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[edwardmickey]

... I did hear of a report of a bloke driving on the M1 - while typing on his laptop!

That's a bit naughty  

[Taxi_Driver]

Studies have shown that more concentration is required to hold a 'remote' conversation than a 'local' one....

I dont know....tho an old dear sitting in the back asking about the price of fish when im trying to concentrate....is pretty remote to me  

[BigCat]

I have to press buttons on my data unit when i get a job sent through.....never been stopped for that......tho i have wondered and hotel21 might be able to clarify......sometimes the base operator wants to speak to me.....and calls me on the SW radio.....to talk to them i have to hold a mike and obviously speak into it.....how does that fare with the new rules??  :-/

...just the same as the police would do in the normal course of their duties. Does this mean they will also be fined for communicating with base? Will they issue themselves an on-the-spot fine?

More seriously though, will they bother to turn their engines off if they pull over to the side of the road to answer an urgent call, and does it matter?

[hotel21]

Just my tuppence, no legal standing or comfort whatsoever......

The legislation continues to be applied to HAND HELD mobile phones.  The use of a wired earpiece and 'phone in your lap is not sufficient.  Needs to be a bluetooth earpiece and phone in a cradle, even a simple £2.99 market stall jobbie.

Pukka aftermarket installations are fine.  Its what thay are for.

Hard wired systems, like that in the later Omega are fine - its also what they were designed for, after all!

With the exception of the wired earpiece scenario, a certain ammount of button pressing is acceptable, ie one touch to connect/end call.  Anything else is bookable.

Crashes in the main occur due to inattention of the driver to events on the road around him/her.  The distraction could be due to having a conversation with a passenger in the car, changing a CD or retuning the radio, eating lunch, applying lippy, drinking from a bottle or can, lighting a ciggy, reading the paper or a map - whatever......  

The main issue here is the use of a mobile.  This use is legislated against, easily seen, proven and relevant punishments meted out.

The conversation/radio/lunch issues can be less obvious and are more subjective in interpretation by the police officers at the time.  More importantly, there is no specific legislation to police these assorted activities, other than sect 3 RTA 1988 - driving without due care and attention or reasonable consideration for other road users.  Note the last part.  This is normally left out when discussing such things....  

As to Police Officers using their radio's - yes it happens and yes, they are exempt.  But if a crash occurrs due to such use, they get nicked just as much as Joe or Josephene Punter.  And don't forget the double jeopardy.  Done in the Court and then further done under the Police discipline regs (further fine, loss of pay increments, demotion, transfer etc etc)

Back to phone use.  Like any legislation, some applaud it, others throw stones at it.  Ultimately, its the Courts who decide.

caveat - my opinions are just that.  They are not legal guidelines!!    

B

  

[Andy B]

.....
As to Police Officers using their radio's - yes it happens and yes, they are exempt.  But if a crash occurrs due to such use, they get nicked just as much as Joe or Josephene Punter......   

   :-/  :-/    

[hotel21]

.....
As to Police Officers using their radio's - yes it happens and yes, they are exempt.  But if a crash occurrs due to such use, they get nicked just as much as Joe or Josephene Punter......   

   :-/  :-/    

Each to their own opinion.  

But check the rest of the quote as well, please.

As to Police Officers using their radio's - yes it happens and yes, they are exempt.  But if a crash occurrs due to such use, they get nicked just as much as Joe or Josephene Punter.  [size=14]And don't forget the double jeopardy.  Done in the Court and then further done under the Police discipline regs (further fine, loss of pay increments, demotion, transfer etc etc)[/size]

[Kevin Wood]

.....sometimes the base operator wants to speak to me.....and calls me on the SW radio.....to talk to them i have to hold a mike and obviously speak into it.....how does that fare with the new rules??  undecided

This question was asked with relation to whether amateur radio operators could use hand held microphones. I think the outcome was that as long as the radio itself was not hand held it wasn't an offence, however, like everything else, if you're driving without due care and attention as a result...

There are some good wired hands free mics for mobile radios these days.

Kevin

[Andy B]

.....
As to Police Officers using their radio's - yes it happens and yes, they are exempt.  But if a crash occurrs due to such use, they get nicked just as much as Joe or Josephene Punter......   

   :-/  :-/    

Each to their own opinion.  

But check the rest of the quote as well, please.

As to Police Officers using their radio's - yes it happens and yes, they are exempt.  But if a crash occurrs due to such use, they get nicked just as much as Joe or Josephene Punter.  [size=14]And don't forget the double jeopardy.  Done in the Court and then further done under the Police discipline regs (further fine, loss of pay increments, demotion, transfer etc etc)[/size]

I could've been in the same boat (no pun intended   ) when I was in the RN. It's just the 159mph .... and lack of prosecutions from speed cameras that tend to spring to mind.  

[Martin_1962]

I would be interested in what a Policeman thinks about booking naughty mobile use.

Do you do everyone, or only obviously dodgy ones, would you do people in laybyes with engine running but parked?

Would you do someone driving fine on an open road who is on for 20 seconds?

[hotel21]

I would be interested in what a Policeman thinks about booking naughty mobile use.

Do you do everyone, or only obviously dodgy ones, would you do people in laybyes with engine running but parked?

Would you do someone driving fine on an open road who is on for 20 seconds?

No,
yes but not only,
no,
probably, but each case dealt with on its own merits.

[Auto Addict]

I would be interested in what a Policeman thinks about booking naughty mobile use.

Do you do everyone, or only obviously dodgy ones, would you do people in laybyes with engine running but parked?

Would you do someone driving fine on an open road who is on for 20 seconds?

No,
yes but not only,
no,
probably, but each case dealt with on its own merits.

Is it illegal then to stop at the side of a road, leave the engine running, and then answer the mobile?

Or must you switch the engine off first?

[Martin_1962]

I would be interested in what a Policeman thinks about booking naughty mobile use.

Do you do everyone, or only obviously dodgy ones, would you do people in laybyes with engine running but parked?

Would you do someone driving fine on an open road who is on for 20 seconds?

No,
yes but not only,
no,
probably, but each case dealt with on its own merits.

Is it illegal then to stop at the side of a road, leave the engine running, and then answer the mobile?

Or must you switch the engine off first?

Rubbish part of the law - it is illegal but not at all dangerous, hence Hotel21 does not do you!

[Martin_1962]

I would be interested in what a Policeman thinks about booking naughty mobile use.

Do you do everyone, or only obviously dodgy ones, would you do people in laybyes with engine running but parked?

Would you do someone driving fine on an open road who is on for 20 seconds?

No,
yes but not only,
no,
probably, but each case dealt with on its own merits.

Thanks, sounds like real policing

[Rock]

All properly fitted kits should mute radio, and have an option to autoanswer (and hangup)...  :-/

How does auto hangup work? What if you are calling someone else who is also on handsfree who has auto hangup?

[TheBoy]

I would be interested in what a Policeman thinks about booking naughty mobile use.

Do you do everyone, or only obviously dodgy ones, would you do people in laybyes with engine running but parked?

Would you do someone driving fine on an open road who is on for 20 seconds?

No,
yes but not only,
no,
probably, but each case dealt with on its own merits.

Is it illegal then to stop at the side of a road, leave the engine running, and then answer the mobile?

Or must you switch the engine off first?

Rubbish part of the law - it is illegal but not at all dangerous, hence Hotel21 does not do you!

I imagine most coppers will use common sense.  You will get idiots in any job though, and the laws are black and white, so can't really argue if you are done in this way.

I guess some will do you on that technicality if you have been seen borderline misbehaving...?