Policing powers against naughty road users...

[MrsNiki]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23713732

 

I remember seeing the article on here a couple of months back about bringing in some kind of legislation to fine road users who hog lanes... Well its come into force, along with a few other things by the looks of it! Will be interesting to see how they define 'inappropriate speed'..... I wonder if the police will have to use video evidence to be able to pull over people and fine them, or if they will get the power to do so based on their own opinions.

 

Thoughts?

[Dblock]

Wheel spins lol that happens in my shed with the tyres made from Lego.

 

Sounds good but will end up being abused to get police to fill up their books and make some moolah OR it won't be followed at all and no one will care.

[The Bounty Bar Kid]

The move brings careless or inconsiderate driving offences into line with the penalties for similar non-motoring fixed penalties. Drivers can still appeal against any decision through the courts.

 

Among the offences police are expected to focus on are:

 

•Driving too close to the vehicle in front

 

•Failing to give way at a junction (not requiring evasive action by another driver)

 

•Overtaking and pushing into a queue of traffic

 

•Being in the wrong lane and pushing into a queue on a roundabout

 

•Lane discipline, such as needlessly hogging the middle or outside lanes

 

•Inappropriate speed

 

•Wheel-spins, handbrake turns and other careless manoeuvres

 

Woo hoo! Finally some of my pet hates sorted! Lol.

Edited August 16, 2013 by The Bounty Bar Kid

[Ekona]

This will make zero difference to anyone.

[sipar69]

Can't see much of it being enforced regularly though. I would especially like to see more done to people who use mobiles. I see so much of that its untrue. I know they've upped the fine but there needs to be more active enforcement because at the moment a lot of people clearly don't think they will get caught.

[wizurd]

How are they going to enforce this. A lot of that is objective. It'll be abused to make money and it'll tie up court time with appeals. I'm sure we've all had some idiot try to push in at the last minute or be in the wrong lane of a roundabout but then at the same time sometimes people just make innocent mistakes.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Edited August 16, 2013 by wizurd

[glrnet]

There are not enough Traffic Police Officers out there to take care of this kind of stuff, they can't even deal with people on phones and lane hogging on Motorways.

[Wasso]

There are not enough Traffic Police Officers out there to take care of this kind of stuff, they can't even deal with people on phones and lane hogging on Motorways.

 

+Infinity

[Stutopia]

Inappropriate speed?

 

"How fast we're you going?"

"55"

"This is a 60, but I think 55 is inappropriate because I saw a super cute little squirrel run into the road and you were very close to it. £100 please, right now"

"But why is that inappropriate officer?"

"Simply because I say so".

 

 

 

[wmr1980]

"Overtaking and pushing into a queue of traffic"

 

Doesn't this sort of go against the merge in turn rule? How do you differentiate between overtaking and pushing in to driving past everyone to get to the merge point?

 

All these rules are good in principle but we've already got most of these covered by current rules. It's the lack of road patrols that are the issue.

[Benedunn]

I think it's pretty sad that the police have nothing better to do that harass innocent road users! A lot of the things on that list I'd call some of my number 1 pet hates (central lane hoggers for 1 grrrrr!) I don't think people should be getting fined for them. It's just another f******* tax on road users to finance an ever growing, corrupt police force

 

 

 

Go catch some real criminals I'd say!

[Benedunn]

And FYI everyone it wasn't THAT long ago there was nothing wrong with driving on your phone - I don't remember the roads been chaos because of it :-/

 

 

Almost like the smoking in pubs thing .... The end of the world now but a few years ago a pub wasn't a pub unless it was full of smoke! Is the world better for the ban? - well we have less pubs I guess :-(

[glrnet]

Driving on the phone causes distraction and increase the risk of having an accident, likewise the closing of pubs has been caused more by people drinking socially at home because of the low price of alcohol in supermarkets rather than the smoking ban.

[cs2000]

• Being in the wrong lane and pushing into a queue on a roundabout

 

So what if you're lost and accidentally in the wrong lane? I guess il keep doing my trick of going all the way round a roundabout.

 

Bloody stupid rules that have come in simply as yet another hidden tax on motorists.

[wmr1980]

I do that round the roundabout trick too :o

[Ekona]

I think it's pretty sad that the police have nothing better to do that harass innocent road users! A lot of the things on that list I'd call some of my number 1 pet hates (central lane hoggers for 1 grrrrr!) I don't think people should be getting fined for them. It's just another f******* tax on road users to finance an ever growing, corrupt police force

 

 

 

Go catch some real criminals I'd say!

