Drivers on the phone - numbers fined down (From Hereford Times)
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Drivers on the phone - numbers fined down
11:48am Wednesday 14th November 2012 in Ledbury
By Elizabeth Sweetman, @lizsweetmanWN #worcsnews
Drivers on the phone - fines drop
THE NUMBER of motorists who have been fined or cautioned for using a mobile phone while driving across the two counties has fallen.
Between 2007 - when the law came into effect - and 2012, the number has fallen from 4422 to 1861 in Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
The figures were released by West Mercia Police following a freedom of information (FOI) request.
Despite a rise in the number of motorists fined or cautioned for using a mobile phone between 2007 and 2008 from 4422 to 4804, the number has constantly fallen year on year since.
In 2009, 3825 motorists were fined or cautioned, falling to 3204 in 2010 and 2376 in 2011.
In 2012 to date, 1861 people have been fined or cautioned for using a mobile phone.
A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: "Road safety issues are a priority for West Mercia Police. Distracted drivers are a significant cause of road collisions and in response to this more than 2,000 fines were given to motorists last year showing that we are still enforcing what we see as a serious problem.
"The figures for fines given for mobile use while driving is not something that West Mercia Police has analysed in depth, so we would not want to attribute the decline in offence numbers to any particular reason at this time.
"Enforcement is a responsibility of uniformed officers from a variety of departments, for example, roads policing officers, officers at the Central Motorway Patrol Group and regular response officers.
"We would point out that officers can also use their discretion when dealing with a driver, do not always give out a fine and can choose to pass on word of advice if they believe it is appropriate."
Comments(50)
b1ackb1rd
says...
12:50pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Stupid ... But that's how it works.
Arthur Blenkinsop
says...
12:53pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Guy66
says...
1:32pm Wed 14 Nov 12
MrStJohns
says...
1:54pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Guy66 wrote:granted not in every case, but what you suggest already happens.
There should be an automatic check made by insurance companies following any incident. Anyone found on their phone has their insurance invalidated but third parties are still compensated where blame has been established!
insurance companies make it their business to check details such as this.
ali0268
says...
2:01pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Arthur Blenkinsop wrote:add Bus Drivers and Coach drivers to that list very often see bus drivers on there phones
Very odd. Every other vehicle i see has a driver that is using a mobile phone to either text or talk. Easy to spot, the ones texting are the ones who are constantly looking down into their lap and then again at the road whilst trying to contol the vehicle and the ones talking are the ones with a phone glued to their ear - quite often lorry drivers and taxi drivers!
Dickie of Dodderhill
says...
2:39pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Stevie-P
says...
3:10pm Wed 14 Nov 12
ali0268 wrote:I can tell you for a fact that the First Bus Company's national policy on mobile phone use while driving is instant dismissal and I know for a fact that one drive was sacked for that reason. I am not saying that it doesn't happen however, as I myself have often observed a few Bus Drivers using a phone whilst driving so I don't condone it at all. In fact I believe caught on the phone when driving should bring an automatic ban of 1 year a £1000 fine and even 3-6 months in prison all together, then it is up to the employer if a Professional driver but I would like to see anyone caught sacked. Draconian? Hell no, there is no, I repeat no reason to be on a phone when driving unless hands free in a cradle. As for those texting, hell throw the book at them that is just about as dangerous as it can get and I have seen so many women lately driving along looking into their laps, men or women though throw the book at them, even a slight glance off the road is asking for a major incident to happen, unless of course they have the Autopilot engaged. Or would anybody care to disagree with me ?
Arthur Blenkinsop wrote:add Bus Drivers and Coach drivers to that list very often see bus drivers on there phones
Very odd. Every other vehicle i see has a driver that is using a mobile phone to either text or talk. Easy to spot, the ones texting are the ones who are constantly looking down into their lap and then again at the road whilst trying to contol the vehicle and the ones talking are the ones with a phone glued to their ear - quite often lorry drivers and taxi drivers!
MrStJohns
says...
3:13pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Stevie-P
says...
