Mobile phones and driving - should this happen in NZ?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Mobile phones and driving - should this happen in NZ?

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#1694570 24-Dec-2016 13:16

techmeister:

And how many people die on NZ roads because of cell phones ?

Maybe I should check the stats, I'm picking it won't be that high.

Better roads and less traffic (better public transport) would be a far better way to save lives

rather than this load of bollicks.

Fill ya boots:

http://www.transport.govt.nz/research/crashfacts/divertedattention/

"...cell phones Between 2013 and 2015, 183 drivers in fatal or injury crashes contributed to the crash by being distracted by a cell phone. This is less than half a percent of the drivers involved in fatal or injury crashes and about 6 percent of the drivers with attention diverted".

Agree on both your points, both options however cost billions which this country does not have.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

MadEngineer

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#1694575 24-Dec-2016 14:00

Damn, there goes my Ingress farming by bus rides.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

Geektastic

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#1694594 24-Dec-2016 15:20

It would be interesting to see a scientific evaluation of what the effects of a complete ban on calls in a car would be in economic terms etc.

I actually do not think it would be that high.

Seems more like spoilt children who have got used to something not wanting it taken away rather than any form of genuine effect.

Jase2985

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#1694596 24-Dec-2016 15:27

Geektastic:

It would be interesting to see a scientific evaluation of what the effects of a complete ban on calls in a car would be in economic terms etc.

I actually do not think it would be that high.

Seems more like spoilt children who have got used to something not wanting it taken away rather than any form of genuine effect.

How many sales reps out there use phones? how many couriers truck drives etc use phones/radios to aid in knowing where to make pickups etc, taxi drivers all those things use some form or radio communications to do their job. because you cant ban a cellphone with out banning a CB radio or one the dispatch systems taxi drivers use (all are distractions)

I would imagine cost to the economy would be rather high.

Rikkitic

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#1694602 24-Dec-2016 15:49

I think a distinction can be made between genuine business users and people who are just too self-important to pull over for a phone call. Taxis, truckies and others used radiophones for years before cell phones became available. These are professional drivers used to dealing with distraction. Probably some also had accidents linked to their radio use but I still think this is a separate matter. These days many other businesses also rely on being able to contact employees who are on the road, but I would question how frequently this has to occur. I strongly suspect, without having statistics to hand, that most calls on the road have more to do with chatting with nan or asking about the shopping than urgent business matters that simply cannot be put off for 10 minutes. I think those people who insist they are such good drivers that they can handle this sort of thing and shouldn't be restricted in their freedom to do it, have a very inflated opinion of themselves and lack the maturity to understand that their precious phone call can perfectly well be put off until they can safely pull over. There is no urgent, overriding need to talk on the phone while driving. This is just a symptom of a generation used to instant gratification. My reply to all who insist on this would just be 'grow up'.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MikeB4

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#1694603 24-Dec-2016 15:54

Rikkitic:

I think a distinction can be made between genuine business users and people who are just too self-important to pull over for a phone call. Taxis, truckies and others used radiophones for years before cell phones became available. These are professional drivers used to dealing with distraction. Probably some also had accidents linked to their radio use but I still think this is a separate matter. These days many other businesses also rely on being able to contact employees who are on the road, but I would question how frequently this has to occur. I strongly suspect, without having statistics to hand, that most calls on the road have more to do with chatting with nan or asking about the shopping than urgent business matters that simply cannot be put off for 10 minutes. I think those people who insist they are such good drivers that they can handle this sort of thing and shouldn't be restricted in their freedom to do it, have a very inflated opinion of themselves and lack the maturity to understand that their precious phone call can perfectly well be put off until they can safely pull over. There is no urgent, overriding need to talk on the phone while driving. This is just a symptom of a generation used to instant gratification. My reply to all who insist on this would just be 'grow up'.

I have heard my wife close multi million dollar deals using hands free and did so just this week. Oh, if you tried to tell her to "grow up" you would struggle to walk home

Rikkitic

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#1694609 24-Dec-2016 16:09

If your wife is closing big business deals while driving, either she is not concentrating fully on the deals, or she is not concentrating fully on her driving. I hope no-one pulls out in front of her while she is busy persuading clients and I hope she doesn't make a bad business decision while negotiating traffic. Why do people think it is so essential to combine these two activities? The world got on perfectly well before cell phones became available. What does she think offices are for? If she simply has to do it in the road, then let her find a nice roadside café and do it in style over a cup of coffee.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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Jase2985

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#1694610 24-Dec-2016 16:24

@Rikkitic by your logic maybe you should give up the internet as people got on fine with out it for years too.

how do you define a professional driver? someone who gets paid to drive? what makes them more qualified to operate a phone or radio than anyone else? nothing does, some are just as bad if not worse at driving that non professionals

The fact is people are a lot busier today than they were 20 or how ever many years ago, add in to the mix traffic which has doubled or tippled commute times and affect productivity.

How do you want people to pull over on the motorway to take a call? its illegal to stop unless its an emergency there.

MadEngineer

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#1694616 24-Dec-2016 16:47

It's already legally accepted that you can make/take phone calls while driving so long as the handset is fixed to the car, used infrequently and not physically manipulated.