I really hope you're joking. If not, that's probably the dumbest post I've read on here for a while.

[KyleR]

There are 2 specific places near me that people clearly overtake then try to force their way in at the merge point, it's pretty obvious that they're doing it. Plus, there's a big difference between merging and pushing in.

 

Then only last week I had some woman in an Audi tractor near relieve me of my front bumper on a roundabout by forcing her way into my lane. In my opinion, if you find yourself in the wrong lane on a roundabout, you should either circle until it's safe to change lanes, or take off at the nearest turn and come back.

[rothers2901]

I think it's pretty sad that the police have nothing better to do that harass innocent road users! A lot of the things on that list I'd call some of my number 1 pet hates (central lane hoggers for 1 grrrrr!) I don't think people should be getting fined for them. It's just another f******* tax on road users to finance an ever growing, corrupt police force

 

 

Go catch some real criminals I'd say!

I really hope you're joking. If not, that's probably the dumbest post I've read on here for a while.

 

 

+1 Dumber than dumb

Edited August 16, 2013 by rothers2901

[JetSet]

The only thing I see new is this.

 

Under the new measures, officers can issue £100 fines and three points rather than taking drivers to court.

 

The word "rather" would indicate to me that at least some of these were already offenses, so just bringing things into line with other fixed penalty ticketing.

 

£100 fine for using a mobile won't deter that many people but at least its a step in the right direction.

 

Pete

[Stutopia]

This handy video explains everything (not really)

 

[maxi-glasgow]

Driving on the phone causes distraction and increase the risk of having an accident, likewise the closing of pubs has been caused more by people drinking socially at home because of the low price of alcohol in supermarkets rather than the smoking ban.

 

Actually read a scientific report put together in the US where it is legal to use a mobile phone and they concluded that there is no link between an increase in road accidents and use of a mobile phone.

 

This was only published last week, but it won't make big news will it, as it doesn't suit the ministry of making more money out of motorists.

 

There are a million and one things to distract a driver, stereo, sat nav, using rear view mirror, looking at the scenery etc etc

 

It is more distracting if your texting on your phone while driving than actually talking, at least if you were talking you are looking at the road and not your handset..

[Flex]

Might not be enforced by the police but if it makes the roads a bit safer or even more pleasurable to drive on then, winning.

[wmr1980]

Driving on the phone causes distraction and increase the risk of having an accident, likewise the closing of pubs has been caused more by people drinking socially at home because of the low price of alcohol in supermarkets rather than the smoking ban.

 

Actually read a scientific report put together in the US where it is legal to use a mobile phone and they concluded that there is no link between an increase in road accidents and use of a mobile phone.

 

This was only published last week, but it won't make big news will it, as it doesn't suit the ministry of making more money out of motorists.

 

There are a million and one things to distract a driver, stereo, sat nav, using rear view mirror, looking at the scenery etc etc

 

It is more distracting if your texting on your phone while driving than actually talking, at least if you were talking you are looking at the road and not your handset..

 

Similar research has been done in the uk and Europe showing that the standard of driving is worse than if you're just over the limit of blood alcohol....

[JetSet]

 

 

Actually read a scientific report put together in the US where it is legal to use a mobile phone and they concluded that there is no link between an increase in road accidents and use of a mobile phone.

 

 

 

It's actually illegal in 11 States and there are laws to restrict usage in nearly all the others. With 30,000 road deaths a year, compared to the 2,000 we have here I wouldn't take any report on road safety that comes out of The States seriously, they put peoples rights way above road safety, thus seat belt laws are not enforced and crash hats aren't compulsory in many States.

 

 

Pete

[rtbiscuit]

I don't get why so many still use there phone the wrong way. You can still use a phone while driving, you just need to be hands free. as for the rest of the rules seems like common sense to me. I would suspect those that are getting outraged over it are possibly the kind of people that make those kind of driving faux pas. The rules look set to tackle aggressive driving styles or those who aren't paying attention/road aware/observant. Which from what I've seen are half the morons on the road. My route home is 4 miles with half on dual carriage way. On the way home at the last roundabout the right lane is used for those going right. But I've sat behind people who sit in the right lane never overtaking and through 3 other roundabouts just because right at the end they're going right. Then all the idiots who can't use the right lane at junctions. Those driving in the bus lane, those who don't use their mirrors or indicators. My big pet hate of the mong yards with their fogs on when its not foggy. The list could go on.