Australian Un-Marked Motorcycles Target Cell Phone Users

[DennisJ]

Saw this on PNWRiders and haven't seen it here yet. https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/perths-new-undercover-police-bikes-catchout-careless-drivers/story-fnhocxo3-1227154892109?nk=c5025c4355283c913cc4be25ae540724

I don't think this has a chance of being implemented in the PNW but I can dream. Cell phone drivers rank very high on my alert list, right up there with the the left-turning without without checking on-coming traffic drivers. Lots of both in the Mercer Island - Redmond area.

 

[HotRodZilla]

That's awesome.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Drones carrying cell phone homing missiles might do the trick.

 

[Fred W]

Wow. That is great.

I don't think it would be enforceable here in the US when the car is stopped at a light, but I'd be all for it.

The law is already on the books in most states, but in many it is not a "primary offense", meaning they can't pull you over or ticket you just for using the cell. Which is very stupid, IMO. It should be a primary offense and it should carry a hefty fine.

 

[Cav47]

Our state has also banned hand held cell phone usage. And I see absolutely no change in driver behavior as a result of the new law. Sitting in the Driver Ed car after school, we will pull up to multiple people every day that are using their phones while driving. It seems that that the police are not enforcing it.

The concept is awesome for what they are using it for. It looks like a small Yamaha that is very agile and narrow.

Around here, you wouldnt even need a motorcycle. You could just sit at a corner and radio ahead to cops waiting up ahead.

 

[Burnspot]

Nice! We definitely need to get on the stick about it over here...I run into these yacking jackwads almost every day to/from work. Some are worse than others and all of them cross the centerline at least a few times...not good on a typical two lane country road. Don't get me started on the left-turners.

 

[MrZappo]

Wow. That is great.
I don't think it would be enforceable here in the US when the car is stopped at a light, but I'd be all for it.

The law is already on the books in most states, but in many it is not a "primary offense", meaning they can't pull you over or ticket you just for using the cell. Which is very stupid, IMO. It should be a primary offense and it should carry a hefty fine.

Of course we would not do this in the USA ... It makes too much damn sense ...

These people are a danger to everyone. I cant tell you the number of times I have almost been killed by some dingbat yammering away on the phone talking about nothing particularly important ...

All over the US there are never appropriate fines levied to actually change behavior. I would be fine with a $1000 fine for talking on a cell phone (while actually driving. Not necessarily while stopped) and the same for littering ... Of course Id be fine with it because I don't litter and I have Bluetooth for my cell phone while driving (Like your supposed to) ...

With the cost for a Bluetooth earpiece these days being so cheap, there really is no excuse ...

 

[Cav47]

Wow. That is great.
I don't think it would be enforceable here in the US when the car is stopped at a light, but I'd be all for it.

The law is already on the books in most states, but in many it is not a "primary offense", meaning they can't pull you over or ticket you just for using the cell. Which is very stupid, IMO. It should be a primary offense and it should carry a hefty fine.

Even stopped at a light here in Illinois is illegal per the MVCode. I teach driver ed here in the school system and get multiple questions about it.

It also is a primary offense here too. But like others have said, it is not being enforced much.

In a school zone here in Illinois, you cannot even be on a "hands free" device. But the school parking lot at 2:30 is full of both parents and kids on their phones talking away.

I even have parents dropping their kids off to Driver Ed while on their phone. Kinda tough to make a change in behavior if their parents wont.

 

[Fred W]

Well, here's what states have what, all coming under the heading of the "Distracted Driving" umbrella.

• Hand-held Cell Phone Use: 14 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. All are primary enforcement laws—an officer may cite a driver for using a hand-held cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place.
  
• All Cell Phone Use: No state bans all cell phone use for all drivers, but 38 states and D.C. ban all cell phone use by novice drivers, and 20 states and D.C. prohibit it for school bus drivers.
  
• Text Messaging: Washington was the first state to pass a texting ban in 2007. Currently, 44 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands ban text messaging for all drivers. All but 5 have primary enforcement. Of the 6 states without an all driver texting ban:4 prohibit text messaging by novice drivers.
• 3 restrict school bus drivers from texting.

Only 14 states ban hand held phone use.

 

[Fred W]

Well, here's what states have what, all coming under the heading of the "Distracted Driving" umbrella.

edit - And here are some maps that show which states ban what.

• Hand-held Cell Phone Use: 14 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. All are primary enforcement laws—an officer may cite a driver for using a hand-held cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place.
  
• All Cell Phone Use: No state bans all cell phone use for all drivers, but 38 states and D.C. ban all cell phone use by novice drivers, and 20 states and D.C. prohibit it for school bus drivers.
  
• Text Messaging: Washington was the first state to pass a texting ban in 2007. Currently, 44 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands ban text messaging for all drivers. All but 5 have primary enforcement. Of the 6 states without an all driver texting ban:4 prohibit text messaging by novice drivers.
• 3 restrict school bus drivers from texting.

Only 14 states ban hand held phone use for all drivers.

It appears that I was wrong about the primary/secondary thing. Most places that do have a state law it is a primary offense. Of course that doesn't mean that it is being enforced.

