Important

[Chief]

[quote user="Gary aka Bugbear"]

That said, you should perhaps try riding a bike because you would very quickly realise the added danger bikers have to face,caused by thoughtless moronic individuals chatting away on their mobiles whilst driving.

That's all I was trying to say.

[/quote]

I have owned (and ridden)  Bandit 1200S, Rocket III, and now ride a BMW 1200S, quite often in France as well as Holland, and will be in and around Germany quite soon.......aware of the dangers, just have a different atitude to them.

[Chief]

[quote user="Quillan"]I am not particularily proud of the fact but I got done 29 Euros last year for using my mobile phone to tell somebody I would be late collecting them from Carcassonne airport whilst I was stationary, with my engine turned off, stuck in a traffic jam because there was a serious accident half a click up the road. It would appear you must not only be stationary but actually off the road (in a layby or carpark) if you want to use a mobile phone here in France. Alternativly perhaps I should have got out of the car, I do both now just to be sure.[/quote]

I think you have to be out of the car.  A friend was done in the UK for drink driving, and all he did was get into THE BACK of the car a go to sleep. The fact he was in the car, with the keys, meant it was viewed as using the vehicle.  Seemed strange to me and i understand he was appealing, but not sure how that went

[Chief]

[quote user="Quillan"]Trouble is they don't give you any slack if you are not French. If he just told me I would never do it again but then he said he has told people in the past and they take no notice so I suspect he has a point. I don't know about them banning GPS in France,. I say this because the Gendarm's round here have TomToms fitted to their cars and vans.[/quote]

No need to ban GPS.  Just make the buttons inactive while the vehicle is moving.  I had a pioneer setup in a previous car, and once the vehicle was moving above 10MPH the buttons became inactive, so it could not be fiddled with unless the car became stationary, at which point the buttons became active again. I think you will find that the problem lies with the fact that governments make too much money out of people breaking the law, and so simple measures like forcing manufacturers to have systems like the pioneer one, never get the light of day.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Chief"]

[quote user="Quillan"]I am not particularily

proud of the fact but I got done 29 Euros last year for using my

mobile phone to tell somebody I would be late collecting them from

Carcassonne airport whilst I was stationary, with my engine turned off,

stuck in a traffic jam because there was a serious accident half a

click up the road. It would appear you must not only be stationary but

actually off the road (in a layby or carpark) if you want to use a

mobile phone here in France. Alternativly perhaps I should have

got out of the car, I do both now just to be sure.[/quote]

I think you have to be out of the car.  A friend was done in

the UK for drink driving, and all he did was get into THE BACK of the

car a go to sleep. The fact he was in the car, with the keys, meant it

was viewed as using the vehicle.  Seemed strange to me and i

understand he was appealing, but not sure how that went

[/quote]

How the world has changed. Back in about 1990 I staggered out of a pub

in Hampshire having had an unexpected beer accident and crept into the

back of my car, curled up and went to sleep. About 3am I was woken by a

couple of plods tapping on the window. Complimenting me on my good

sense in not trying to drive the car (well, I was in the kind of state

where recognising a steering wheel would have been an achievement),

they had become concerned that I might be getting cold, it being

February, gave me a cup of tea and took me home in the back of the

panda car.

[Sisneme]

[quote user="Chief"]

No need to ban GPS.  Just make the buttons inactive while the vehicle is moving.  I had a pioneer setup in a previous car, and once the vehicle was moving above 10MPH the buttons became inactive, so it could not be fiddled with unless the car became stationary, at which point the buttons became active again. I think you will find that the problem lies with the fact that governments make too much money out of people breaking the law, and so simple measures like forcing manufacturers to have systems like the pioneer one, never get the light of day.

[/quote]

But Chief, that would stop the passenger from using it: I am mainly the passenger when we are going anywhere unfamiliar and I operate the GPS.

[Unknown]

I have read this thread with some interest.  I would like to add that if Gps were banned because of fiddling with them whilst driving, then shouldn't radio/cd players be banned and come to think of it smoking whilst driving.   

Holding a burning object whilst in control of a vehicle that can do speeds of over 100 mph.  Surely this tops them all.

[cooperlola]

Joe Winkelhock used to do this (smoke) while driving at LM - he reckoned the Mulsanne Straight was best as it had no real bends!!

btw, my cd players has its controls on the steering wheel - much safer.

