Driven to distraction

As you probably know, the UK yesterday increased its penalties for using a mobile phone while driving. You'll now get a much bigger fine and points on your licence. Mobile phones are a useful thing and can enhance our lives – never again need I lose my mother in a shopping centre, and have to present myself to the lost child desk. However, we, in my view, are way too reliant on them and if we can’t apply common sense about when to use them then sometimes you have to use the law – and if that law doesn’t work sometimes you have to increase the penalties. I suddenly sound incredibly right wing, which I’m not, in fact my leanings are toward the left, but I just think people are their own worst enemy sometimes.

How many times have you walked along the pavement and someone has veered into your path because they’re walking along talking on a phone? If people can’t even walk in a straight line then how they think they can safely drive a car, which is moving much faster, seems a little confusing to me. But maybe I am just being picky.

People argue that it is no different to listening to the radio in your car, but I’m not sure that I agree. The thing is that if you’re talking to someone on the phone, in your mind you transport yourself to where they are. Your brain works so that you see yourself as basically sitting next to that person – which is not ideal when you’re meant to be concentrating on the road. It isn’t the same as listening to the radio or talking to someone who is in the passenger seat because your brain doesn’t deal with it in the same way.

I would also suggest that you don’t do the following while driving: read a book or newspaper; wear a hat (my driving instructor used to rant about people who did that, particularly old men in trilbies –“why would you need to wear a hat while you’re driving?”); have sex; play a guitar (yes that means you Mr Taxi driver at Waterloo station!); close your eyes, particularly if it’s in the hope that the big truck heading right for you will magically disappear; don’t try and put on tights; and, of course, no text messaging, talking on your phone is bad enough but texting is even worse. Have safe text – do it while you’re parked.