Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Vodafone supports calls for ban on handheld mobiles in cars

VFNZPaulBrislen

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#20130 14-Mar-2008 06:52

Hi all, no product sell in this press release so thought I could safely start a thread...

Vodafone supports legislation banning TXT and hand-held mobile use while driving

Vodafone New Zealand has joined the voices calling for legislation to ban TXT messaging and talking on hand-held mobiles while driving.

“As a responsible business, Vodafone New Zealand supports legislation to promote safe driving,” says Russell Stanners, Vodafone chief executive.

Vodafone’s own internal policy for staff forbids the use of hand-held mobile phones or sending or reading TXT messages or emailing while driving.

“In line with our strict internal policy, we support legislation that will encourage safe driving behaviours on New Zealand roads,” says Stanners.

“We urge all drivers to reduce the amount of distraction in the car, which means putting their mobiles aside so they can concentrate on driving,” he says.

To promote its safer driving message, Vodafone has updated its guidelines for safe mobile use which also covers pedestrian safety tips as well.

Mobiles and driving – Vodafone’s recommendations:

• Don’t do it. Turn your mobile off if possible

• Never send or read a text or picture message, or email while driving

• If you must make or receive a call or send a TXT, pull over to the side of the road if safe

• A hands-free kit can be used for voice calls, but keep any calls short

• Make use of voicemail and return calls when you’ve finished driving

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

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#116528 14-Mar-2008 07:02

NO! NO PRESS RELEASES!

Seriously though, this is a good idea. I find it ridiculous people even attempt to send/receive txt's while driving - though once or twice I've been guilty of talking on my phone while driving

If you really really can't stand being incommunicado, get a bloody hands-free kit.

While you're at it Paul, get started on a hands-free kit for women's makeup, would you? :P

VFNZPaulBrislen

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#116530 14-Mar-2008 07:07

Tell me about it. I ride a scooter to work... the number of (what's the word...) idiots I come across who think they can control a thousand kilo vehicle while staring at a two inch screen is astonishing. They drive like they're drunk... swing across the lane, speed up, slow down, and generally try to kill me.

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

willnz

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#116532 14-Mar-2008 07:09

PaulBrislen: Tell me about it. I ride a scooter to work..

Now that is dangerous. Those poor, poor pedestrians.

cranz

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#116534 14-Mar-2008 07:11

Ahh that explains why you're at work before 7! Playing dodge the SUV in Auckland is not fun.

Good on the Telco's for backing this, seriously are the txt messages you get really that important that you can't wait until the end of your journey? I think this needs to be hammered home to new (young) drivers that are part of the "instant" generation, during their driver training or defensive courses a mention of why you don't txt while driving would probably help a bit - the world is not going to end if you dont txt back in under 10 seconds!!

tonyhughes

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#116536 14-Mar-2008 07:18

Great post. Nice to hear/see the positive stuff as well!!

freitasm

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#116539 14-Mar-2008 07:49

Other day I saw someone coming to a red light and I had the impression he was sleeping - eyes and head down. Just plain stupid.

But what to say of other kiwi drivers? Those who change lanes without indicating, accelerate when being overtaken on a passing lane, don't give way on roundabouts, or my preferred type of idiot kiwi driver, the one that sees you coming on the main road on a 70Km and - even though there's no one behind you - decides that jumping in front of you completelty disregarding give way signs and driving off at 30 Km is a good idea.

alasta

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#116542 14-Mar-2008 08:06

Kudos to Vodafone for keeping this issue fresh in peoples' minds. It's good to see a telco promoting responsible use of their services.

Having said that, I personally don't support a legislative ban on the use of handheld phones in cars. We live in an age where anything and everything that could possibly be harmful to us is regulated or banned and our society is being dumbed down as a result. Yes, text messaging while in charge of a motor vehicle is an unbelievably stupid thing to do and anyone who causes an accident while engaging in such utter stupidity should be done for dangerous driving as in the recent highly publicised case down south, but are we also going to ban tuning radios, putting on make-up, or sipping on coffee while driving?

Surely as a society we have to retain some faith that the vast majority of us have enough common sense to avoid these behaviours regardless of whether they are legal.

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gehenna

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#116544 14-Mar-2008 08:16

Govt subsidised BlueAnt Supertooth Lights is the key methinks!

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#116546 14-Mar-2008 08:18

I'm pretty neutral when it comes to a ban - I fully realise the risk and purposely don't talk when driving but there are times where short calls are unavoidable.

The problem with a ban is that it encourages uptake of handfree solutions and many studies have shown that this is no safer than holding onto the phone. Some circumstancial evidence has shown people in countries with bans actually talk longer on the phone with a handsfree because they believe it's safe when the reality is that it's not.

willnz

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#116550 14-Mar-2008 08:25

I actually remember them testing this on Top Gear a while back. From memory, their extremely scientific tests (*smirk*), showed that concentration levels, alertness, and reflexes were all more decreased when talking (either on the phone, on a hands-free kit, and I think it was also even to a passenger in the car), than they were when driving after 4 glasses of wine.

