Mobile Phones - Laws governing there use in the car - Music / SatNav - March 2022

[unofix]

The law(s) governing the use of a mobile phone in the car while driving have been changed as of March 2022. It makes it illegal to touch, look at, or interact in any way with the phone. This includes using it to stream music via bluetooth. Using the phone as a satnav is also included in these new laws.

I recommend watching these 4 videos that help explain the new laws and may help you avoid committing an offense.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHqcT3OHKxY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys9y7_R7eZk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icIoa2_8Byo

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxLzh7h3cp0

[Paulkp]

This is where a Luddite like me is safe - Big Philips Road Atlas, a CD player, and put the smart 'phone on silent in glove box !  Although I draw the line at a compass mounted on the dash !

[TomsFocus]

9 hours ago, Paulkp said:

This is where a Luddite like me is safe - Big Philips Road Atlas, a CD player, and put the smart 'phone on silent in glove box !  Although I draw the line at a compass mounted on the dash !

Quite a few of my post-millennium cars have had a compass on the dash screen...always wondered who that's meant to help!  

I'm the same though, rarely use my phone for anything, so never needed it in the car!  music is on USB/SD or DAB.  Nav is either built in or used a standalone unit.

[Jimpster]

What about handsfree ? How does an actual Sat-nav differ from a Mobile both talk to you and both use a screen.

Just watched the vids, and they answer most of my questions. BUT surely interacting or using any device that causes to to look away from the view ahead is illegal and potentially dangerous.

[StephenFord]

1 hour ago, JImpster said:

What about handsfree ? How does an actual Sat-nav differ from a Mobile both talk to you and both use a screen.

Just watched the vids, and they answer most of my questions. BUT surely interacting or using any device that causes to to look away from the view ahead is illegal and potentially dangerous.

I often thought that. My phone connects via BluTooth to my standalone Garmin unit, however, if I do get a call, I then have to interact with my Garmin screen to deal with it. Though TBH in 32 years of having a mobile, I have never dealt with a phone call directly on it. I take driving a 1 ton bit of metal quite seriously!

[alexp999]

2 hours ago, JImpster said:

What about handsfree ? How does an actual Sat-nav differ from a Mobile both talk to you and both use a screen.

Just watched the vids, and they answer most of my questions. BUT surely interacting or using any device that causes to to look away from the view ahead is illegal and potentially dangerous.

That's already covered by driving without due care and attention (even mobile phone use before really).

But they have to allow you to use some buttons on the car, so many cars have built in tablets it's no different.

They just want to make sure people aren't super distracted scrolling through facebook or taking selfies at the wheel, because for some reason, some ape brains do.

My phone connectes to the car's handsfree and goes in to do not disturb when I'm driving, so I only get phone calls come through and my phone auto replies to texts of certain family members that I'm driving.

[StephenFord]

1 minute ago, alexp999 said:

But they have to allow you to use some buttons on the car, so many cars have built in tablets it's no different.

 

I saw my 1st ever Tesla in real life a few weeks ago, could not get over the size of the screen in it, was bigger than my 1st ever telly LOL

[Jimpster]

If your following a sat-nav with lane direction your watching that NOT whats ahead. My tomtom XXL used to zoom in when lane changes to exit were required.

[alexp999]

Just now, JImpster said:

If your following a sat-nav with lane direction your watching that NOT whats ahead

You also need to be able to glance at the speedo though. Having awareness of what is around you and leaving thinking gaps also gives you time to safely make observations not out the front window and at your displays.

It's equally as dangerous to be transfixed on looking out the front and never looking out side windows or in mirrors.

[StephenFord]

I find women wearing short skirts an equal distraction, though I'm an old man with very little sense of political correctness 🤣

[unofix]

4 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I find women wearing short skirts an equal distraction,

As long as you keep to "Hands Free" you should be OK

[CrazyInWeston]

On 4/6/2022 at 12:16 PM, alexp999 said:

You also need to be able to glance at the speedo though. Having awareness of what is around you and leaving thinking gaps also gives you time to safely make observations not out the front window and at your displays.

It's equally as dangerous to be transfixed on looking out the front and never looking out side windows or in mirrors.

I use Waze on my phone. The silly thing is that screens on these latest cars are mahoosive! Have you seen the one on the latest Tesla? Why is touching a phone that is mounted to the sideboard of a car illegal but the cars own massive touchscreen display isnt? Talk of distractions, that huge screen is a distraction!

As for speedo, GPS on mobiles these days tell you your speed, no need to look at the in car speedo.

[alexp999]

4 hours ago, CrazyInWeston said:

I use Waze on my phone. The silly thing is that screens on these latest cars are mahoosive! Have you seen the one on the latest Tesla? Why is touching a phone that is mounted to the sideboard of a car illegal but the cars own massive touchscreen display isnt? Talk of distractions, that huge screen is a distraction!

As for speedo, GPS on mobiles these days tell you your speed, no need to look at the in car speedo.

