More than 200 people were caught on their mobile phones while driving in May, despite police warnings.
The results illustrate an increase from May 2010 where 170 people were issued with a Traffic Infringement Notice (TIN) for using their mobile phone while driving compared to 217 in May this year.
Sergeant Jeff Knight, Officer-in-Charge of Traffic Operations, said that drivers more than double the risk of being involved in a road collision while using a mobile phone.
“There is a reason why it’s called driver distraction. Talking and texting while driving takes you away from what you are supposed to be doing — paying attention on the road and driving,’ he said.
“Accidents involving texting drivers are on the rise nationally, and it’s said that texting drivers can travel up to 80 metres in five seconds — this is of serious concern for the driver and other road users.”
ACT Policing members from all ranks, including Chief Police Officer Roman Quaedvlieg, are enforcing road rules, issuing drivers with TINs for any traffic offences.
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What’s Your opinion?
Fighting the tide
Calamity said :
I’m calling bullshit on the circumstances and this is his ‘version’ of the story to stop you getting the shits over the fine.
If this really, REALLY happened it is a no brainer to plead not guilty
Spideydog said :
Being a phone? Can a phone be fined for driving? I wonder how the police would write that one up?
And I assume you meant using a phone.
Calamity said :
Its a pretty stupid bluetooth system if you need to touch the phone. Mine connects to the phone when I start the car and I have buttons on the steering wheel to operate it.
My mum has one that clips to the sun visor and she just opens the microphone to turn it on and it connects automatically to her phone. Then when she gets a call she presses the big green button on the bluetooth to answer it. It cost her the whole of $60.
A system that requires you to touch the phone is stupid and redundant.
Calamity said :
No, its called turn the bluetooth on BEFORE using or being in charge of a motor vehicle. I find it hard to believe that it was a “simple swipe of the finger” …… a single swipe of the finger to turn a function of the phone on …… so your partner/husband didn’t have to navigate menu’s to get to the bluetooth section ???? What is the difference between navigating menu’s on a phone and then activating a bluetooth function and texting? Absolutely nothing, your eyes are off the road and your total attention is on the phone.
Have your phone FULLY handsfree before using the vehicle, or accept the consequences when caught.
Sleaz274 said :
I call BS on this one.
Additionally, how many times have you seen a car wandering in a lane and then see the driver talking on a phone, how bout at traffic lights when they go green and the car in front is still stationary, only to find they are also distracted by being or manipulating a phone……… there is plenty of cases of collisions caused by people using phones while driving.
Sleaz274 said :
I know – I told him to appeal it, and I absolutely believe it would have been thrown out, but I think he’s just paid it, silly boy.
I just tend to look at a lot of the figures released and wonder how many times somebody gets done for something silly just to up a statistic somewhere…
54-11 said :
Agree – with the technology out there now, there is simply no excuse. Don’t bother getting on here and whinging about how unfair life is – get a bluetooth system and move the f#$k on!
Yet you can eat, smoke, operate a cb, shave, do your make up, operate the cd player/radio, fiddle with the heating, scream at your kids, get a bj…
But you aren’t adult enough to use a phone and accept the obvious consequences when you f*** up.
My mate in blue has said he simply gets his quota a month and leaves it at that because it is a stupid law. They are allowed to use their phones & radios so he feels rather hypocritical booking someone for it.
Calamity I’d be taking that one to court and having a judge throw it out and telling the police to stop wasting everyones time and money. Not allowed to touch your phone in your car, what a wank.
If there are “tens of thousands” of “wankers” doing it then maybe it’s just a stupid law.
And before you all start but, buuuttttt, BUT, what about the children?!?!?!!? Waaaahhhh waaaahhh
54-11 said :
The worst ones are those who pull out of the driveway or carpark whilst on the phone. Could you really not wait 1 minute before you take to the road??? They’re usually tradies whom I observe doing that.
Only 200? There are literally thousands if not tens of thousands of wankers out there using their phones. I wish the cops would have a permanent blitz on these ignorant morons.
My partner, who spends a great deal of his work day in his car, got caught whilst stopped at a red light for switching his bluetooth on, whilst the phone was in it’s dock. It’s a quick swipe of a finger to ‘turn on’ the bluetooth system he paid about $500 for so that he wouldn’t ever have to talk/text and drive. He copped a really hefty fine for it, too. He tried to tell the cop what he was doing but cop wasn’t having any of it – just said you are not to touch your phone whilst in the car. If that’s the case – makes the bluetooth system a bit … illegal, really?
I’m all for catching people talking or texting while driving but frankly thought that was beyond ridiculous.
“Accidents involving texting drivers are on the rise nationally, and it’s said that texting drivers can travel up to 80 metres in five seconds — this is of serious concern for the driver and other road users.”
As can non texting drivers who are travelling at 57.6km/h…
In fact, it’s also said, and is in fact, fact… texting drivers could travel distances of over 138 metres in 5 seconds on some roads in the ACT, and not be caught by speed cameras.
Hence, we need more speed cameras.
Police have also discovered that white cars are over represented in all crashes, with approx 20% of crashes involving a white car. White cars will now be banned.
In the last 10 years, since the requirement for new drivers to hold a provisional licence from 1 to 3 years, the number of provisional licence holders involved in serious crashes has tripled. Clearly, more speed cameras are needed.
Oh what fun statistics can be.
Anyway 80 metres in 5 seconds is just under 60 km/h.
Watson, what you’re doing is now illegal. You’re not allowed to be on the phone or texting at the lights. I don’t know why. Your phone isn’t even allowed to sit in your lap.
What is there that can’t wait? I’d say you’ve forgotten that everyone in Canberra is personally responsible for running a country of twenty something million people and therefore you’ve no idea how important we all are!
– and it’s said that texting drivers can travel up to 80 metres in five seconds –
Huh?
But good on them. I can’t stand people using their phones whilst driving. What on earth could be that important that it cannot wait until you arrive at your destination, which in Canberra is rarely more than a 10 min drive anyway. Mind you, I have checked and replied to texts whilst waiting at traffic lights. And even ordered take-away. Though last time I had to hang up mid through my order because the light went green and I don’t understand how people manage to change gears and turn right whilst holding a phone?!