Subscribe to RSSToo Many Still Driving Using Phones
The other day a selfish moron in his giant SUV quickly turned the corner of a street I was crossing oblivious to me doing so and I had to jump out of the path with my heart pumping as he sped away.
He was yapping on his mobile and I swear never saw me.
It’s time to increase the penalties and surveillance of such people. Behaviour has not changed.
Your chances of getting caught are just too slim.
A Police two week blitz on drivers using cellphones while driving netted 119 percent increase in offences and resulted in more than 800 notices being issued by Police.
The “blitz” was timed to coincide with the two-year anniversary of the introduction of legislation banning mobile phone use while driving.
Superintendent Paula Rose, National Manager - Road Policing says that the campaign highlighted the number of drivers who are still talking or texting on cellphones while driving.
“It’s pretty disappointing really. I think drivers do understand the dangers, they just can’t be bothered to put their safety and that of other road users before this one phone call. They fall back that old chestnut - ’it won’t happen to me’ and take the chance.
The latest Police figures show that more than 15,000 offence notices have been issued nationwide over the last two years.
Although the rules allow the use of hands-free mobile phones, Police recommended that drivers minimise the potential for distraction by switching phones off while driving, or pulling over to make or receive calls.
It is legal to use a mobile phone to make, receive or end a call when driving if:
- the driver does not have to hold or manipulate the phone to do so (i.e. phone is completely voice activated), or
- the mobile phone is securely mounted to the vehicle and the driver manipulates the phone infrequently and briefly.
The rule does not allow drivers to create, send, or read text messages under any circumstances.
The blitz also included a focus on safety belts and Police issued 3042 notices to drivers or their passengers for failing to wear safety belts.
3 Comments
I wonder what the ruling would be on dictating text messages or having them read to you which is something many smart phones can do.
I reckon they’d be ok with that. It seems to be about hands and eye use rather than brain use
I was driving in front of some douchebag with sunglasses on his face and white headphones in his ears, who was also talking on his phone at the same time as he was tailgating me on fast lane of the motorway. (I would have been going about 100, or whatever the healthy pace is in the morning.)
I was momentarily delighted to see a cop car appear in my left wing mirror. Then, the guy overtook me on the left - in front of the cops - moved back in front of me, and began tailgaiting the guy I was previously following. All with one hand on the steering while and the other holding his phone against his goateed chin.
I know the cops have bigger fish to fry, but I would have loved to have seen the red & blues flash on, and see them pull the prick over. People like him are the reason the rest of the country hates Aucklanders.