Phone detectors to be used in two police force area's

AMc

Never noticed them in my neck of the woods last summer - I'm not sure many people will even recognise what they mean?
Road sign warns of in-car mobile use

FWIW it looks like the actual vehicle speed indicator signs that our parish councils have been encouraged to buy and operate as a supplement to volunteer community speed traps.
Our rural traffic enforcement is now operated by volunteers with no ability to apply a penalty funded directly from the villages affected by rat running if they can afford it.

Those signs log every vehicle and it's speed so they are able to report x% of vehicles travelling above the speed limit and use it to lobby for actual Police speed traps and reduced speed limits...apparently

aVdub

I see people looking at their knees while driving all the time and even young women with children in the car.
Also lost count of the amount of times I've swerved and beeped at drivers coming across my side of the road while distracted by looking down at their knees.

Software needs to be fitted to vehicles to ensure phones cannot be operated unless paired and going through a head unit and it the case of passengers, safe zones can be added away from the driving position.
It really needs to be thought about and done now!

Over by there

The law was fudged. Using a phone in any way for making calls, fined and points.

Perhaps any use should be the default to avoid any ambiguity.

cosmicma

sounds like the TV detector van publicity stunt all over again but something needs to be done too many flouting the law and putting people at risk

IronGiant

According to the News it can detect 2G/3G and 4G signals, if it also detects bluetooth it assumes you are using it Handsfree and doesn't light up.   Not sure I'm too convinced given how short range bluetooth usually is.

gibbsy

The closest we've come to having bumps in the last few years have all been caused by selfish idiots on their phones, they just don't realise how they drift all over the road. Hate them, absolutely hate them.

Sonic67

"A sign will flash at the driver telling them to stop using their mobile - but the detectors cannot tell if it is a driver or passenger using the phone."

How is that useful?

IronGiant

It's completely daft.  I could have my phone in my pocket on data feeding an app update.

stblob

So what happens when streaming music over 4g to the car via bluetooth?
Lol

Over by there

Easy to check with this, two will be used says the report. I am sure some motorists can verify what it does. Or if it is a dud.

Anyhoo, brochure.
https://www.westcotec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Brochuredesignfinal-2019-v5-spreads.pdf

What it does for all data forms from a mobile, who knows yet.