Should a hand held mobile phone be confiscated if you use it while driving?

[Steffo]

Originally Posted by xcgxl

The idea is you don't break the law in the first place and you get to keep your stuff.

You shouldn't be made to fear the possibility of having things you worked hard for taken off you in the first place.

[uranium_death]

No. I do not believe that you should lose your phone.

I think that the best way to deter is to gain half of the maximum demerit points, and suspend them. If you are caught talking on your mobile phone, that's 100% gained. Means you lose your license.

The idea is that the first time you are caught is just to act as a reminder that a) talking on the phone while driving is illegal and secondly, one more strike and you're out!

Today when I was driving back from tennis training, as I approached the roundabout at the Watsons Road/Whites Lane intersection, some stupid bloody moronic woman driving a silver Mercedes comes around the corner and comes into my lane. I wondered what she was doing...driving with one hand and talking on the phone.

I almost wish I was driving an older car and she had hit me. That way, I'd lost almost nothing (except a galoppi) and she's put a nice dent in that Mercedes, as well as gain hear for driving on the wrong side of the road, as well as talking on her phone.
And while we're at hit, punish her further for driving a Mercedes. With driving like that, she deserves a Datsun 120Y.

[uranium_death]

The creator of this poll is obviously biased too.

There is no option of, "No, because I don't think this will work/is the answer."

Instead, all the options lean towards confiscation.

I do not support the idea at all.
I am not a tradesman.
Today's example of a lady in a Mercedes shows that fully licensed drivers are just as dangerous while talking on the phone while driving. Stop the P-Plate bashing already.
Will the idea work? No...because people will just go out and get a new one.

[Ridin-High]

i'd have to put my hand up as being sometimes a irresponsible driver.

One that comes to mind was the other day i was driving with my girlfriend and was adjusting the stero, reading just cars magazine and talking to her using one of my knee's to steer.

i should prolly be ban from driving lol

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by nobbystang

By breaking laws you should forfeit your rights to these freedoms!!! Maybe a harsher stance might lead to people thinking before acting for a change. I know some laws out there are ridiculous but you would hope that the laws are only applied to serious offences like drink driving, street racing, etc.

Police don't have enough power to do anything anymore and criminals have too many rights!!!!

All very simplistic and unworkable, certainly 'unreal'.

[Ives]

Confistacing mobile phones? yeh why not. You wont die if you part with your phone.

On the other hand, people might be expecting very important calls. So I think much heavier fine and loosing heaps of demerit points should be done to people who are caught.

[GasoLane]

Do mobiles distract drivers? Nah...check this out.

Pity about the little red Italian car

http://www.snopes.com/photos/accident/darling.asp

Quote from snopes.com
July 2005 accident in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the result of a teenage driver who was distracted by a cell phone and ran his Ford F-150 pickup truck off the road, sending the vehicle airborne and launching it into a garage, where it came to rest atop a Ferrari:

According to the police report, the teenage driver reached for a cell phone and ran off the road and became airborne.

[tyce77]

For those of you not in the know, 90% of drivers think they're in the top 10% echelon of "good" drivers...there simply aint that many "good" drivers on the road and the misconception is only magnified when a phone is in use. If you're one of the dissolusioned 80%, start by switching off your *******' phone!

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by nobbystang

By breaking laws you should forfeit your rights to these freedoms!!! Maybe a harsher stance might lead to people thinking before acting for a change. I know some laws out there are ridiculous but you would hope that the laws are only applied to serious offences like drink driving, street racing, etc.

Police don't have enough power to do anything anymore and criminals have too many rights!!!!

The Police DO have power, there is just not enough of them to do what the community expects and the small number of them are snowed under with an ever increasing workload. There are countries that forfeit freedoms for their citizens, Zimbabwe, North Korea etc. I prefer Australia with its minor flaws! Give me a gold coin for every time I have heard the phrase "Tough new laws" over the past 25 years especially in regards to motoring!
I have now put away my soapbox :
cheers
Bill.

[needaXYGT]

i didnt vote. i have another reason and that is that if the government bans this then they are reaching to far to peoples lives. to much restriction if you ask me. perhaps a SMALL fine would be better.

[mbukukanyau]

Oppression of the people by the people

[nobbystang]

Originally Posted by Bill M

The Police DO have power,

Yes the Police DO have power, I just feel they don't appear to have enough power to be able to do the job required, especially when dealing with youth

Originally Posted by Bill M

there is just not enough of them to do what the community expects and the small number of them are snowed under with an ever increasing workload.

Doing the job of parents??? What hope have we got when parents can't discipline their kids and the state and federal governments blame each other for not having enough money to remedy this!!

Originally Posted by Bill M

There are countries that forfeit freedoms for their citizens, Zimbabwe, North Korea etc. I prefer Australia with its minor flaws! Give me a gold coin for every time I have heard the phrase "Tough new laws" over the past 25 years especially in regards to motoring!

Yes we certainly are the lucky country, but I can see things going so bad around where I live that it wouldn't take much for a vigilante group to claim back the streets.

And how did we ever drive without mobile phones 15 years ago?????????