Life imprisonment for mobile phone death drivers.

Emp_Fab

New laws coming in will see the sentencing limit for causing death by fiddling with your mobile whilst driving increased to life.

This is a warning to myself too, as I, along with huge numbers of people, have been guilty of checking email etc whilst driving.  

What is also an eye-opener is that if you fiddle with your phone once whilst driving, then put it away, you may think you've 'got away with it' because you didn't have an accident or the police didn't catch you doing it, but you are definitely not in the clear.  If you are involved in an accident later on in your journey and there is any suspicion that you may not have been paying full attention, then the police will check your network provider for any evidence you were using your mobile at any point in your journey this far, and if there is evidence (such as you quickly checking your email at the lights earlier on), you will likely be prosecuted on the basis that you were also playing with your phone at the time of the accident.  This has happened.  People are in prison now because of this.

So, extreme as it sounds, this scenario is entirely possible; you set off, check your email quickly en-route, an hour later you take your eyes off the road for a second to grab a CD, reach for the bottle of pop on the passenger seat, whatever.  In that second, something happens (usually traffic suddenly stops) and BANG...  

Someone has died and now, all because you checked your email an hour earlier, you are looking at, potentially, a life sentence.

Extreme I know, but entirely possible.

One moment you're a regular joe with a regular job and in the blink of an eye, it's over; you're in a cell with a maniac who fancies you.  You've lost your job and your home.  Your wife has fucked off with a new bloke, your kids sometimes make the effort to visit, but that's getting less frequent.  ...and you think "all this because I checked The Fretboard forum at the traffic lights....".

Put the phones down mm'kay...  

Deadman

Unless I can go completely hands free my phone goes in my pocket where I can't get to it. I hate (HATE) people who use their mobiles whilst driving so it's easy for me to resist.

Bring it on I say.

ICBM

I've never understood why the laws concerning killing someone are different if you do it while driving a car.

Killing someone while not paying attention because you're using a phone while driving is basically causing death by criminal negligence… for which the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.

mart

ICBM said:

I've never understood why the laws concerning killing someone are different if you do it while driving a car.
....

Because, if I understand the history correctly, they originally were the same, but juries turned out to be reluctant to find anyone guilty. So the lesser crime of causing death by dangerous driving was introduced. It's a nasty case of bad law by democracy.

Sassafras

I can't see any difference between checking your phone for emails or reaching over for a CD or a can of pop. You've killed someone because you weren't paying attention. You shouldn't be driving if you're not gonna concentrate.

Octafish

Emp_Fab said:

.....So, extreme as it sounds, this scenario is entirely possible; you set off, check your email quickly en-route, an hour later you take your eyes off the road for a second to grab a CD, reach for the bottle of pop on the passenger seat, whatever.  In that second, something happens (usually traffic suddenly stops) and BANG...  

Someone has died and now, all because you checked your email an hour earlier, you are looking at, potentially, a life sentence.....

It's not sensible to check your emails whilst driving, even if stopped at the traffic lights. Seems like a lazy arsehole way to behave. Besides if you did check your emails an hour before an accident how are they going to prove you were driving at the time?

usedtobe

I see arseholes texting and shit, while they’re driving, all the bloody time. God knows what makes people think they can operate a car safely while they’re pissing about with a bloody phone.
This is long overdue imho..

chillidoggy

And smoking in cars should be illegal. Very distracting, reaching for fags, finding the lighter, lighting up, the whole deal.

I have also had a blowie whilst driving. That's another pastime that should be off the menu.

Phil_aka_Pip

dunno about Life Sentence, Death Sentence just for being caught using a mobile phone while driving would seem more appropriate

GoldenEraGuitars

Good. No excuse whatsoever 

spark240

I dont get email on my phone...only my iPad which would be in my bag or back on home PC.

scrumhalf

ICBM said:

I've never understood why the laws concerning killing someone are different if you do it while driving a car.

Because there has always been a legal doubt as to whether there might have been a problem with the car which either cuased or exacerbated the incident. That was the case when I studied criminal law ages ago.

ThorpyFX

Emp_Fab said:

New laws coming in will see the sentencing limit for causing death by fiddling with your mobile whilst driving increased to life.


What is also an eye-opener is that if you fiddle with your phone once whilst driving, then put it away, you may think you've 'got away with it' because you didn't have an accident or the police didn't catch you doing it, but you are definitely not in the clear.  If you are involved in an accident later on in your journey and there is any suspicion that you may not have been paying full attention, then the police will check your network provider for any evidence you were using your mobile at any point in your journey this far, 
Someone has died and now, all because you checked your email an hour earlier, you are looking at, potentially, a life sentence.

Extreme I know, but entirely possible.

