QLD Drivers 9 points for using mobile fom Sept 1..

[csv8]

TOUGHER penalties for drivers caught using their mobile phones while driving come into force in Queensland on September 1.

Queensland Police will impose tougher penalties for drivers caught using their mobile phone behind the wheel.

Drivers caught using their phones behind the wheel twice in 12 months will lose 9 of their 12 licence points.

Queensland police have increased the range of operations for better enforcement of the penalties.

Road Minister Mark Bailey has said the new law is not about revenue, but aimed at improving road safety.
http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au...e-use/2748742/

[Streets]

Good. Everyone knows by now that distracted driving causes death, yet it's amazing how many people still use their phones while driving.

[Road Games]

In the truck I see every other driver texting while they pass me it is an absolute joke !!

[LG17]

Wow, didn't even realise we got 12 points to play with!

[castellan]

Young drivers are the worse, so I am informed, that the phone rules their life and they can not keep away from it and it's causing a lot of danger on the roads, that we now have to have such strict laws to try to prevent the stupidity of such people.

[marty351]

At traffic lights, light turns green. Wait. No movement. Toot horn, see head look up.

Phones should be banned (in vehicles) unless it's hands free.
Texting is far worse than talking on a phone, sadly most go unnoticed by the law until it's too late.

[blackf6]

Ignition on. Phone off.

[J.C.]

Originally Posted by marty351

Texting is far worse than talking on a phone, sadly most go unnoticed by the law until it's too late.

What's worse still is when the law is spotted on the phone while driving. Now that is the height of hypocrisy if I ever did see a firm example of one.

I have no problems with this move. No one can doubt that mobile phones are a very big distraction while driving. If you do, run off and give yourself and uppercut or two followed by a good dose of reality check.

[Road Games]

But the law is the law

[marty351]

Talking is one thing, partial distraction, but texting, total distraction.
Driving requires attention! < underline

[Ben73]

Should be 9 points if you are caught once texting while driving. Talking on the phone is bad, but texting or doing anything that requires you to look down is millions times worse.
Saw some clown all over the road in front of me. Down the road I get up next to him and see him looking at his phone. Had his mobile number on the back of his car, I was so tempted to put my number on private and call him and tell him off. Unfortunately I was driving so I couldn't.

[blackf6]

Stuffs me why kids think they can text, drive around a corner with oppisite lock, feathering the throttle, crossing it up. Will never know.

[The Monty]

That has been around for years. Applies to certain speeding groups, red lights etc. 1st offence 3 points, second within a year of the same offence 6 points.

[Express]

Originally Posted by DeJaVu GT

Stuffs me why kids think they can text, drive around a corner with oppisite lock, feathering the throttle, crossing it up. Will never know.

I’m another one who believes power slides on the street should only be done after you’ve finished texting.

[2011G6E]

They could fix it quickly enough...
Cop pulls you over for using your phone off hands-free or, worse, texting while driving, asks you for your phone, takes out the SIM card and hands the card to you, then puts your phone under the front wheel of your car and steps back, saying "You can go now, driver..."

[Express]

When I started life in this world we didn’t even have a phone, when we did we’d never heard of an answering machine, when we got one we never thought of taking the phone with us, when we could I quickly became sick of people calling when I was out enjoying myself.

Now I know I’m on my own with that kind of thinking and times have moved on but I do believe you can go a few minutes without answering or making a call.

Certainly enough time to pull over or use a hands free device.

And studies say that hands free aren’t much if any better than handling a phone.

Which bring me to the point, if studies are right (and I believe they are) and using a phone whilst driving is as bad as drink driving then penalties should reflect that.

If you started taking away licences then drivers would quickly start reassessing how important a phone call really is and start looking at safer options.

Tough I know but when I see so many silly manoeuvres and straight out lack of car control by drivers using phones it’s the way I feel.

[danzvtil]

Look at all the other drivers while stationary at the lights, they are all looking into their laps, dunno how they think we cant see what they are doing.

[buggerlugs]

Also started noticing lots of cars pulling over to the side of the rode all of a sudden to have a yack. So it may be starting to sink in..........

[LG17]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

Also started noticing lots of cars pulling over to the side of the rode all of a sudden to have a yack. So it may be starting to sink in..........

Some of them pull over so fast that you think either something has broken or they're about to crash!

[blk6t]

Since having a phone cradle and Bluetooth I don't need to touch the phone at all. Taking calls is no more a distraction than having a passenger, it all runs through the cars audio system. The good thing is most cars now have this technology. I can even have my text messages read out to me and reply by talking through my assistant Siri. Even still most days I ignore texts because when I drive, its my time.

