Law on Use of Mobile Phones Whilst Driving

x9rider · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 09, 2007 Posts: 1

I read with interest the latest newsletter which says interacting with SatNav on a phone whilst driving could get police attention.

This presumably includes if I initiate a phone call ‘hands free’ on my smartphone and also if I accept a hands free incoming call.

Laws need to be consistent and clear if everyone is to comply with them and enforcement needs to be the same.

sussamb · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 10:28 am Post subject:

The law is clear. You cannot operate the phone while it's in your hand. That includes the two situations you outline.

If its not in your hand but in a holder you're OK.
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pcaouolte · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:08 am Post subject:

People have also been prosecuted for picking the phone up from a door pocket or seat to see who is calling but not actually taking the call.

The best option is to avoid touching the phone at all whilst driving.
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Paul

sussamb · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:27 am Post subject:

Yep, picking it up means it's in your hand ... but the police would also need to prove you were 'operating' it and not simply moving it from one location to another.
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pcaouolte · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 12:43 pm Post subject:

You might be considered to be operating it if you were reading what was on the screen. Reading a caller's details is not much different to reading a text, it is very likely that both would be considered to be operating the phone.
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sussamb · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 1:18 pm Post subject:

Correct. Reading the screen counts as 'operating' it Very Happy

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Kremmen · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 4:07 pm Post subject:

You need to investigate a truly 'handsfree' system.

My car has a built in handsfree with 'answer' and 'reject' buttons on the steering wheel. The incoming number is displayed on the eye level iMid so easily seen.

All I need now is some friends, so they can call to test it Laughing

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sussamb · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 4:36 pm Post subject:

Mine too, voice controlled as well, maybe we should swap numbers Laughing

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Kremmen · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 4:56 pm Post subject:

:laugh:
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DennisN · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:11 pm Post subject:

My van system (Renault R-Link) is brilliant if you believe the brochure. Loadsa features. Voice control can't cope with "Phone Home" or navigate to home or anywhere. Unfortunately, it randomly drops bluetooth connection, so when I got a call today, I pressed the pickup button on the steering column and it answered, but we couldn't hear each other. The only solution is to pull into the next services, switch everything off and reboot everything, including the satnav. Which loses all my settings. Which makes me a little disappointed.

And the latest map I have is v955. They give me all sorts of run around about not being the same as TomTom, not being the same frequency of release as TomTom, except they released v975 Europe this month. Can't tell me when they'll release 975 for UK&ROI though. Except that this morning, the map failed to load - No Maps Found, No SD Card Found.
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sussamb · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:35 pm Post subject:

Discovered a few days ago on my Ford system that you can actually get it to say what it expects to hear for all my phone entries. Has helped with the odd few that I've struggled to have the system understand Very Happy

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DennisN · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:53 pm Post subject:

I did once provoke mine into offering me a choice list, including Home, which it pronounced Hume. But when I asked it to phone Hume it didn't have a clue. Rolling Eyes

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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

sussamb · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:34 pm Post subject:

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Rick-uk · Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2017 5:42 pm Post subject:

With a bit of perseverence I have managed to understand what to "shout" at OK Google to do what I want.

It can recognise navigate home, work and also an address if I am lucky. By saying "open"then the app name it can open my podcast player (podcast addict), audio books (audible), or music player (poweramp)

It will also dial a number from my contacts and if there is more than one then it will prompt me for the desired number.

It will still on occassion though open a web search page with the results when it does not understand what I want to do.

On the whole I can sit my phone in the holder and (hopefully) not touch it at all
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MaFt · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2017 2:29 pm Post subject:

I've got a Parrot set-up in my car. And a Pebble smartwatch. I have 2 physical buttons for answering/calling and rejecting/ending. It's also voice activated so if I say "telephone" it triggers the "OK Google" and I can then say "call dennis", "send text message to dennis" etc etc and it'll phone/message him. Totally hands free. However for incoming calls I need to press the answer button on the handsfree unit. My phone is on a mount so I can see who is calling but also the caller ID shows up on my watch which is visible without moving my head much.

MaFt

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