One moment you're a regular joe with a regular job and in the blink of an eye, it's over; you're in a cell with a maniac who fancies you.  You've lost your job and your home.  Your wife has fucked off with a new bloke, your kids sometimes make the effort to visit, but that's getting less frequent.  ...and you think "all this because I checked The Fretboard forum at the traffic lights....".

This happened to an acquaintance of mine, she was on her phone, a drunk/druggie walked into her path and she hit him and killed him. She was sent to prison fro causing death by dangerous driving and it very nearly ruined her career. Indeed only the judges leniency and plee to her employer saved her. She has to live with this for the rest of her life.


Whats annoying about the police attitude to checking with the network provider is its a blunt tool. My new car is genuinely safer than my old one because the phone i have integrates fully into the cars media system. I can control everything via voice and text messages are dictated to me whilst i drive. I never take my hands off the wheel or touch my phone. This is an increasingly common piece of technology.... However if you checked my network provider it would look like I'm permanently on my phone whilst driving.

prowla

ICBM said:

I've never understood why the laws concerning killing someone are different if you do it while driving a car.

Killing someone while not paying attention because you're using a phone while driving is basically causing death by criminal negligence… for which the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.

I don't know why we have silly particular laws - they should be as general as possible.

earwighoney

ThorpyFX said:

 This happened to an acquaintance of mine, she was on her phone, a drunk/druggie walked into her path and she hit him and killed him. She was sent to prison fro causing death by dangerous driving and it very nearly ruined her career. Indeed only the judges leniency and plee to her employer saved her. She has to live with this for the rest of her life.

What relevance does the victim being drunk have?  Seems pretty judgemental that a person being drunk/high negates someone using a phone in a car which they shouldn't have done.  

Seems your acquaintance got off incredibly lightly - 'having to live with it' seems like absolutely nothing.  

xpia98jf

Imagine if you were unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident where someone was killed. It wasn't your fault but the police check your phone records and decide to prosecute you under this new law even though you weren't using your phone at the time. You face life imprisonment if found guilty even though you're entirely innocent. That would be a fun experience wouldn't it?

ThePrettyDamned

I'm pleased with this. I see a lot of people texting and driving, and it's stupid, dangerous and negligent.

Basically don't be a twat. 

@ThorpyFX I can't even do that when driving. I can talk to someone in the car easily, listen to music and talk on the phone via Bluetooth or whatever. However, dictating text messages screws me up so I don't do it. Unfortunately not everyone is happy to admit their limitations - my dad doesn't have the same problem with it as me. 

ourmaninthenorth

While we're at it, I'd give life to: 

A) the tired behind the wheel.

the inexperienced

C) the parents with young children aboard at school run time

D) those cheeky bastards that decide to have a conversation whilst driving..

E) the lost in a strange place, who make mistakes. 

F) the simply stupid...

G) pipe and roll ups smokers...

H) those consulting or listening to a sat nat

I) those listening to the radio. 

J) lorry drivers, all lorry drivers. 

K) the old

etc etc etc....ad nauseum

Mobile phone use is so common place, most people can use them at a high level whilst asleep. Whilst driving it's just another skill one develops. 

Driving is dangerous, and was so before texting. 

I'm too busy defensively driving against children in their high powered whatever to really notice the menace of a sneaky call to the missus, or a text being read. 

Foster

earwighoney said:

ThorpyFX said:

 This happened to an acquaintance of mine, she was on her phone, a drunk/druggie walked into her path and she hit him and killed him. She was sent to prison fro causing death by dangerous driving and it very nearly ruined her career. Indeed only the judges leniency and plee to her employer saved her. She has to live with this for the rest of her life.

What relevance does the victim being drunk have?  Seems pretty judgemental that a person being drunk/high negates someone using a phone in a car which they shouldn't have done.  

Seems your acquaintance got off incredibly lightly - 'having to live with it' seems like absolutely nothing.  

As opposed to being judgemental that a person was using their phone while driving?

You don't know the entire story, it could be that she didn't see the person because of lack of attention or she was doing 50mph on a country lane without lights when someone decides to wander into the road wearing dark coloured clothing. There's always a chance that the use of a mobile phone played no factor in the accident.

If I was off my face due to whatever and walked into traffic I think it'd be fair to say I wasn't paying attention - it could also be fault of the driver for not seeing me or reacting in time but whats to say their attention wasn't distracted by another vehicle?

earwighoney

Foster said:

 As opposed to being judgemental that a person was using their phone while driving?

They shouldn't have been on their phone while driving.  

CabbageCat

Can anyone who has a big problem with phone use in a car and doesn't have much of a problem with any of the things ourmaninthenorth listed explain how they came to that position? I don't like car telephoning - it is dangerous - but I don't give it any special weight. It's certainly a lesser crime in my mind than deliberately driving a car into someone with the intent to kill them.