The bad things are that younger drivers are not utililising this technology and it ****** me off. Most new cars that P Platers are buying have this tech in built. Aftermarket Bluetooth systems are readily available for older cars. I can clearly see when someone is texting and driving and its dangerous and scary to watch.

Although having said all that, it's often not texting that's the distraction, its social media...facebook, snapchat, instagram etc...these apps need you to physically control the phone and it's those apps that need to be blocked on a phone when driving.

So I say bring in 9 demerits points if caught with a phone in your hand, first offence.

[stig_3754]

Originally Posted by blk6t

Since having a phone cradle and Bluetooth I don't need to touch the phone at all. Taking calls is no more a distraction than having a passenger, it all runs through the cars audio system. The good thing is most cars now have this technology. I can even have my text messages read out to me and reply by talking through my assistant Siri. Even still most days I ignore texts because when I drive, its my time.

The bad things are that younger drivers are not utililising this technology and it ****** me off. Most new cars that P Platers are buying have this tech in built. Aftermarket Bluetooth systems are readily available for older cars. I can clearly see when someone is texting and driving and its dangerous and scary to watch.

Although having said all that, it's often not texting that's the distraction, its social media...facebook, snapchat, instagram etc...these apps need you to physically control the phone and it's those apps that need to be blocked on a phone when driving.

So I say bring in 9 demerits points if caught with a phone in your hand, first offence.

The problem is (In VIC at least) that P Platers aren't even allowed to use Bluetooth! Still doesn't excuse it though...

[supershifty]

High time the law is getting harsh on improper mobile phone use - awesome!

I see it everyday (as we all do) driving to/from work, just have to look in the rear view or the oncoming drivers at lights, it's rife. Heads buried in laps (not the good kind) or hand to the ear. Weaving drivers who can barely stay in their lane at 7am.

I don't have hands free, I let the phone ring and call back when I've arrived at my destination or pull over if it's safe to do so. Surely it's not that hard and nothing is so urgent that you have to take that call, check bookface, send texts or play candy crush for the sake of paying attention to the road and not endangering your own life or someone else.

Cheers!

[mechanic]

marty 351:- Recent article in the Cairns paper pointed out that one of the main traffic flow problems here is the delay between the green signal and the first car moving.
Must be a severe voltage drop in the brain cell capability with these drivers.
A good stiff penalty of $100 or $200 for disrupting traffic might have some effect but the morons still probably wouldn't get the message.
No doubt mobiles are a lot of the problem, I see at least 4-5 on my way to town and that's only 14 ks.

[JC]

Originally Posted by DAZZLR

In the truck I see every other driver texting while they pass me it is an absolute joke !!

You are allowed to toot/honk them; the horn can be used to warn of impending danger......

[ford71V8]

People are so impatient including the ones that are making the calls.

Since having the landline disconnected and relying on mobiles only, so many people whinging at us for making it so difficult to contact.
I remind them that once upon a time the phone hanging on the wall at home was the only way to contact by phone. And that during those decades unless I was home, in the vicinity to hear the ringing and able to answer before the ringing stopped, there was no other way to make contact with me. If I was out, you needed to accept that right now I'm not available. There is no way to find out when I'll be back other than trying to ring a few more times and wait for the pick up. Everyone seemed to accept that.
Now, unless you've answered your mobile after 3 rings, regardless of what you are doing and where you are, people get all ****y at you for being unable to be reached.
And finally you are now in communication only to discover this important information that you must be made aware of is in fact not important at all and could have waited til later.

I'm trying to get my alone time back, I don't want to be contactable 24/7 and I don't expect anyone else to be either

[GT0132]

In my view this type of offence has the potential for the same degree of catastrophic consequences as drink driving.

That being the case loss of license and a fine should be the most likely outcome if caught.

I don't get why losing 9 points only occurs if caught a second time

[dead_man00124]

great way to handle this, number of time seeing people using there phone while driving is nuts.

Some people do need to be contactable 24/7 due to work, I am one of them due to being oncall for a hospital however I went and got a BT kit knowing that this will happen.

[ford71V8]

contactable 24/7..........yes there are obvious exceptions.
But for the majority of us, its just not necessary.

Would love to see the data of what everyone is using their phones for.
Scrabble has never been more important.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by dead_man00124

great way to handle this, number of time seeing people using there phone while driving is nuts.

Some people do need to be contactable 24/7 due to work, I am one of them due to being oncall for a hospital however I went and got a BT kit knowing that this will happen.

You should be home waiting with lunch bag ready for that call, well that was the way it use to work in the old days instead of galavanting around.....lol

[dead_man00124]

Originally Posted by trublu

You should be home waiting with lunch bag ready for that call, well that was the way it use to work in the old days instead of galavanting around.....lol

I like my galavanting around thank you