If the authorities are really as concerned about public safety as they claim to be, perhaps they should spend some of the time spent trying to nab speeders on nabbing distracted drivers. The video in the first post shows just how easy that would be.

 

[Pterodactyl]

The officers doing this duty must be the most lied to men in Perth. He seems to do a good job of heading off some of the attempts to deny the use of a phone.

 

[HotRodZilla]

In NM there is a "no texting" law. In Bernalillo County, which covers the Albuquerque area, there is a "no electronic device" ordinance. It specifically prohibits using devices at traffic lights and stopped traffic. Phones, tablets, iPods and the like are all banned. $100 fines for both state and county violations. Enforcing them is the hard part.

You noticed that even the drivers in that video denied being on their phone, even though it was plainly caught on video. Not only are people self centered, they are also liars. Those are the ones I especially like writing citations to.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Georgia's law is primary, and includes fiddling with GPS and other electronic devices -- AND includes while you're behind the wheel on a public street. Stopped in the turn lane, on the shoulder, at a red light, driving down the freeway at 75 mph, makes no difference. Enforcement is non-existent.

 

[Bokerfork]

Blue tooth or not, makes no difference. It isn't the holding the phone to your ear that is the problem. It's the talking on a phone while driving that is the problem. Can't cite the specific studies but I believe they were done by AAA. Think about it, what's the difference between holding a cup of coffee or a phone? Nothing. Yet we treat the handheld phone as if it is the problem.

 

[Fred W]

In NM there is a "no texting" law. In Bernalillo County, which covers the Albuquerque area, there is a "no electronic device" ordinance.

Local ordinances are going to be a lot tougher to regulate just because they are not widespread and as widely known. I'm not sure why theyu would even boither with making a local ordinance of this type. Why noit spend the energy to get it passed at a state level?

And fining a texter only $100 is a joke. That isn't going to make much of an impression on anyone. Make it a $1000 fine and/or loss of license for a while, or handle it just like drunk driving, and we'd have a chance of making a real difference.

Georgia's law is primary, and includes fiddling with GPS and other electronic devices -- AND includes while you're behind the wheel on a public street. Stopped in the turn lane, on the shoulder, at a red light, driving down the freeway at 75 mph, makes no difference. Enforcement is non-existent.

And yet, according to this link, in Georgia use of a hand held cell phone is not banned.

Blue tooth or not, makes no difference. It isn't the holding the phone to your ear that is the problem. It's the talking on a phone while driving that is the problem. Can't cite the specific studies but I believe they were done by AAA. Think about it, what's the difference between holding a cup of coffee or a phone? Nothing. Yet we treat the handheld phone as if it is the problem.

Well, it is kind of hard to text message when not holding the device. You don't text via blue tooth. Texting is the most egregious of distractions. You need to take your eyes off the road long enough to read any incoming texts, and also during the typing of your outgoing text. Most of the cars you see swerving all around on the road these days are texters. It used to be drunks, but they've thrown the book at the drunks enough that drunk driving is down in most locales.

Yes the other things mentioned, making phone calls, using GPS, tuning the radio, even drinking that cup of coffee, all do contribute to driver distraction, just to a much lesser extent. Most people are able to carry on a conversation and drive their car simultaneously. How is talking on a hands free device any different than talking to a passenger in the vehicle? Are we going to outlaw that too?

 

[beemerdons]

Blue tooth or not, makes no difference. It isn't the holding the phone to your ear that is the problem. It's the talking on a phone while driving that is the problem. Can't cite the specific studies but I believe they were done by AAA. Think about it, what's the difference between holding a cup of coffee or a phone or a glass of Bushmills Black Bush? Nothing. Yet we treat the handheld phone as if it is the problem.

+10, Double Gunny; Marky-Mark, I went ahead and fixed it for you! jes' sayin' and nuff said, Slainte!

 

[Cav47]

Blue tooth or not, makes no difference. It isn't the holding the phone to your ear that is the problem. It's the talking on a phone while driving that is the problem. Can't cite the specific studies but I believe they were done by AAA. Think about it, what's the difference between holding a cup of coffee or a phone? Nothing. Yet we treat the handheld phone as if it is the problem.

So helmet to helmet communication----is something you feel is a problem as well??

Just wondering?

 

[beemerdons]

Blue tooth or not, makes no difference. It isn't the holding the phone to your ear that is the problem. It's the talking on a phone while driving that is the problem. Can't cite the specific studies but I believe they were done by AAA. Think about it, what's the difference between holding a cup of coffee or a phone? Nothing. Yet we treat the handheld phone as if it is the problem.

So helmet to helmet communication----is something you feel is a problem as well??

Just wondering?

Of all things Cav47, we had an incident in my AZ Beemers Club due to this a number of years ago. Husband and Wife both riding separate BMW K1100's were communicating about a turnoff to a historic site here in Arizona near Roosevelt Lake, he told her to look right to see it up on the hill and they were chatting away about it when he slowed and she clipped his left saddlebag with her right Krauser bag. I was right behind them and witnessed the entire fiasco, luckily they both were experienced high mileage riders and neither one went down!

 

[Cav47]

This is a good topic.

While this does not apply to any particular comment above, we must remember that we will never be able to legislate or enforce the blatant stupidity out of people. After a certain point, we can only hope that natural selection will take over.