Be Warned

[Guest salty_monk]

Ahh... buggers didn't offer me that!! 78mph on the M4 on a Sunday Afternoon.

 

I don't think they have them everywhere yet, you're right. They are a good idea I think.

 

[Big Jim]

I think he must have been offered the speed awareness course i went on one

a couple of months back, four or five counties do them, if you are just over the

limit you get offered the course and don`t get any points works out cheap as your

insurance doen`t go up.

Dave

 

 

Daves right.

It had been a bad few days. things just hadn't been going right, then there was this sneaky plod hidden in a farners gate 100 yds from it going NSL (OK, he probably got me another 400 yds earlier than that).

 

37 mph in a 30, it was either the £60 fine plus points, or £85 and the course with no points. A bit miffed actually, as it was the end of 36 years of a clean licence. (or the end of 36 years of luck, whatever!)

 

The powers that be are all hung up about speed, but speeding is not the biggest cause of accidents by a long stretch, general bad driving (which covers a multitude of things, I know) Also the BiB nowadays don't even attend a RTC unless there's injury, or arguments about blame, in my younger days, if there was an RTC someone got blamed, fined and points (well it was endorsements then) It brought your concentration up as you knew that it would cost you if you had a bump.

 

Then again, THINK OF THE CHILDREN! Yeh, right! when did you see our government put anything into educating children with road sense. I grew up with "look right, left & right again" my kids with "The green cross code, etc" nowadays- nothing! Drive past any high school at kicking out time, you'll find them running across the road, santering across, on their phones, etc. and blow your horn, comment to them to look what they're doing or such, and you'll get a mouthfull of abuse back. Yeh! think of the children.....I'd like to run over all the little *bleep*s!

[Guest Guy]

I'd like to run over all the little *bleep*s!

 

You were doing well up to that point Jim!

[Guest Andy Badger]

Lancashire definately do the option of the driving course. Greater Manchester definately dont. Thats how i got my (1st and only endorsements) 3 points in feb. Didnt get the option of a course. So be thankful you got the option.

 

As for salty's comment about being able to touch a button on the phone. I know that you cant touch the phone at all.

[Guest timswait]

don`t get any points works out cheap as your

insurance doen`t go up.

First three points doesn't generally effect your insurance anyway, at least it didn't when I got mine four years ago.

The insurance companies obviously realise that having 3 points from a speed camera doesn't make you at any more risk of having an accident than anyone else.

[DAVE CASTLE]

Yes you are right Tim its 6 points and the insurance cash in but they all add up

Dave

[Guest salty_monk]

As for salty's comment about being able to touch a button on the phone. I know that you cant touch the phone at all.

 

How do you accept the call then or dial a number?? Be sensible.

 

They did a big leaflet drop in London when it first came in force, picture on the front with a phone in a cradle with a "lone finger" dialing a number... leaflet told you basically what I said above.

 

Dan

[Guest Andy Badger]

How do you accept the call then or dial a number?? Be sensible.

 

They did a big leaflet drop in London when it first came in force, picture on the front with a phone in a cradle with a "lone finger" dialing a number... leaflet told you basically what I said above.

 

Dan

 

 

Because you have to be totally hands free. The bluetooth headsets should automatically answer the call. For what its worth, i agree with you Dan, its ridicularse (spelling intended!) that you can mess with your stereo while driving, but touch a button on your phone...illegal. Same with people who smoke.

Anyway....

[Guest salty_monk]

Nah.. that's BS. The cradles hardwired into the car jobs are perfectly legal & as they use the radio speakers & a mic mounted into the roof lining there's no way you can use one without touching the phone...

 

I reckon your copper was just interpreting the rule book his own way...

 

http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/advice/mobilephones.htm

 

There we go... government road safety site. Notice it says nothing about "touching" one plugged into a cradle just that you cannot use a "hand held" one or hold one in your hand. Therefore if it's secured in the vehicle it's not hand held.

 

It's all in the text.

 

Also see here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3251725.stm

 

Dan

[Guest docter fox]

in lincolnshire, would a van saying "traffic survey" on the side whilst parked on the bridge be monitering speed or tax, traffic or anything else that isn't speed?

[Big Jim]

in lincolnshire, would a van saying "traffic survey" on the side whilst parked on the bridge be monitering speed or tax, traffic or anything else that isn't speed?

 

Not usually. these are done by independant companies on behailf of some government agency or local council (depending on where the survey is) an could be anthing that they want counting, how many HGV's in each 5 min period, how many cars in lane 3, ...........think of something stupid and someone will want it counted!

where do you think they get their "statistics" from! ( *bleep*s!! can't bloody do the smiley faces!! )<<

[Guest Battery Bill]

Jim

( *bleep*s!! can't bloody do the smiley faces!! )<<

 

Mitch always did say that about you

 

I am always tempted to stop and ask the old biddys who sit at the side of roundabouts "What are they counting" but have not bothered as yet, One day I will

[Mitch]

why do you always drag me into it, you to scared to admit it was you that said it,

bet you dont reply to that in a hurry

 

Mitch

[Knock-on]

I can't see how you can operate a Mobile device without touching it. It's OK for incoming calls as the phone can be set to automatically answer and the other person will terminate the call. However, it's impossible if you want to make the call to do this hands-free?

 

This particular case is a pretty good example of why a lot of people have little consideration for Transport policy and the police that enforce it. I'm sorry for the Coppers that do a good job out there but what sort of damage do officers like this one do?

 

Every day, I see a vast number of people driving with a phone plastered to their ear. Yet, someone uses a Hands Free kit and some little Jobsworth gets all officious with him.

 

If we wanted to do more for road safety, we would be getting more unlicensed, untaxed, uninsured and un-MOT'd cars off the road.

 

I was watching one of these "Cops" programs last night where they pulled over a Heroin Addict with a bashed and dented car, no Tax, Insurance, Licence and MOT and amongst over things, 2 completely bald tyres. I mean racing slicks!

 

Yet, they take no action about the car and nick him for Heroin possession.

 

Now, if he smokes heroin, he might kill himself but if he ploughs into a group of pedestrians, the result would be catastrophic.

 

They caught him again a couple of weeks later and gave him a producer as the car was in the same state.

 

Whats the point. These cars should be removed and if not claimed with all the relevant documents, destroyed.

 

Yet, that wont happen because a smack head doesn't have any money to fine him whereas a law abiding member of the public that has gone to the effort of trying to the best of his ability to comply with the law can pay £60.

 

Cynical? Moi?

[Guest alan rowe]

you can make calls completely hands free no problem - voice activated - I've got a Nokia kit fitted and it's ideal - no hands

 

A