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#1 Posted : 29 November 2001 16:10:00(UTC)
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Posted By Byron Rodgers Sorry if this is an old thread I'm reopening but I need to know what my professsionals out there are doing. In my organisation we are trying to get together a workable policy for the use of mobile phones in our fleet. We want to ban hand held ones and severely limit the use of handsfree ones, in line with DETR etc. advice. Can any of you share with me your own companies policy on this issue please? Just the bones would suffice. Best practice is usually a good measure and I'd be grateful to know what you are all doing. Thanks Byron Rodgers
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#2 Posted : 29 November 2001 17:30:00(UTC)
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Posted By Phil Roberts Byron, I have forwarded a copy of our policy. Let me know if you have any problems receiving it. Phil
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#3 Posted : 03 December 2001 10:34:00(UTC)
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Posted By Annetta Maslen Byron, I am about to write our policy which will state that on no account should a mobile phone be used whilst driving - hand-held or hands-free. Users should make use of their voice messaging systems and check in at regular intervals. If they want to leave the phone on so that they know when someone is trying to contact them, then that's fine - as long as they wait for a suitable stopping place before retrieving their voice mail. The only trouble with this approach is that we also have to educate others to leave a message on the voice mail, and not just to hang up!
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#4 Posted : 04 December 2001 21:06:00(UTC)
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Posted By John Murphy Byron, I have sent a copy of our risk assesment and guidance to staff on use of mobile phones to your e-mail address. John
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#5 Posted : 04 December 2001 21:36:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jim Walker I see today on a H&S news line that an MP is trying to get a reading in parliment to make the use of mobile phones whilst driving illegal. Not before time if you ask me.
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#6 Posted : 05 December 2001 12:17:00(UTC)
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Posted By Sarah J Shaw Hi Jim, Being married to a traffic Officer I can say that the bill is unlikely to pass as this has been raised before. The reason being that the police can already prosecute for driving without due care and attention. However if the offence became a fixed penalty fine, that would be different. More revenue for the local authorities! Byron, Our policy is the same as the others have mentioned here. However, I would like to add a word of caution. Make sure that you do not give contradictory messages ie don't use mobiles use the answer service, then tell internal staff not to leave messages for reps etc on the road, as it costs twice as much in phone bills (one call to record a message and one to listen to it). Its the usual problem of conflicting business interests and no one bothering to talk to each other or H&S. I wish you luck in enforcing it, it is very hard to police. I believe there has been one prosecution for dangerous driving (or was it manslaughter) where the police proved that the driver was on the mobile at the time of the accident, as the phone call had not diconnected. Sorry I did not keep the reference, but it could be an example to use with you staff. Good luck Sarah Shaw
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#7 Posted : 07 December 2001 10:35:00(UTC)
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Posted By Byron Rodgers Thanks to everyone who responded to my request. I have been asked by my company to formulate a policy banning the use of phones in cars whilst driving, both hand held and hands free, and put it to the executive. It won't go down well, especially with the sales force whose livelyhood depends (they say) on being contactable at all times. I note with interest a pending law suit in the US of A where a company is being sued for $30 million. A worker was using a mobile phone in her car when she hit and killed a teenager. The suit is against the company and is based on their contributory involvement (and the fact that they will have insurance cover and the driver won't). Some states are considering a change in the law to ban phones and they say what America does today, we do tommorow. Thanks again
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#8 Posted : 07 December 2001 12:36:00(UTC)
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Posted By Nigel Singleton BSc HI I would like to share an incident that happended to me whilst using a hands free mobile phone and driving. I believe that the problem needs to be considered from several different angles, and the companies policy should reflect receiving calls from mobiles as well as their staff using them whilst driving. I had reason to phone a company whilst driving, however I ensured that I was using hands free; the response from the company I was phoning however took me very much by surprise. Obviously hearing that I was using a mobile, the person I had contacted asked if I was using a mobile whilst driving, I replied that I was but it was a hands free. Her response was obviously based on company policy but caused a mental reaction from me that made me think. The woman was not in the least bit polite and said "I will not talk to you on the phone as it is against company policy", I agreed with the idea, however her phone manner was extremely aggressive and shocked me. Although I know it is wrong to react negatively, I am after all only human. What happened after the call, was that for the next 20 or 30 miles of my journey, my mind was completely focussed on the phone call and my driving became more aggressive, to the point that I pulled over at a service station and took 10 minutes out. If your company has a policy of not talking to people who are calling from mobiles in the car, please ensure that they understand that the way that they inform the driver that the company policy is not to talk to drivers using their phones can have a significant impact on their driving habits! P.S. The incident involving man slaughter happened in Lincolnshire, the lady driver in question was having an arguement with her boy friend whilst overtaking a lorry at 75mph in a 60 zone, she then collided head on with another car.
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