3:33pm Wed 14 Nov 12
MrStJohns wrote:Exactly my point, until that day ever comes Sigh :)
steve must say interesting post, but cars with auto pilot sounds great where can i get this fitted?
MrStJohns
says...
3:36pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Stevie-P wrote:Steve building peoples hopes up then dashing them like this is unfair, I was overjoyed at the thought of fitting auto pilot to my anti gravity craft! ;-)
MrStJohns wrote:Exactly my point, until that day ever comes Sigh :)
steve must say interesting post, but cars with auto pilot sounds great where can i get this fitted?
Stevie-P
says...
4:24pm Wed 14 Nov 12
MrStJohns wrote:We should get together and lament over the possibilities of such wonders, until then may the force be with us!!
Stevie-P wrote:Steve building peoples hopes up then dashing them like this is unfair, I was overjoyed at the thought of fitting auto pilot to my anti gravity craft! ;-)
MrStJohns wrote:Exactly my point, until that day ever comes Sigh :)
steve must say interesting post, but cars with auto pilot sounds great where can i get this fitted?
megilleland
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5:36pm Wed 14 Nov 12
megilleland
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5:36pm Wed 14 Nov 12
littlewhitebull
says...
6:43pm Wed 14 Nov 12
As pointed out by many other posters, the number of drivers I see that are using a mobile whilst they drive appears to be increasing.
Some research indicates that the use of mobile phones while driving can be as dangerous as being over the drink-drive limit.
The government plans to increase the fine from £60 to £90, but will keep the 3 penalty points endorsement.
Should the penalty be even greater to deter this dangerous practice?
bobby47
says...
6:48pm Wed 14 Nov 12
For example only one accident in the last twenty years was the result of a drunken driver, texting and eating at the same time.
Never, in recording history has there been an accident as a result of the driver being drunk, texting, eating a kebab and rolling a cigarette whilst driving.
I'm not for one moment suggesting I am right but the facts do tend to speak for themselves. Accidents are less likely if we are busy doing other things other than steering the vehicle in the right direction.
littlewhitebull
says...
7:54pm Wed 14 Nov 12
bobby47 wrote:Sire, I bow to your superior knowledge. When I was working in Kent some years ago, I passed a lorry on the M20 and was amazed to see the driver using a mobile phone, and shaving at the same time! He appeared to be driving in a straight line!
I actually take the opposite view. Statistics show that the more things you do when you are driving the less chance there is for there to be an accident.
For example only one accident in the last twenty years was the result of a drunken driver, texting and eating at the same time.
Never, in recording history has there been an accident as a result of the driver being drunk, texting, eating a kebab and rolling a cigarette whilst driving.
I'm not for one moment suggesting I am right but the facts do tend to speak for themselves. Accidents are less likely if we are busy doing other things other than steering the vehicle in the right direction.
bobby47
says...
10:04pm Wed 14 Nov 12
Its how you look at these issues. You and I? We look at things around the corner. Others just use common sense.
BadgerMash
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8:11am Thu 15 Nov 12
ScaredAmoeba
says...
10:31am Thu 15 Nov 12
bobby47 wrote:Please do show these statistics. IIRC the evidence is exactly the opposite. The more tasks a driver is presented with, the less attention is paid to controlling the vehicle and to what lies ahead in the road,
I actually take the opposite view. Statistics show that the more things you do when you are driving the less chance there is for there to be an accident.
For example only one accident in the last twenty years was the result of a drunken driver, texting and eating at the same time.
Never, in recording history has there been an accident as a result of the driver being drunk, texting, eating a kebab and rolling a cigarette whilst driving.
I'm not for one moment suggesting I am right but the facts do tend to speak for themselves. Accidents are less likely if we are busy doing other things other than steering the vehicle in the right direction.
See:
The impossible texting & driving test
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=HbjSWDwJI
Ls
ScaredAmoeba
says...
