The bigger isssue with people using phones without hands free is taking their hand off the wheel or holding it under their chin etc, whilst also having a conversation.As another issue, should people be banned from smoking whilst driving (not just with young passengers)? If I drove along waving a lit match in one hand do you think that would be a distraction?
Emergency service are covered I think. However I would expect them to be able to get to an emergency as quick as possible. As an ordinary driver you are not usually expected to this so no, no argument to support using the phone.
Radio etc. knee jerk I think. If you are found to be distracted then you would still get pulled (assuming the police saw it as an issue and there were police around). But the issue of changing the channel on a radio is far far less than getting engrossed in a phone call.
If you change your radio channel the same way you drive whilst on a call, you know, varying speed, wandering lanes, mounting the kerb, going through a red and so on you need to take the test again. Me, change channel, press button, done. What, fraction of a second?
Yes.
Edit. Actually, vaping now seems to be the bigger distraction, people fumbling with the steering wheel hanging onto their crack pipe waiting to do Ivor the Engine impressions once they are out of the turn.
To be fair. Emergency services often have a second radio or communications operator. Only first responders may work alone but aren’t necessarily in constant contact other then the directions via their CAD.
Not read any of the thread yet (will read through tonight) but appaled, but not surprised by the announcement.
Our future is looking more and more like certain movies predict (V for Vendetta being one lol).
The powers that be want to control our lives as much as possible.
How has this gone down in the land of the speedsters?
Whist I'd expect us Brits to lie down and accept it, a chunk of German peeps must be up in arms about it.
I doubt it. Unlike the UK other countries in the EU sometimes don't bother with EU laws, conveniently ignoring them, whilst we stick to the book on everything.
Here for example as obviously a post must have a link in it. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Germany now breaks more EU rules than any other country in the union
You mean like Germany's illegal trade surplus that they have been running for years.....
I've always been surprised at those remainers that say the problem isn't the rules, but that we enforce them too well.
If I don't like the rules of a club, the right thing to do is leave if I can't get them changed. It's the wrong thing to just stay a member and openly breach the rules.
From one of the links.
Autobahn speed limit “would save 140 lives” | ETSC
EU says yes, German transport minister says no, latter goes on to say how safe their roads are and have to be reminded they are not.
Though they would probably sell all the speed traps if enacted data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Maybe, if the EU do get their way, we'll have harmonized speed limits across the EU.
At least that could raise our archaic limit a bit data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Going to be unpopular, the limit I think is best left as it is in the UK. The speed differentials people are used to.
Mind you, the last 10 years or so I seemed to have spent more time in heavy traffic, only very early or late are any sections near me useful.
I think that the EU regulations on emissions or air quality (??)have helped to get limit reduced on sections around the UK as well. Nitogen Dioxide I think is the culprit? (not saying it is a bad thing, air quality I favour more than speed).
But I understand that was led from a EU push for diesel and CO2 emissions and a lot of people bought it. Me included. Home goal in a way?