subject: Why Using A Hand Held Mobile Phone When Driving Is Illegal [print this page] Numerous articles have expounded the fact that using a mobile phone while driving is a very dangerous thing to do. This is especially so for young drivers who have just passed their test and may have not fully honed their car control skills, but it is equally dangerous for those who are perhaps not so young and should know better. Almost as an afterthought comes the fact that it is an offence for a driver to use a hand held mobile phone in a moving vehicle. Doing so carries a minimum fine of 60, three points on your license, and therefore more expensive insurance for the next 5 years. So, why do lots of people continue to do it when, as we will see in this article, there really are no excuses?
The Dangers
The law has extensive research to back it up and the dangers of driving while using a hand held mobile phone are well documented. Research from around the world has been carried out since mobile phones became smaller and lighter in the 1980s. Research results show that there are two distinct problems. First, there's a physical problem: if you're driving a car with manual transmission, you'll be holding the phone in your right hand and changing gear with your left. This means that, as you change gear, you won't have any hands on the steering wheel. The second problem is one of cognition: your level of concentration on events happening around you is bound to be reduced when you are thinking about what to say next to your mate, girlfriend, wife, Auntie Mabel or whoever else you're calling (or worse still texting). This clearly increases the risk of having an accident.
No Excuses
There are no excuses for using a hand held mobile phone while driving. Technology has been developed to the point where most mobiles come with an earpiece and microphone that makes hand free use a doddle. Most mobiles come with Bluetooth radio connection that means you can wear one of those snazzy headsets and be hands free and wireless. Many modern cars use the Bluetooth system to link a telephone to the car radio allowing the driver to view all his contacts and texts via a radio screen which is controlled by buttons on the steering wheel. A microphone in the interior mirror picks up the driver's voice and incoming speech is played through the radio speakers while the radio or CD is automatically muted.
The Technology
Mobile phones use cell technology which allows you to roam all over the country, seamlessly passing your telephone service from one cell to another as you travel. Cells cover an area of about half a mile in diameter in towns and cities and about five miles in diameter in more rural areas. Mobile phone operating companies know exactly which cell you are in while your telephone is switched on. They can also tell when you make a telephone call, to whom and for how long. In the event of your vehicle being involved in an accident, the Police can request phone log information from your telephone operator to see whether you were using your phone at the time. If you are unable to provide evidence that the call was made using hands free technology then you will incur the penalty.
In Conclusion
One conclusion of this article could be that there aren't enough police on the streets to make the risk of getting caught a real one.
But the real conclusion is that drivers using a mobile phone are not concentrating to the best of their ability on what they are doing. Of course accidents happen and sometimes cannot be avoided, but drivers holding their mobile phones decrease their ability to control their vehicle properly. Having a conversation on a hand held mobile phone lowers concentration levels. If a dog or child runs out into the road and you have to brake suddenly, can you be certain that the driver coming towards you, or driving behind you while holding a mobile phone will be able to act quickly enough to avoid an accident?