10:31am Thu 15 Nov 12
bobby47 wrote:Please do show these statistics. IIRC the evidence is exactly the opposite. The more tasks a driver is presented with, the less attention is paid to controlling the vehicle and to what lies ahead in the road,
I actually take the opposite view. Statistics show that the more things you do when you are driving the less chance there is for there to be an accident.
For example only one accident in the last twenty years was the result of a drunken driver, texting and eating at the same time.
Never, in recording history has there been an accident as a result of the driver being drunk, texting, eating a kebab and rolling a cigarette whilst driving.
I'm not for one moment suggesting I am right but the facts do tend to speak for themselves. Accidents are less likely if we are busy doing other things other than steering the vehicle in the right direction.
See:
The impossible texting & driving test
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=HbjSWDwJI
Ls
bobby47
says...
12:11pm Thu 15 Nov 12
I'll stand by my position, but I'll be damned if I disclose in open forum my statistics and their source, mostly because they don't exist and Im an embellisher of drivel but.....
I'll stand by this little known fact...not one driver, drunk, out of his mind on diazepam, eating a generously garnished burger, texting and juggling three untamed ferrets ever appeared before the Magistrates charged with careless driving and anyone who says they have is bloody argumentative.
oldwusterboy
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12:40pm Thu 15 Nov 12
bobby47
says...
1:42pm Thu 15 Nov 12
I'm not suggesting for one moment you should acquire ferrets. You'd be a fool to think that Tesco would sell them to you particularly if they knew what your intentions were. But you can improvise. Tether a couple of mating Buzzards to your right arm and feed them as you make your way along the M5.
Good luck.
Vox populi
says...
4:09pm Thu 15 Nov 12
BadgerMash wrote:I guess sitting in the outside lane at 60mph ignoring the car behind you and not using the empty middle and inside lanes is the automotive equivilent of saying "I am bigger and harder than you" then?
Good that this is being discouraged - it is certainly a lot less socially acceptable. However, the most common, dangerous and criminal road traffic offence remains just as common: tailgating. Threatening the driver and passengers of another vehicle by deliberately driving very closely is no different to waving an knife in their faces - and yet it occurs regularly on our roads. It is the commonest cause of multi-vehicle "accidents". Police tackle speed and illegal mobile phone use, so why not the most deadly of all road offences: tailgating.
Its actually driving without due care and attention and if the police tackled this too it would reduce congestion, pollution and frustration related accidents. No need for 5 lane motorways either. Two sides to every coin eh?
ushmush83
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4:22pm Thu 15 Nov 12
bobby47 wrote:I recall that there was one case of this exact thing happening. Alas, the preson in question's burger was only moderately garnished, therefore I stand corrected.
Scaredamobea, Thank you for your post that clearly takes an opposite position to mine.
I'll stand by my position, but I'll be damned if I disclose in open forum my statistics and their source, mostly because they don't exist and Im an embellisher of drivel but.....
I'll stand by this little known fact...not one driver, drunk, out of his mind on diazepam, eating a generously garnished burger, texting and juggling three untamed ferrets ever appeared before the Magistrates charged with careless driving and anyone who says they have is bloody argumentative.
ushmush83
says...
4:24pm Thu 15 Nov 12
oldwusterboy
says...
4:44pm Thu 15 Nov 12
bobby47
says...
7:02pm Thu 15 Nov 12
Fortunately for me, because of extremely high and some might say, unhealthy doses of diazepam, I am able to see with clarity, the real problem we have on our road network within Herefordshire. Pedestrians! Of course opinion is divided on this conclusion.
Anyone sane and in their right mind thinks its not the fault of pedestrians, whereas I, think differently.
My very warmest regards to you.
Biggles
says...
9:24pm Thu 15 Nov 12
MrStJohns wrote:Hmmm, not quite correct chaps, because using a mobile phone whilst driving isn't against the law ....... only holding it.
Guy66 wrote: There should be an automatic check made by insurance companies following any incident. Anyone found on their phone has their insurance invalidated but third parties are still compensated where blame has been established!granted not in every case, but what you suggest already happens. insurance companies make it their business to check details such as this.