[Bugsy]

and who can ever forget Gerry Marshall and his big cigar. A stunning exponant of vehicle control.

[cooperlola]

You'll like this Gary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkxxpMI__5o

[Bugsy]

Memories, oh yes. I was racing in the Mini 7 Formula in those days..........................[:D]

[Unknown]

I agree that Gerry was the master in a car, but I'm talking about the gerneral people, smoking a fag whilst driving.  If phones are dangerous then so are cigarettes.

[Bugsy]

You are quite correct Dotty, that anything other than actually driving, can be a distraction in a car, or indeed any vehicle. The problems today are simply the terrific amount of 'toys' that we can add to a vehicle. Realistically, there is no answer, we just have to be very aware of the fact that vehicles all around you can, at any time, deviate or otherwise, from what would be normal.

Be careful out there.

(anyone remember who used to say that)

[cooperlola]

As a smoker, Dotty, I agree, I'd be terrified of a bit of hot ash falling in my lap and my concentration being elsewhere!  I always pull over for a quick drag - makes a break in a long journey too.  Although, I do smoke in traffic jams!

[cooperlola]

Phil Esterhaus, Gary, Hill Street Blues

[Bugsy]

Your prize in in the post........................................[8-|]

[Bugsy]

[quote user="cooperlola"]As a smoker, Dotty, I agree, I'd be terrified of a bit of hot ash falling in my lap and my concentration being elsewhere!  I always pull over for a quick drag - makes a break in a long journey too.  Although, I do smoke in traffic jams![/quote]

Exactly one month ago I pulled a Peugeot 206 out of a field just down the road from us. She had swerved left, right across the path of another vehicle (amazingly no impact) and gone across a ditch and through a small hedge and into the field.

Why....................a wasp had gone into her car through the side window.................

[cooperlola]

I never listen to the radio when I'm driving either, always familiar CDs - same reason - because I think you can easily get distracted by what is being said.  I know several people who listen to talking books, and even language tapes while they drive.  How do they concentrate?  My favourite is the guy who owns the Moggie in my avatar.  He turns his head to speak to you while driving!  Sound of passenger frantically yelling "stop being polite and look at the road".[:-))]

[Dick Smith]

I know someone whose girlfriend killed a cyclist whilst changing a cassette. She got away with it, as well...

What is even more dangerous as a smoker is taking the cigarette out of your mouth, but it sticks to your lip. Your fingers slide down the cigarette and you get burns on two fingers. The cigarette comes free and tears a piece out of your lip, while the burning end falls off and lands in your lap.

Been there, done that!

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]I know someone whose girlfriend killed a cyclist whilst changing a cassette. She got away with it, as well...

What is even more dangerous as a smoker is taking the cigarette out of your mouth, but it sticks to your lip. Your fingers slide down the cigarette and you get burns on two fingers. The cigarette comes free and tears a piece out of your lip, while the burning end falls off and lands in your lap.

[/quote]

Much worse is that nice man (or woman) who throws their cigarette out of the window without noticing that there is a motorcyclist behind them............................[:@][:@]

[cooperlola]

Yeah, Gary, what are ashtrays for?  I carry an old cigar tin to put my dog ends in anyway - I just hate old fag ends in the car.  Besides as you know, once the ashtray's full you have to change the car and I can't afford to do that these days as the company doesn't pay.[:)]

[Russethouse]

[quote user="cooperlola"]I never listen to the radio when I'm driving either, always familiar CDs - same reason - because I think you can easily get distracted by what is being said.  I know several people who listen to talking books, and even language tapes while they drive.  How do they concentrate?  My favourite is the guy who owns the Moggie in my avatar.  He turns his head to speak to you while driving!  Sound of passenger frantically yelling "stop being polite and look at the road".[:-))][/quote]

But I have TA in my car (traffic announcements) so I always have the radio on (except for yesterday when we went on the A4 - M4 link at Maidenhead and just joined a queue, annoyingly my husband had heard the announcement but didn't realize we were going on that road......[:(])

[cooperlola]

With RDS you'll find that the TA will interupt a CD just as well as a radio programme.  Usually just after you have spotted the queue of cars in front!

[tonyv]

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