Using Mobile whilst driving

There may be a lot of difference but there is a Mother in this area whose young son was killed by a driver talking on hands free and she is calling for ALL mobile phone use to be banned.  I have handsfree as described above but I do know I can't handle a very tricky situation on the road and continue conversing.  Anyone who says they can handle ANYTHING on the road while discussing business stuff on their mobile is kidding themselves.  This doesn't mean I don't use the handsfree - I am just careful where and when. 

I completely agree Pippah. The instruction for prioritisation when flying aeroplanes is - aviate, navigate, communicate in that order - or drive safely first, then navigate then communicate while driving a car. It's only a fool who prioritises talking on the phone while negotiating a busy situation or even a school. There's no substitute for common sense, though we find it absent on far too many occasions.

Pippah- you are so right! I always seem to miss these conversations! The biggest killer on the road now is the mobile phone. Although I have to communicate with my contol room when driving and everything is Bluetooth and on the steering wheel to facilitate easy use,  I have ignored it when driving in any particularly difficult or stressful situation. The world didnt stop turning. Wait until less stressed, you have time to think and you can fully concentrate on the driving. Parked up might come into this category! I will never forget the video we were shown on the advanced driving course of mobile phone use whilst driving- Stuff of nightmares! Please people-  don't even touch the thing whilst driving- it may be the last thing you do!

Or the last thing someone else does if you kill them   There have been too many innocent people killed by mobile phone users in cars and lorries of course - recently.    It would ruin my life if I hurt someone else - never mind theirs.  We all need to remember that we are in charge of lethal weapons but I am sure its the converted here.  

I have a modern version of hands free with voice activation, and whilst not arguing that even that can be a distraction, It's no more so than a passenger talking or the kids wailing or even the music blaring.

Ideal environment for driving is on your own with complete silence ......... but I talk to the dog, my passenger(s) and have the music turned on.

When I drive, I have the radio on or any passenger I may have is talking, I rarely ever listen to them.  To me its background noise and nothing else.  If asked at the end of my journey what my passengers talked about or what music was played on the radio, I would lose miserably as I never listen to them.  I'm too busy watching the road

This video highlights what is "important"

https://www.facebook.com/DrivingSpain/videos/500413180146039/

I too put it in my bit of chat - the 2 second rule.  A whole lot of nightmare can happen in that time frame.  In fact, it should be made compulsory to use this video when doing your theory test and be tested on what is happening in these scenes

Had to slam y brakes on today to avoid an accident because someone was using a mobile and not concentrating. The thing is it was a Pedestrian who wandered off the pavement into the road with his head down looking at his phone. Even after scaring the **** out of him with my horn he still looked around to see who had done something wrong! These phone addicts (including those using them for music reasons) are dangerous knuckleheads.

this video is interesting

http://www.dailyliked.net/texting-driving-test/

I saw in the paper the other day someone suggesting making available some sort of technology which would block the use of mobile phones while driving. Maybe the boffins could come up with something of that sort which would block the use of phones while the car engine is switched on.

Our DIL is under the impression that useing hands free is only the same as talking to to a passenger in the car?, when we say that a passenger can normally see the road as well ,where as the one on the other end of the phone has no idea of your situation that their conversation is distracting