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Most cars these days connect to the phone via bluetooth, mine does, my phone is docked in the boot of the car, but is still perfectly, and legally useable, from the drivers seat.
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It's a very silly law, a knee jerk reaction by the last government.
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Either phone use is allowed or it isn't, the half way measure we have at the moment is treated as it deserves to be ....... ignored by most !
MrWXYZ
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8:39am Fri 16 Nov 12
As for tailgating and driving in the wrong lane - both wrongs.
Nb Vox, you can just flash your lights at the person driving with undue care and attention to alert them of your presence. Sometimes they are paying too little attention to notice, sometimes they are playing the 'bigger and harder than you' game and get angry, sometimes they actually wake up and move over.
Vox populi
says...
11:05am Fri 16 Nov 12
Education is the key and enforcement of the law, not just those that make money.
MrWXYZ
says...
12:33pm Fri 16 Nov 12
Agree on education and enforcement of law. I'd like to see more proactive policing of bad driving that falls into driving with undue care and attention. (to re-open a can of worms you could probably fix whittington with a week long blitz of that!).
ushmush83
says...
3:26pm Fri 16 Nov 12
MrWXYZ
says...
4:19pm Fri 16 Nov 12
My biggest issue with allowing undertaking would be it would result in even more idiots doing it to queue jump when all 3 lanes are busy. This makes the mway a nightmare as people cut in, force all the tailgaters to break heavy - you end up going from 40 to 80 to 40 to 80 in the outside lane even if you leave a safe distance yourself to avoid the heavy braking.
Having said all that there is a time and a place where it seems the only sensible way to go
Vox populi
says...
9:44pm Sat 17 Nov 12
MJI
says...
10:01pm Sun 18 Nov 12
MrWXYZ wrote:I remember undertaking on the M5 once.
If you undertake in that scenario you can end up catching up with an even slower vehicle in the inside lane before you have space to get into the middle lane past the car you are undertaking. It also creates cars coming from more angles when you want to move left (although you should check mirrors).
My biggest issue with allowing undertaking would be it would result in even more idiots doing it to queue jump when all 3 lanes are busy. This makes the mway a nightmare as people cut in, force all the tailgaters to break heavy - you end up going from 40 to 80 to 40 to 80 in the outside lane even if you leave a safe distance yourself to avoid the heavy braking.
Having said all that there is a time and a place where it seems the only sensible way to go
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Somerset levels, COMPLETLY empty, I was inside lane at cruising speed an dcame across an idiot doing 60 in the far right lane.
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I just carried on!
green49
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1:39pm Mon 19 Nov 12
Anyone caught using a phone or doing anything else that means you are not in control of your vehicle then you should be banned automatic for 3 months, if you do it again 6 months after that FOR GOOD.
MrWXYZ
says...
3:38pm Mon 19 Nov 12
The issue is people not driving in the left hand lane unless overtaking, meaning the right hand lanes are not free for the overtaking manouvres as you suggest.
green49
says...
7:30pm Mon 19 Nov 12
Biggles
says...
10:59pm Mon 19 Nov 12
green49 wrote:Undertaking does not actually exist as an offence sir, although it could be dwdcaa.
Idid read the comments, flash them undertaking is an ileagle move, being impatient causes accidents.
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Also, on a multi laned road, if your lane is travelling faster than a lane to your right, passing the vehicle to your right, on its nearside, is the correct and legal action to take.
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Flashing them however, (which just means "I am here", could also be taken as dwdcaa.
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Do you actually drive green49, as you seem to be making the rules up as you go along !
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MrWXYZ
says...
10:04am Tue 20 Nov 12
However if this is done on a multi lane road because someone is driving in the wrong lane then that person driving in the wrong lane is driving without due care and attention.
Nb people who fail to observe more than one car infront also drive without due care and attention. Gets stupid on a mway when theres about 20 cars infront of you making it impossible to go any quicker, but some joker behind tailgates and sometimes flashes lights. Even more stupid when the road clears and they actually don't want to go faster than you
ushmush83
says...
