One size doesn't fit all, i don't agree with holding a phone in your hand but IMO this is just the forerunner to banning hands free too.

Some people can drive competently whilst having a conversation or eating a sticky bun, some are a liability if they do nothing else other than concentrate on their driving, it has always been thus and hasn't improved much despite the car now doing most of the controlling for them, it always will be thus till the robots take over.

I still use a good old McDonalds drive through style blue tooth headhone with mic on a bendy stick, never found the in car/lorry systems to be up to much for either caller, plus the ones i use cost around a tenner, the headphone battery will last nearly all week and i don't have to faff about setting every vehicle i drive up for it.

As HB implies, it's really a matter of laziness - of not being concerned enough to do things the right way. And there's still the belief amongst many that using the mobile while you're driving isn't really that bad.

Accidents are things that happen to others, right? I am capable of driving and using the phone so it's OK, really.

Unless or until there is (a) a change in people's mindset, so that there is a stigma attached to it and (b) there are sufficient police looking out for it, in my view little will change. You can increase the penalties (actually, not by much*), but on its own that will make scant difference.

* Increased fixed penalty fines from £100 to £150, increased penalty points from three to four - and from three to six for drivers of large vehicles such as HGVs.

Edited by FP on 20/12/2015 at 11:48

the action of making a call, be it with Bluetooth / hands free / pre-programmed phone book on the car's built in electronics is a distraction on the driver - unlike something simple like changing radio station calling someone (unless on last number redial, which mobiles do not have) involves finding a number, or typing it in both of which do take attention - eyes and fingers - away from control of the car. Receiving a call is less troublesome, although the caller does not know (unlike a passenger) when to shut up (eg whilst the driver is in the process of an action that requires full attention) or not (eg if stopped in traffic)

So there is certainly a good argument for not permitting the making of a call whilst the vehicle is moving, even if a using hands free kit, but lesser so on receiving a call.

How to police such matter ... now that's a matter more difficult to deal with, there are not enough police on the roads these day as it is, let alone giving them more work to do.

BTW, sending and reading of text message (even with a text message reader) should be banned immediately for any moving vehicle, but permitted if stationary with the engine switched off.

Edited by Smileyman on 20/12/2015 at 19:06