It’s not illegal to touch a phone in a mount. But it should only be brief like to just accept or hangup a call. 

[unofix]

1 hour ago, alexp999 said:

It’s not illegal to touch a phone in a mount. But it should only be brief like to just accept or hangup a call. 

You might want to watch this video and reconsider if you still think it would be legal.

 

[alexp999]

Always a counter on the internet 😉

 

[unofix]

On 4/18/2022 at 10:06 AM, alexp999 said:

Always a counter on the internet

very true, and I'm not a Judge so I can't advise what people should do. 🤔

I will just point out that one guy is a legally qualified Barrister and the other a guy who considers himself something of a driving expert (opinions may differ). Should you find yourself being prosecuted for an alleged mobile phone offense I know who I would rather have defending me.

At the end of the day, it is up to the individual driver to follow the rules as they see them. Some of the human species can multi-task, for example putting on nail polish, brushing hair, applying lipstick, talking, and even doing a bit of driving 🤣

[alexp999]

At least Ashley wrote to DoT to clarify. He’s a driving instructor and instructor trainer so has to keep up with the rules. 
 

It makes sense though (although I appreciate many laws lack common sense) that with a phone in a cradle you can make limited interaction with it when safe as you would any other fixed controls that are part of the car 

It’s far simper to quickly tap accept call on your phone in a cradle than it is to try and adjust your climate control on modern all screen cars. 

[Jimpster]

1 hour ago, unofix said:

very true, and I'm not a Judge so I can't advise what people should do. 🤔

I will just point out that one guy is a legally qualified Barrister and the other a guy considers himself something of a driving expert (opinions may differ). Should you find yourself being prosecuted for an alleged mobile phone offense I know who I would rather have defending me.

At the end of the day, it is up to the individual driver to follow the rules as they see them. Some of the human species can multi-task, for example putting on nail polish, brushing hair, applying lipstick, talking, and driving 🤣

Least they removed the handbag hanger, errrr sorry pull out choke, and the coffee cup socket cd drawer

[StephenFord]

2 minutes ago, JImpster said:

Least they removed the handbag hanger, errrr sorry pull out choke, and the coffee cup socket cd drawer

My car has that coffee cup holder, you mean, it also doubles up as a CD drawer?? 🤣

[Paulkp]

11 hours ago, alexp999 said:

t’s far simper to quickly tap accept call on your phone in a cradle than it is to try and adjust your climate control on modern all screen cars. 

And if your wife is of a certain age, the climate control will always going up and down !

Why do people mount their 'phones/Satnavs where they block the view of the pavement area ?  So they can touch them?  If you can fail an MOT with windscreen damage in the swept area, how can you mount a device blocking the view in that area?

As a old Luddite, I don't get the concept of a "touch screen" in a car - you have to look at it (it's a screen) and then touch it in the right place.  In cars that have discrete controls, you know where the controls are, and you don't need to look at them to operate them.  Perhaps the screen should go blank when the car is moving ?

As I do not have a car with a touch screen, perhaps owners with experience of touch screens in cars could give their informed views ?

 

 

[StephenFord]

9 hours ago, Paulkp said:

As a old Luddite, I don't get the concept of a "touch screen" in a car - you have to look at it (it's a screen) and then touch it in the right place.

Fellow Luddite here! Entirely agree. When I use my Garmin SatNav, it kinda freaks me out for the second or two I take my eyes off the road to tap on a function. As you say, the cars controls, lights, wipers, indicators etc can all be reliable operated by touch and location.

That 40" screen that seems to pervade most EV cars is terrifying. How on earth can you keep your focus on the road ahead whilst seeking a sub menu to turn your heating on??

Still, I suppose that's why Silicon Valley is so pro driverless cars so the car can drive whilst the drivers plays space invaders with the massive screen LOL

[TomsFocus]

11 hours ago, Paulkp said:

And if your wife is of a certain age, the climate control will always going up and down!

That's the beauty of dual zone climate control!  She can sit in a sauna or a fridge on the passenger side while you just chill on the drivers side!   

[alexp999]

2 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

That's the beauty of dual zone climate control!  She can sit in a sauna or a fridge on the passenger side while you just chill on the drivers side!   

Within reason, I think there is a maximum delta between the two sides.

[StephenFord]

32 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

That's the beauty of dual zone climate control!  She can sit in a sauna or a fridge on the passenger side while you just chill on the drivers side!   

I never know how that works?? Years ago on my flight to London, up to row 12 on the plane was 'smoking', from row 13, no smoking. But if you sat in row 13, you still got the stink of cigarette smoke pouring over you LOL

[TomsFocus]

1 minute ago, StephenFord said:

I never know how that works?? 

It doesn't really lol.  As Alex says, you can only choose about 3c different from one side to the other anyway.

It's a good idea in theory...and so many cars have it nowadays that it must be 'worth' fitting, otherwise they'd drop it as a feature. 

Never been on a plane but I do remember the days of choosing the 'non smoking' section in a restaurant.