The law shouldn't be changed just to include cellphones, in my opinion, it should have a relatively broad cover to anything causing "significant distraction." For example, eating a burger with both hands and steering with your knees as you're going down Ponsonby Road at lunch time (as I saw a talented Maori / Pacific Islander kid doing the other day!)

VFNZPaulBrislen

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#116565 14-Mar-2008 09:06

Just to clarify my own views on this - I think we need a three-fold approach to these kinds of issues. Technology (we have that - all Vodafone mobiles are sold with a handsfree kit and there's bluetooth and so on); education (people need to realise this is a Stupid Thing To Do and that it's social unacceptable to send TXTs while driving) and legislation (the big stick to wave at people).

I think about seatbelts and their acceptance. When I was a lad (growing up in the UK in the 70s) nobody wore a seatbelt in the back seat. Never happened. Apparently the laws of physics stopped in the front.

Today, my kids don't go anywhere that they're not strapped into pods that would keep even Richard Hammond safe and well.

I rarely see a driver these days who hasn't got a seatbelt on (personal use, not commercial) and that's a good thing all round.

I think we need to do that with mobiles and TXTing. It's just wrong.

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

cyril7

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#116582 14-Mar-2008 10:22

Paul I think its great that Voda have put their corporate foot forward to promote safe talk driving, only comment I would make is better promotion of BT handsfree options and maybe a wider selection of BT handsfree products in your stores.

I am still amazed that built in BT HF has not become standard in a wider range of new cars. Even a top of the line Honda I was driving the other day (lattest Legend) does not have a BT integrated HF option. Top of the range Euro cars seem up with the play presumably due to the Euro laws on talk driving, pity this did not happen with more lower and mid priced Cars both European and Japanese/Korian.

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#116588 14-Mar-2008 10:46

The cynic in me sees this as being the "responsbile" thing to do because it preempts the lobbyists making noise about this after a few more people crash or die when this becomes more of a common occurence.

Similar to the way our energy companies have started marketing themselves as "energy efficient" and "carbon neutral". Using all the buzz words in the world doesn't change how people will use your products. If people want to talk on the phone in the car they will. There's also a section of society that will do these things purely because they know they're wrong or they know that the law or commonsense states they should do otherwise. We see this sort of thing in people that don't wear helmets on pushbikes or motorbikes, people who drive unregistered or unwarranted cars, people who drink irresponsbily or people that smoke....and people who use their phones in the car.

My two sides of pessimist and optimist see this as being both a good thing for Vodafone to do and a way for a large and relatively respected company (by consumers) to lead by example, but also a way for them to have a fall-back when the picket lines start chanting anti-phone company slogans because of the high road toll related to in-car phone usage.

VFNZPaulBrislen

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#116593 14-Mar-2008 10:58

gehenna: The cynic in me sees this as being the "responsbile" thing to do because it preempts the lobbyists making noise about this after a few more people crash or die when this becomes more of a common occurence.

Similar to the way our energy companies have started marketing themselves as "energy efficient" and "carbon neutral". Using all the buzz words in the world doesn't change how people will use your products. If people want to talk on the phone in the car they will. There's also a section of society that will do these things purely because they know they're wrong or they know that the law or commonsense states they should do otherwise. We see this sort of thing in people that don't wear helmets on pushbikes or motorbikes, people who drive unregistered or unwarranted cars, people who drink irresponsbily or people that smoke....and people who use their phones in the car.

My two sides of pessimist and optimist see this as being both a good thing for Vodafone to do and a way for a large and relatively respected company (by consumers) to lead by example, but also a way for them to have a fall-back when the picket lines start chanting anti-phone company slogans because of the high road toll related to in-car phone usage.

I think you're forgetting that any company is a group of people first and foremost. This wasn't an on-high dictat handed down - far from it. I think I can safely say we're one of the few companies that's calling for a ban (albeit partial) on a product we sell!

This is about us doing what's right for our staff and for our customers. Nobody here wants to feel culpable if/when someone is injured or even killed in an accident and it's because of one of our products so from that respect yes, it's a selfish move. But if I can get to work without seeing another TXTer (I counted this morning - there were at least half a dozen of them) trying to drive without looking past their bumpers, I'll be happy.

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

alasta

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#116597 14-Mar-2008 11:35

gehenna: My two sides of pessimist and optimist see this as being both a good thing for Vodafone to do and a way for a large and relatively respected company (by consumers) to lead by example, but also a way for them to have a fall-back when the picket lines start chanting anti-phone company slogans because of the high road toll related to in-car phone usage.

Vodafone recently set up our company as a supplier in their AP system but prior to them doing so I was required to sign an agreement confirming that our organisation does not hire child labour, abuse employees, cause unreasonable pollution, etc. So, there are obviously people within Vodafone who have a social conscience and some influence within the organisation.

Vodafone's problems have been well documented here and I make no apologies for the critisms that I have thrown at them recently, but when we get hot under the collar about their latest stuff up or poor policy decision it's easy to forget that they do have employees who take pride in what they do and are likely to want to effect change for the better. The interaction offered by several Vodafone staff members on this forum is proof of that.

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