Otherwise, if a call is so important that it must be answered immediately, then either don't be driving or have a passenger answer it. In NZ you don't have to travel far to pull off a motorway.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

blakamin

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#1694619 24-Dec-2016 16:52

Geektastic:

It would be interesting to see a scientific evaluation of what the effects of a complete ban on calls in a car would be in economic terms etc.

I actually do not think it would be that high.

Except every self-employed tradesman ever.

Plumber, sparky... Never complain again when they're late or don't answer..

Even my 21yo car has a built in phone... Still works too, but I can't justify paying another bill to run it anymore (I did for a year).

The Mrs 13yo car has BT... No real "smartphones" back then.

MadEngineer

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#1694623 24-Dec-2016 16:55

Pfft. Tradies are all too busy to take calls these days anyway. How can you expect them to answer calls while on the job? They often don't. You either leave a voicemail, call their receptionist, place/update an order by email/website or even txt message them.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

blakamin

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#1694624 24-Dec-2016 16:58

MadEngineer:

Pfft. Tradies are all too busy to take calls these days anyway. How can you expect them to answer calls while on the job? They often don't. You either leave a voicemail, call their receptionist, place/update an order by email/website or even txt message them.

Not round here, they're always on the phone!

FWIW, Fines here are massive...

MikeB4

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#1694627 24-Dec-2016 17:12

Rikkitic:

If your wife is closing big business deals while driving, either she is not concentrating fully on the deals, or she is not concentrating fully on her driving. I hope no-one pulls out in front of her while she is busy persuading clients and I hope she doesn't make a bad business decision while negotiating traffic. Why do people think it is so essential to combine these two activities? The world got on perfectly well before cell phones became available. What does she think offices are for? If she simply has to do it in the road, then let her find a nice roadside café and do it in style over a cup of coffee.

She spends 90% of the day away from the office either out of the country, out of town, or out and about. CEOs and CIOs wanting to discuss multi million dollar purchases or request a meeting or confirm a meeting don't want answer phones. Cafes are not secure or private so no.

Rikkitic

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#1694629 24-Dec-2016 17:14

Jase2985:

@Rikkitic by your logic maybe you should give up the internet as people got on fine with out it for years too.

how do you define a professional driver? someone who gets paid to drive? what makes them more qualified to operate a phone or radio than anyone else? nothing does, some are just as bad if not worse at driving that non professionals

The fact is people are a lot busier today than they were 20 or how ever many years ago, add in to the mix traffic which has doubled or tippled commute times and affect productivity.

How do you want people to pull over on the motorway to take a call? its illegal to stop unless its an emergency there.

The Internet doesn't kill people (usually) if someone takes their eyes off the screen.

I define a professional driver as someone who drives constantly as an integral part of their job. This gives them more experience than average drivers and, though there are exceptions, the added experience generally makes them more adept at coping with the unexpected and making better judgement calls.

Telecommuting is an excellent way to do business and increase productivity. However it means working from your home, not from your car.

Someone else already answered the last point. No motorway in this country is so long that you can't get off it in a few minutes. What I have been trying to point out in this thread is that if your phone rings, it is unlikely to be God on the other end. Get over the compulsion to answer it immediately. Just let the damned thing ring. That is what voicemail is for. You can always ring Aunt Martha back from the next layby. You don't have to 'take a call' just because it is there. That is an invented compulsion. And any employer who tries to sack you for not taking his call on the motorway is unlikely to get far with the employment tribunal. Get some perspective and get your priorities right.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MikeB4

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#1694631 24-Dec-2016 17:22

Rikkitic:

Jase2985:

@Rikkitic by your logic maybe you should give up the internet as people got on fine with out it for years too.

how do you define a professional driver? someone who gets paid to drive? what makes them more qualified to operate a phone or radio than anyone else? nothing does, some are just as bad if not worse at driving that non professionals

The fact is people are a lot busier today than they were 20 or how ever many years ago, add in to the mix traffic which has doubled or tippled commute times and affect productivity.

How do you want people to pull over on the motorway to take a call? its illegal to stop unless its an emergency there.

The Internet doesn't kill people (usually) if someone takes their eyes off the screen.

I define a professional driver as someone who drives constantly as an integral part of their job. This gives them more experience than average drivers and, though there are exceptions, the added experience generally makes them more adept at coping with the unexpected and making better judgement calls.

Telecommuting is an excellent way to do business and increase productivity. However it means working from your home, not from your car.

Someone else already answered the last point. No motorway in this country is so long that you can't get off it in a few minutes. What I have been trying to point out in this thread is that if your phone rings, it is unlikely to be God on the other end. Get over the compulsion to answer it immediately. Just let the damned thing ring. That is what voicemail is for. You can always ring Aunt Martha back from the next layby. You don't have to 'take a call' just because it is there. That is an invented compulsion. And any employer who tries to sack you for not taking his call on the motorway is unlikely to get far with the employment tribunal. Get some perspective and get your priorities right.

Ever been self employed or have a significant portion of your remuneration performance based? If you are or have been you would know that calls mean business and that means livelihood

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