How do you treat your 'friends' that use their phones when driving?

[kynikos]

...and here's another useful report

 

[boydj]

I'm not a fan of phone use while driving either. I just let it ring. I don't really text at all. I just carry an old style flip phone as so called "smart" phones track you every where you go. I know there is a message you can set up that will play telling the caller that you are driving and can't answer the phone. That said, this is how I handle things. That's me, I think it's a good idea I think it would be good if everyone did it etc etc. It's human nature to think our ideas are best , they're tried and true to us. But, there is a deeper and more important issue here. We must never try and force our ideas , our ways on others. That is the way of the tyrant. Always fight that both in ourselves and in others as hard as we can. Freedom is the most precious thing of all.

There is no 'freedom' to break the law. Hand-held phone use is illegal because it is dangerously distracting.

Even hands-free phone use when driving is distracting and therefore dangerous, but unfortunately not illegal.

 

[Ajax Bay]

...and here's another useful report

Written in 2002, before the relevant legislation was introduced. But thank you for sharing: some useful stats.
Take aways: https://www.gov.uk/using-mobile-phones-when-driving-the-law
Consultation on revisions to tighten up and remove loopholes in current law: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...t-road-safety-and-close-mobile-phone-loophole
A further snapshot into driver behaviour in the UK. (Leeds Uni project July 2019, commissioned by the DoT)

 

[marzjennings]

I find this conversation interesting and I feel somewhat out of touch as I live in city with barely any restrictions on cell phone use while driving. Everybody still calls, texts, tweets, grams or whatever while driving and nobody gives it a second look. I mostly use bluetooth while driving, but occasionally hold the phone to my ear. I have to watch myself when I travel home to Cornwall as I still have a tendency to grab the phone will I drive to use google maps or text folks I'm on the way.

Generally I've found that humans rarely change unless forced to do so, even when the change is of benefit to the human race.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Are there not state laws which govern mobile phone use while driving?
G**gle finds this first: https://www.jrlawfirm.com/news/texas-texting-and-driving-laws/
"Do we really need a law to stop drivers from texting and driving?
"In 2014 alone, 3,179 people in the U.S. were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers, and an additional 431,000 were injured. In 2016, there were 109,658 traffic crashes in Texas alone that involved distracted driving, leading to over 3,000 serious injuries and at least 455 fatalities. The sobering truth is that texting while driving makes a car accident 23 times more likely to occur.
"While we can debate the effectiveness and enforceability of these distracted driving laws, these same arguments can be (and were) made with regard to seat belt laws emerging in the 1960s. Just because something is difficult to enforce, that doesn’t mean we should ignore the issue."
Connects with 'freedom' discussion from @John482
Surely there are public campaigns to reduce the misery resulting from serious or fatal incidents with a contributory cause of phone use while driving.

 

[SteveLowles]

You can send an automated text to say "Can't talk now I'm driving I'll call back later", but it still involves touching the screen! surely if the designers had a setting you could switch on that would send the text if you rejected the call (using the steering wheel control on hands free) that would be better all round, and easier than blocking signals in the car.

IOS have a do not disturb function that can send an automatic text if you’re driving

 

[chris-suffolk]

Reminds me of a story I heard, from Germany I think.

Youngster turns up at the test center for their driving test, and after a few minutes the examiner signals them to turn onto a disussed airfield. Where-upon they are told to take out their phone and call the number they are given. They are then told that they must continue a normal conversation with the person on the other end, whilst at the same time navigating the series of cones without hitting any. Starting to complain, they point out the stupidity of what they have been asked to do. The examiner rests their case........

 

[the snail]

Reminds me of a story I heard, from Germany I think.

Youngster turns up at the test center for their driving test, and after a few minutes the examiner signals them to turn onto a disussed airfield. Where-upon they are told to take out their phone and call the number they are given. They are then told that they must continue a normal conversation with the person on the other end, whilst at the same time navigating the series of cones without hitting any. Starting to complain, they point out the stupidity of what they have been asked to do. The examiner rests their case........

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbjSWDwJILs

 

[Drago]

Investigatory Powers Act means they can only apply for such data for serious investigations (theres a schedule of what constitutes a serious offence in this regard), or where life and limb is at risk.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Reminds me of a story I heard, from Germany I think.

I'd bet on an urban myth.

 

[RichardB]

I'd bet on an urban myth.

See Snail's post above. It has happened, and very revealing it was too.