Posted By David J Jones
Good people,

I know this has been discussed in the past but I seek your learned thoughts in light of the application of Dangerous Driving charges (in England and Wales) where an accident is seen to have been caused where the driver had been using a mobile phone at the time of the accident and its use is determined as a contributory factor.

This is, of course, using a hand-held mobile, but I'm sure there are mutterings that if it is thought the driver was using a hands-free mobile at the time of the accident this situation could also attract a Dangerous Driving charge.

Having a robust Management of Occupational Road Risk in place which stresses the need to limit the use of hands free mobiles (all our vehicles are fitted with a "pukka" hands free kit) I was looking at totally banning their use.

What are your feelings on this matter, and do any of you have a similar blanket ban on mobile phone use even if hands free kit is fitted?

Regards,

David

Posted By David Bannister
Hi David, personal observation and experience tells me that having a phone conversation whilst driving is not a good mix. The bit about hand-held or hands-free to me is irrelevant - it is the attention being directed to the conversation that is the issue (men cannot multi-task!). I wonder whether this could be the basis for a PhD study.

I find it much easier to ignore the passengers talking than anyone on the other end of a phone if faced with a driving situation needing greater concentration. Furthermore, being able to recognise the approach of such a situation is severely reduced for me if on the phone.

I now never initiate a call whilst driving and very rarely answer any call. Personal choice.

That said, mobile phone use now habitual for most of the population and imposing a ban on driving/phoning is likely to be a futile exercise for any individual organisation. There are companies who have taken this decision but I suspect that whilst this may have reduced some call numbers the individual drivers will still follow their own choice on whether to answer or initiate private calls.

It will be interesting to hear from anyone who has direct experience of operating a ban to see whether it has had any affect on driving and accident statistics.

Posted By J Knight
Hi Folks,

We have a no mobile while mobile policy, but this is honoured more in the breach than the observance, which is a constant source of irritation to me.

anything which distracts drivers should be actively discouraged by Policy; and its not just mobile phones, the number of people who apparently can't hold a conversation with their passengers without looking at them is frankly terrifying, the Police are terrible in this respect,

John

Posted By Robert K Lewis
Looking at the number of police who both ignore the speed limit and use non-hands free when in control of a vehicle I think pots kettles and black need to be addressed first. If not then public reaction will be poor. Even chief constables seem to have the habit even though they head up road safety campaigns!

Bob

Posted By Martin Forbes
The company i work for, has a ban on mobile phones whilst driving, even with handfree kits.

The exact instructions is upon entering a vehicle, employees are expected to switch off their mobile phones.

Martin

Posted By Robert.
Excellent Brigham

Posted By Kevin Coghill
Not a solution just a comment. It never fails to amaze me that all those who own a mobile phone (company issue or otherwise) seem to think that they are therefore so important that they cannot turn it off whilst driving, even with a hands free kit which I am not convinced is significantly better than non hands free - it gives an extra hand for that drink, or packet of crisps etc.
No-one is that important that they need to be contactable 24/7 - if you were you'd have people to field your calls for you.
Mobiles are an incidious part of modern society and I do not accept that they are essential, hence why I have never owned one. I have had company issue phones which remain switched off until I can safely answer and take any notes as needed.

Posted By Chris Packham
Mobile phones are an "invidious part of modern life"?

I arranged for both my daughters, while in their late teens, to have mobile phones as a safety feature. We live in the country and they would often have to travel late in the evening along lonely country roads.

On the one occasion when one of their cars broke down our daughter was able to lock the doors and call for help. Had she not had a mobile phone she would have had to walk for about two miles along an unlit, narrow road.

"Invidious"? Not in my book! Technology is neutral. It is how we use it that matters. Standing in a railway carriage speaking loudly into a mobile phone so as to annoy the whole carriage is one thing. Speaking quietly into the phone so that even the person in the neighbouring seat is not disturbed is something else.

As a consultant who spends a great deal of time "on the road" (not necessarily driving) and whose clients often need to contact me for an urgent response I find the mobile phone invaluable.

Chris

Posted By Jay Joshi
We have an "Engine on-Phone Off" policy. Ultimately, it is down to the organisation culture regarding its implementation, monitoring and enforcement.

We actively ask, when relevant whether someone(typically visitor to our site) responding to a telephone call is driving. If yes, we immediately stop the conversation with an appropraite message. We include "potential Hazard" reporting of instances where our employees have been using mobile phones which is a part and parcel of our "HSE Event" reporting systems and also can be a part of behaviour based safety observations.

The result is that our employees do not use mobile phones when driving. This has been the policy since the introduction of the law. We have not at all issued the hands free kits because in doing so, we would seem to be supporting use of hand free.

Posted By Jay Joshi
If we wanted to, we could "measure it" by monitoring mobile phone records, (subject to terms & conditions in employment contracts). We actually do not.

However, it is possible to get a handle on the culture of the organisation--and this aspect -employees at all levels, from the top management up to lower levels is applicable for all sorts of compliance issues, not strictly related to use of mobile phones when driving.

Do we actually measure everything possible for health and safety--no, but we do carry out robust inspections and audits, and have an excellent potential hazard/near miss/incident/accident reporting system and have a mature behaviour based safety observation programme.

Posted By anon1234
Jay,

not sure how looking at phone records will tell you whether they were using the phone whilst driving - all it will tell you is when they made a call and for how long. It won't pick up incoming calls or be able to link to driving - unless you have developed some state of the art technical solutions.