talking while driving.

[difenbaker]

Report: Cell phone talking while driving on the rise
Friday, December 16, 2005; Posted: 10:30 a.m. EST (15:30 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More people than ever are turning their cars into personal phone booths, with a million and a half drivers gabbing on cell phones at any given time. Women and young people are the most common yakkers.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/ptech/12/16/cell.phone.drivers.ap/index.html



.... tsk tsk tsk.

[brad]

In Australia, talking on the phone while driving is illegal unless you are using a hands free system. My friend got pulled over the other day and got a $230AUD fine and three points off her licence.

I think that is the way it should be everywhere.

[jayharcourt]

we would talk and drive all day in the UK if we got three points OFF our license if caught lol! i suppose you do it a different way in AUS, we get points put on our licenses, not taken off. lol

[hotzigetty]

Here in india its just a fine.... And i guess people like doctors and all are allowed to talk while driving even if they dont use their handsfree( dont know y)... And the points system wouldnt work here cause everyone here carries a duplicate licence

[Jose_R.A.M]

It annoys me to see people talking on their phones while driving.

My mate at work picked up a call while on a roundabout and he was like swerving everywhere. And he'd been driving for 20+ years. Good thing the roads werent busy at the time.

edit (where did this line go??): Driving's bad enough without your arm stuck on your ear and your mind somewhere else! I thought that would be so obviously dangerous.

Who are people like doctors? Doctors arent any better drivers than anyone else. Being a doctor they should know better!

[difenbaker]

In Australia, talking on the phone while driving is illegal unless you are using a hands free system. My friend got pulled over the other day and got a $230AUD fine and three points off her licence.

I think that is the way it should be everywhere.

hi there brad... what do you mean by "3 points off her license"? Drivers there have points on their licenses? Like how many does one start out with? What does a "point" mean?

... just curious. :)


cheers!

[Box215]

hi there brad... what do you mean by "3 points off her license"? Drivers there have points on their licenses? Like how many does one start out with? What does a "point" mean?

... just curious. :)


cheers!

its the same way here in the US. You have a certain amount of points on your license, and everytime you get a moving violation, thats points off your license. When the points run out, your license gets revoked. Moving violations are like speeding, blocking an intersection, etc.

[brad]

@difenbaker - Box215 is right on, we start off with 12 points (for a full licence) or 6 points (for your provisional licence) and when there is none left, you get your licence suspended. Over Christmas, you can loose 6 points just for not wearing your seatbelt, as it is doubled for the public holidays.

[difenbaker]

I see... thanks for the info.

mmm, doubled on holidays? So if I was caught speeding, while talking on the cellphone, and not wearing a seatbelt... wow, I can get my license revoked all in one day! :D

seriously, I think that that's a good rule... shame that some countries dont have that.


cheers!

[brad]

@difenbaker - If you get pulled over and you and someone else in your car aren't wearing a seatbelt, you will loose your licence, you don't need all the other stuff. You lose the same amount of points from your licence for the other people in your car not wearing seatbelts as you do for yourself.

[Ruler_70]

Its also illegal to chat n drive here in SA but they'll only fine you. I just use a bluetooth headset.

[Jose_R.A.M]

Yeah, that's one thing Im seeing a real of now. BT headsets.

All the bus drivers have them (they kinda look dorky though because theirs are massive!)...

[Ruler_70]

Yeah i got a nice small SE headset.

[TheZodiac]

The same distraction could be said about people who constantly adjust their car stero while driving. Though, is there a law against that?

Ive never heard of it.

There needs to be a law put into place for "manual electronic interferance" while operating machinery

Simple.

[666joe]

Carkits are so cheap these days - I got a Parrott evo BT kit installed for £140ish... stroes contacts, remote dial and end facilities....

Why look like a matirx reject and wear a headset in the car ?

[stephanie]

Good thing that most phones now have a loudspeaker.

[carcomptoy]

I really want a new car that has a Bluetooth handsfree system built-in:p

I have to say, I do talk on my phone while driving all the time, although I don't turn all crazy. Seems paradoxical, but I'm actually more aware when I'm talking because obviously I try to concentrate more...

Now, if you're a driver like Jose described, then yeah you shouldn't even be driving:cool:

[Jose_R.A.M]

I really want a new car that has a Bluetooth handsfree system built-in:p

I have to say, I do talk on my phone while driving all the time, although I don't turn all crazy. Seems paradoxical, but I'm actually more aware when I'm talking because obviously I try to concentrate more...

Now, if you're a driver like Jose described, then yeah you shouldn't even be driving:cool:

You drive? How old are you???!?! lol. I know certain places you can drive at a younger age...God..how time has passed:D

Anyway...One good thing about the BT headsets is that its portable...from one car to the other its still there...or even not a car...some other situation where the use of both hands is required.

[carcomptoy]

Yeah, but in my car I only have one car plug outlet and currently it's permanently for the radar detector:p Maybe I'll settle for a new car with multiple outlets:rolleyes:

But yeah, I've been driving for over a year now...actually, if you count when I first got my learner's permit, two years. Here in Texas, legal driving age is 16 except in special circumstances which of course I didn't qualify for. In other states, like New Mexico, legal driving age is even 15:cool:

[difenbaker]

Why look like a matirx reject and wear a headset in the car ?

hehehe :D... some people actually find it fashionable to walk around the mall wearing a BT headset.

When asked, makes them look "techie and smart" they say. :D



cheers!

[difenbaker]

Good thing that most phones now have a loudspeaker.

Yup, that's good if you're driving alone most of the time.... or else your companion/friend will listen-in on your conversation. :D

cheers!

[carcomptoy]

In my car, the speakerphone isn't loud enough, so it's pointless for me to use it...plus, the microphone I think is getting old...not as robust as it once was;)