NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay increases demerit points for drivers using phones

[TheSneakiness]

If your phone is more important than the lives of others you pass on the road then you seriously need to re-evaluate your need to drive and rely on public transport, that way you can use your phone all the bloody time and then deal with the irate commuters next to you when you don't stop flapping your gums.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by simon varley

I've thought about that, but what about passengers? the focus is a big enough pita when sync2 disables some functions when moving so even the passenger can't use them but why should passengers be penalised on phone use?

Bad luck for the passengers, matter of fact passengers should remain quiet as they are a bloody distraction to the driver....

[prydey]

Originally Posted by trublu

Bad luck for the passengers, matter of fact passengers should remain quiet as they are a bloody distraction to the driver....

electronic devices are an absolute godsend for families who do long road trips. mind you, it doesn't stop the 'are we there yet?' questions. what i need is a partition similar to a bus driver so that i'm isolated, and the wife and kids can just go at it then

[theunfairadvant]

Originally Posted by csv8

What about eating food, lollies ,changing radio stations etc? Just as distracting,

You can't eat or drink anymore in a car,
i got a warning from a senior sergeant driving an unmarked HWP
a few months ago pull me over for it.

Yes they should be licence suspension and car rego cancellation on the spot.

Yesterday arvo about 3pm I was driving behind this lady who was doing
70 kays then all of a sudden she slows right down to about 40 kays!!!
When I managed to drive next to her she was looking down on her phone.
She needs to get her licence cancelled for sure.

[LTDHO]

Most drivers don't concentrate when driving, using their phone gives them something to concentrate on. i know of people who wait until they drive to make calls because "driving is so boring"!!

This is the scary world we live in. Operating a vehicle is not taken seriously enough, road toll continues.

Personally there isn't a call that important that I need to make or receive while driving.

As far as the penalty goes, as driver is failing to have complete (Albeit mental not physical) control of their vehicle, the vehicle should be impounded.

[XG_Falcon]

Good. I'm sick of the people who think it's fine to be distracted by mobile phones.

Anyone on two wheels will know what I'm talking about here... I have actually lost count of the number of people that have nearly wiped me out on the bike because they're too busy checking their facebook account (or whatever). It's usually young females but I nearly got side-swiped by a guy that must've been in his 50's last year.

[MercurySilver]

Its bad enough in shopping centres.
I just keep on my path and stop in front of the person too busy on their phone.
When they say sorry ill usuallg respond with maybe you should watch whee u are going and not at a screen.

So 6 demerits, but only for xmas period
Lol.
Must be really serious about it.

[Blue_XR]

I think this is a fantastic idea. If you get caught you lose 6 points. I travel to work on the bus each day along the M2 through the Lane Cove Tunnel to the city and the amount of people driving while using their phone is bad. When the road is at full speed it's quite dangerous. People need to concentrate on the road. A text message can wait until your destination. If it's important, pull over and write it.

Some days on the way home the police set up station to the left of the Harbour Bridge heading west. The police will place an officer monitoring cars to see who are using phones, then not much further up they are pulled up and booked.

[theunfairadvant]

I remember a few months back when i was in the shopping centre with my trolley
full of shopping, when i was crossing in pedestrian crossing with the trolley.
I can see that this guy is not stopping cos his head was looking down
and i just back off and he hit the trolley and a few cars in the shopping centre.

The cops came and he said that the he step on the wrong pedal!!!
He did pay me $200 bucks for my shopping gear that went all over the road.

[GasoLane]

Getting slightly off topic here but......

In a country town like mine it's not a problem, but I often wonder what it's like in Major Cities.

If people are this bad in their cars are they bumping into each other on footpaths in the CBD ?

[Express]

We were having coffee today and I was watching people placing take away orders and the number that found it difficult to look up from their phones while they spoke to the staff was incredible.

One women in line when it came her turn to be served ask the girl behind the counter to please wait while she continued to hammer at her phone and everyone behind her waited for a couple of minutes until she was finished before she ordered.

Not that it would have worried the women behind her as she was also going hell for leather tapping away.

I know I’m an old fuddy duddy but what on earth can be so important that you need to be rude and inconvenience everyone for the sake of some message, it’s not like it’s going to instantly delete once you’ve read it.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

I am the same, get a bit sick of people looking at screens, especially in social situations or when you are talking to people, and they are staring at their phone non stop.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Express

We were having coffee today and I was watching people placing take away orders and the number that found it difficult to look up from their phones while they spoke to the staff was incredible.

One women in line when it came her turn to be served ask the girl behind the counter to please wait while she continued to hammer at her phone and everyone behind her waited for a couple of minutes until she was finished before she ordered.

Not that it would have worried the women behind her as she was also going hell for leather tapping away.

I know I’m an old fuddy duddy but what on earth can be so important that you need to be rude and inconvenience everyone for the sake of some message, it’s not like it’s going to instantly delete once you’ve read it.

my age doesn't even start with a 4 (just) and i agree. not sure it has anything to do with being an older person. its just about lack of respect and highlights how self centred society has become.

it is downright rude to not make eye contact with the person you are dealing with. i get that there are instances where you might placing orders for multiple people, and have the orders written on your phone so need to refer to it, but those are pretty isolated instances.

i bet their would be an outcry if the person serving refused to serve you until you gave them your attention. there would probably be more public support for the customer rather than the assistant.