11:24am Tue 20 Nov 12
green49 wrote:Just want to give you this example, which seems to happen to me an awful lot.
Idid read the comments, flash them undertaking is an ileagle move, being impatient causes accidents.
I'm observantly driving in the left hand lane of the motorway, doing about 70mph. The inside lane is clear as far as the eye can see. Coming up ahead, there's a little old dear doing 65mph in the middle lane. In the middle lane behind me, I can see a few cars spread over a few hundred yards or more that are travelling faster than I am, and are therefore either moving into the outside lane to overtake said old dear, or certainly will be soon. Should I a) pull in to the middle lane, drive up behind the old dear, and flash my lights as you suggest, b) slow down to match her speed behind her and on the inside lane, therefore slowing down and losing momentum, before speeding up again and overtaking (when a gap in the cars behind appears - could be a while, lets face it) across two lanes then swinging back in across two lanes after the manouver is complete c) accelerate to a speed (technically illegal speed) to match those that are, or are soon to be overtaking in the outside lane, swinging out and back in across two lanes before slowing back down to my desired speed, d) swing out across the two lanes, doing the speed that I want to, therefore massively upsetting the drivers going a little faster or e) simply carry on driving very safely at the same speed without causing disruption to any other driver?
green49
says...
12:23pm Tue 20 Nov 12
I have driven all over the world don't patronise,,
There are rules of the road but sadly on a motorway people get in there cars and leave there brains behind, Hhmm i wonder?
Vox populi
says...
5:20pm Tue 20 Nov 12
green49 wrote:Hmmmm so you are happily sat in the middle lane, I am on the inside and I should use the outside lane to overtake thus diving across 2 lanes on a 3 way motorway and pull back into the inside lane in front of you?
Why undertake when you have the right lane on your right to overtake? Anyone caught using a phone or doing anything else that means you are not in control of your vehicle then you should be banned automatic for 3 months, if you do it again 6 months after that FOR GOOD.
Well done sir! By sitting in the middle lane and staunchly refusing to use the inside lane even though it is empty, in terms of traffic flow you have reduced the motorway to a 2 lane dual carriageway. This kind of driving is lazy, selfish, shortsighted and means that many drivers will sit behind you following suite whilst the outside is jam packed with people trying to pass you at varying speeds leading to frustration and congestion.
lowlybarnacle
says...
7:16pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Biggles
says...
9:51pm Tue 20 Nov 12
green49 wrote:My point was, you don't actually seem to know the rules of the road, in this country.
Biggles;;;;Do you actually drive green49, as you seem to be making the rules up as you go along ! I have driven all over the world don't patronise,, There are rules of the road but sadly on a motorway people get in there cars and leave there brains behind, Hhmm i wonder?
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I too drive all over the world, or have, more common these days for me is western europe.
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In this country you may pass a vehicle on its nearside if the traffic in your lane is moving faster than the traffic in the lane to your right.
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You can also legally make and recieve phone calls on a mobile phone ....... you just cannot hold it at anytime, even to access a non call function ....... or slightly more unbelieveably, even if it is turned off.
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So there you have it, there cannot be any insurance issues, even if your phone can be shown to be in use at the time of an incident ......... unless it can be proven you were holding it.
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A very silly and very very badly thought out law.
green49
says...
8:28am Wed 21 Nov 12
ushmush83
says...
9:14am Wed 21 Nov 12
MrWXYZ
says...
11:11am Wed 21 Nov 12
Then there would be no need for undertaking as the only undertakers would be those queue jumping.
It also seems to have been concluded that those driving in the wrong lane are not paying attention and causing issues similar to people on phones - so should be policed on a par with it!
Dickie of Dodderhill says...
12:16pm Wed 14 Nov 12
I seem to see people texting or speaking on their mobile while driving, more and more frequently.
Perhaps this is one issue for our new Crime Commissioner to sort out.
It's a joke,
There should be no discretion, they aint going to take advice, people need to learn, points and a fine, no argument