Mobile phones and driving

Posted in Old blogger by Twenty Major on January 30th, 2007

A report yesterday said 5,500 people have been caught using their mobile phones while driving since the law came into effect banning their use.

What happened to them though? Were they scolded severely? Did they get points on their licence? Did they get 100 lines “I must not use my mobile phone when driving”?

I’ll tell you what I’d do if I was in charge of the police. Aside from giving them a good clip around the ear I’d confiscate their phones.

“Now Sir, give me the phone. You can have it back at the end of the week.”

“But I need that phone for work!”

“Two weeks”

“But-”

“The end of the month then.”

Now that’s a proper fucking deterrent. Seriously, if you must use your mobile phone when driving at least get one of those hands free kits. What do they cost? Less than €100, I bet. Or do what one ingenious person I know does and put the speaker function on his phone then he jams the phone into the arch of the steering wheel. Hands free and free free too. It doesn’t cost a penny.

I bet if they started confiscating phones that 5,500 would drop dramatically. Let’s face it, people these days can’t survive without their mobile phones. They take them everywhere and feel completely detached if they don’t have it with them. The thoughts of having it confiscated, with the cops able to read all their text messages, would ensure this particular crime rate fell.

A little bit of creative policing there. I should have sold this idea to Fine Gael, made a few bob from it. Oh well.