Gps Phones Banned In Vic

[RSK]

They are serving the people when you take your eyes off the road to operate your GPS/phone, be it in a craddle, and during that brief second of inattentiveness a 10 year old riding a bike turns around a corner into a bike lane and you run him over, or you fail to see a car that's avoiding an accident and t-bone him.

That's why the legislation clearly states that you cannot operate ANY mobile device unless you're using a handsfree kit. Whether it's a GPS, phone, mp3 player, if it's a mobile device, and even if your car is stationary and turned on, it's illegal to touch it. How hard is that fact to digest?

[NB4C]

RSK - if you want 0 road fatalities, ban road transport all together and we can go back to the middle ages. If you want a safe but FUNCTIONAL road, allow some freedom for people to drive comfortably.

SMSing whilst driving is plain stupid but GPS phones are more than reasonable.

[Sleeper6T]

They are serving the people when you take your eyes off the road to operate your GPS/phone, be it in a craddle, and during that brief second of inattentiveness a 10 year old riding a bike turns around a corner into a bike lane and you run him over, or you fail to see a car that's avoiding an accident and t-bone him.

So by that logic you're saying that C.D players, Radios, Air Conditioning, Heating Controls, Demister's, and any other in dash controls should be removed from all vehicles? because like using a mobile phone whilst in it's cradle they too take your eyes away from the road for "that brief second"

And if that same 10 year old was hit by someone using their C.B radio then that would be ok because it is not against the law to use a C.B radio?

Political Propaganda and revenue raising at it's best and a complete lack of common sense. Whats next? Installing the car's horn into the ring of the steering wheel so you can activate it with your thumbs so as not to take one hand off the steering wheel?

[tab]

Nope....horns will be banned

[RSK]

It's only political propaganda to people that can't fathom or rationalize the outcomes of their actions. If you want to take your eyes off the road to operate your CD player/radio, air con system/CB, then feel free to your hearts content, but any such action is labeled "inattentiveness", and although it may not be an action enforceable by a fine or demerit points, if your actions are deemed the contributing factor to a road incident, whether you're randomly scratching your ass, looking for a CD, eating KFC, or turning on your GPS system, you're liable, and punishable to the full extent of the law. Would you rather be slapped with a few demerit points and a tiny fine now, or cause an incident because you're not attentive to the road at all times?

NB4C - Freedom should be something that's given when your actions don't endanger the safety of other road users, and as inattentiveness is the leading cause of road incidents, wouldn't your intelligence conclude that it's the road you should be paying attention to rather then fiddling with your GPS unit?

[tab]

Yeah fine, get dragged over the coals IF it causes an accident. Bit like locking someone up for murder because they pickup a gun isn't it?

Yeah it's an extreme analogy, but it's a sign of the nanny-state that we are living in these days.

[Kimberley Scott]

If it takes every bit of your concentration to drive a roadworthy car in fine conditions, then something is extremely wrong. Driver trainging and subsequent pratice should leave you with the ability to drive fairly easily using minimal conciouse thought, reallying mor so on sub concious thought. Allowing a driver to have a conversation with a passenger, adjust one or many of the multitude of switches or dials within a vehicle with a degree of ease and alertness. For me this law as it curently stands id ludicrous and over he top. Fatigue, poor driver education, poor roads, to low speed limits and many other factors should be looked at before this is considered.

RSK I have been on the recieving end of an unatentavie driver and spent the next two years to walk properly. That aside I cannot condone over the top, ill considered laws like this.

Scotty

[Iconic Bionic]

Interesting one..

Funny bensXR6T mentions holding a phone..

I took pics of a unmarked cop car the other night - funny enough in traffic for over 15 mins along side - and low and behold - he was holding a phone up to his head...

And yes there was lights on the dash, and on the rear shelf - and the typical black sticks in the air on the rear windscreen...

Can't believe the farking pics didnt turn out!

Not the only time in the past month I have seen this - either im seeing more and more cops, or its becoming more and more common with the blue suited patrol...

Saw 2 a few weeks ago, both the driver and passenger... now I really couldn't believe it when I saw that!

Though he was probably on the phone to his misses, they do hold a specific exemption, as do other emergency services and for very good reasons. The amobos can speak direct to a specialist surgeon while transporting patients. One will drive lights and sirens, while using the phone to relay instructions to another working on the patient. But as the ambulance service dont issue fines for using a mobile phone, we'll just pick on the ones that do???

And instead of all these long winded excuses and never ending 'what if's' the forum always comes up with, pull over, to use the phone, plug it in, txt, check the time, answer it, hang-up, use loud speak function or the other 400 actions available.

I.B.

Edited 27/09/09 10:58 AM by Iconic Bionic

[Sleeper6T]

It's only political propaganda to people that can't fathom or rationalize the outcomes of their actions. If you want to take your eyes off the road to operate your CD player/radio, air con system/CB, then feel free to your hearts content, but any such action is labeled "inattentiveness", and although it may not be an action enforceable by a fine or demerit points, if your actions are deemed the contributing factor to a road incident, whether you're randomly scratching your ass, looking for a CD, eating KFC, or turning on your GPS system, you're liable, and punishable to the full extent of the law. Would you rather be slapped with a few demerit points and a tiny fine now, or cause an incident because you're not attentive to the road at all times?

I'm not doubting the adverse dangers of such actions, I DO consider it political propaganda and revenue raising and I can certainly "fathom" the outcome of actions. I'm quite sure everyone with enough common sense can see that taking your eyes off the road no matter for how long to adjust, push, press, or turn something put's you at a higher risk of having or causing an accident.

Can you think of a time you were in your car and didnt adjust anything?, be it a mirror, the radio or the climate control? I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a time I've been driving, and haven't taken one hand off to adjust one of those things at one stage.

I'm in no way suggesting these laws should not exist, I'm suggesting that this law is flawed, to be illegal to use a phone within it's cradle especially as a GPS device and NOT be illegal to use a C.B, change C.D's or smoke a cigarette, or for a member of the police, fire or ambulance service to use a phone while driving is the reason why the people who write and legislate these laws are mocked all too often. And to be honest if you cannot see the inconsistency and money grabbing attitude behind this new law then I hope to god you are not in the police force or a member of the court.

[Iconic Bionic]

I'm in no way suggesting these laws should not exist, I'm suggesting that this law is flawed, to be illegal to use a phone within it's cradle especially as a GPS device and NOT be illegal to use a C.B, change C.D's or smoke a cigarette, or for a member of the police, fire or ambulance service to use a phone while driving is the reason why the people who write and legislate these laws are mocked all too often. And to be honest if you cannot see the inconsistency and money grabbing attitude behind this new law then I hope to god you are not in the police force or a member of the court.

This argument continues to be pointless when all of these are already covered, nationally by the Australian Road Rules 2008. Why focus on the dollar value that governemnts benefit from, should there be no fine amount at all and then what?? Pick and choose some other unfriendly legislation to suit yourselves. Paying tolls and registering my car each year is a personal hatred of mine, but I comply with it, even though its far more expensinve then a phone ticket. We all choose to drive and hold valid licences and seem for the most of us to be happy to comply with these laws but not others.

The mobile phone legislation has evolved in line with technological trends and the profound illegal use of it, that we all see every day.

Whatever law is enacted by goverments is ultimately tested at court.

I.B.