target of traffic police regardless of how long they have held a licence. But then the comments within my previous paragraph would kick in!

Following on from Peter's comment above re smoking, well it is posible for the Police to fine you for not having control of your vehicle. Recently a young lad in Yorkshire was subject to such a fine after eating a sausage roll whilst sitting in traffic.

Seems that there is plenty of legislation that might prevent accidents but is rarely used.

The mobile phone argument is getting very tiresome, to put it bluntly there is no reason at all to have to answer a phone whilst driving. Nothing is so urgent that it can't wait until you have stopped and can listen to your voicemail etc. If you disagree then how do you cope when you are out of signal range - do you break into a sweat at the thought that no one can ring you? and how did you cope before the mobile phone, I dodn't remember many people stopping at every phone box on their route and calling the office in case someone was trying to contact them !

Rant over

I have been driving since 1977, when you pass a test it does not make you a driver, you learn in the coming years to be a "driver".

I was a terrible 17 year old male driver very macho, full of testosterone, raced everyone in my ford escort diesel van. I don't drive like that anymore in, I drive 30,000 miles a year I have no points never have had (Lucky in my formative years). I drive quietly, swiftly, with respect for other road users.

The people I most often see in crashes and I see quite a few on my travels are the young and inexperinced , the old and not so capable, and the stupid, the first 2 we can do something about but you can't cure stupid.

Forget the phones and the speed, Tiredness, Capability and Stupidity are the culprits in most cases.

Better education of young drivers (not more difficult tests) but some ongoing assessment before and after the test for a period time prehaps NVQ based.

Compulsary Retesting upon breaches of particular sections of road legislation.

More stringent medicals for older drivers not just a eye test but reaction times and mobility and more often.

I know that this will not be popular with 30% of the population but I think smoking and particularly lighting cigarettes is just as dangerous as using a hand held mobile phone.

I took and passed my (car) test 33 years ago on a half day closing Wednesday (remember those!) with hardly any traffic and far fewer traffic restrictions (lights, crossings etc) having learned to drive with my Father on a very busy three lane North Circular (much narrower than a motorway in those days).

While I appreciate that things have changed and learning and taking a test today must be far more difficult, Caroline's argument presupposes that I (and others of my advanced age) have stayed off the roads during the past 33 years and suddenly emerged to find a new and frightening mass of traffic and regulation. Clearly this is a ridiculous idea. The truth is that over the past 33 years we have matured as drivers who have become accustomed to a different world over a very long transitional period. I for one use bluetooth technology when mobile along with GPS which means I no longer have to wrestle with a map on my lap as I did 30 years ago. Driving today in the Autumn of my life, while more crowded and less enjoyable, is in fact, much easier.

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I have commented before on this matter that no-one needs to answer a mobile phone, put it on voicemail and switch it off while you are driving. It is that simple. Bosses are not in a position where they can ask or force you to break the law. The company I work for is considering a policy to ban the use of mobiles whilst in the car on company business.

Carolyn, at the top of the comments is wrong, you don't have to take a re-test at 70, just get a doctor's note that you are in good enough health to drive.

When did any of us read and study, let alone buy, a current version of the Highway Code?

How did we all get on with the televised theory test?- Fortunately all my incorrect answers were on the over- cautious side.

I am heavily involved with crash prevention work in England both locally and nationally and must say I have no knowledge whatsoever of the behaviour "reported" above. Could there be a vested interst in circulating the rumpur?

At some point we must surely ask drivers to take their own safety seriously and drive responsibly! How far away are we from regular retests. A Fork Lift truck license usually lasts a maximum of 5 years, yet you can pass a test to drive a car at 18 and not retake it until you are 70! Some of these drivers we are discussing passed tests 30-40 years ago, when there was little traffic, and even fewer distractions. Surely a review of the whole process would be beneficial. It is not just mobile phones that make drivers dangerous!

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