Do you text while driving? Despite the warnings, embarrassment and potential to rear-end someone (or worse) — about 23 per cent of NSW motorists admit to checking a text or taking a call while driving, according to 2011 research from Newspoll and insurance firm Bingle. Little wonder that NSW cops caught 796 motorists talking or texting on their phones during ‘Operation Compliance’ on Wednesday.
Here are the areas that were home to the largest number of offenders:
Rose Bay – 115
Surry Hills – 113
Newcastle – 23
Tweed/Byron – 19
Griffith – 17
In total, 632 drivers were caught in metro areas and 164 on regional roads. That’s pretty crazy when you think that Wednesday’s crackdown was just a one day operation.
In a media release however, Acting Highway Patrol and Traffic Command Operations Manager Phil Brook said police
will continue to target motorists using their mobile phones because, clearly, by not concentrating solely on driving their vehicle and their surroundings, they are putting other road users at risk.
The effect of using a hand-held phone behind the wheel has been widely studied and is universally acknowledged to dramatically increase the risk of having a crash.
Here’s what the cops can slap you with:
It is illegal in all Australian states and territories to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving – this includes sending or receiving SMS messages. The penalty for being caught talking or texting while driving in NSW is a $253 fine and the loss of 3 demerit points.
Source: NSW.gov.au PDF fact sheet
Add other digital distractions, like GPS devices, into the driving mix and there’s a lot going on behind the wheel of some cars on our streets.
As I always say, it comes down to personal responsibility for my mind. What’s your take?
Original Images by Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images and RTA NSW blended by Gizmodo
JB
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 9:26 AMA few times I’ve been guilty of glancing at potentially important texts – like going to pick someone up and they update you on their location. But I’ve never sent a text or answered a phone call (without hands free) while driving.
Mike
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:01 AMWell aren’t you just the model citizen!
noddman
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 9:32 AMAbout bloody time. I ride a motorbike and the thing that scares me most is SMIDSY, soory mate I didn’t see you, mainly because they weren’t looking. I can’t use my mobile anyway due to helmet and gloves.
InformedGamer
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:04 AMThe thing that scares me the most is the IRMSIAWTTUTBLHGDFTL , I ride a motorbike so I’m allowed to weave through traffic, use the breakdown lane and have a general disregard for traffic laws”, aka I’m a dickhead and I’ll do what I like.
Chris
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:15 AMHaha that made my day!
Avatar
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 4:46 PMSo we can see you’re a jealous little bitch, but actively trying to cause serious injury to other people is pathetic. Is it any wonder that us riders weave throguh traffic when idiots like you are actively trying to kill us?
That’s what having some severe penile insecurities will do to you I guess.
And while you’re at it, tell the truth. You don’t go actively trying to hit people, you’re just so involved in yourself, with your head stuck so far up your arse that you really didn’t see them. This is despite the fact that they were wearing a bright jacket, were riding a fluorescent green bike with the loud pipes that actually save lives.
Take your han doff your cock and stop pretending to be tough. I usually carry a pocket full of presents for passive agressive bitches like you, they go right through your radiator, windscreen, tyres and bodywork. And while you might be insured, you will be stuck on the side of the road until you are collected by the tow truck.
Richard
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 1:14 AMAnd you claim he is the one trying to be tough?
Dave
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 4:43 PMLooks like someone has a case of the MONDAYS!
John
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:25 AMAmazing, in just two comments you show aggression to motorcyclists and arrogance regarding your own driving “skills”. Studies show that people (that includes you), are dramatically MORE LIKELY to have or cause an accident if they use their mobile whilst driving. I havent seen ANY study that claims people HIDING their mobiles whist driving cause accidents. Perhaps you can point to one? Perhaps you should worry less about what motorcyclists are percieved to be doing, and keep your mind on your own driving.
anonops
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:27 AMhahahahahaha. yep.
i used to worry about hitting a motorcyclist. now i really dont give a sh*t. after being on the road for nearly 20 years i came to the realization a while ago that, the majority of them are morons. now, i even go the the extent of swinging out to run them off the road if theyre riding like douches. the way i see it, i’m in my shell. the worst damage you can do is dent my car. it’s insured.
warcroft
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:07 AMSo, just to be clear. . .
They may be riding like dicks, but your intention is to try and run them off the road? Trying to kill them?
Oookay. . .
No One Special
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 1:57 PMAnd then the rider remembers your car/rego and follows you home next time he sees you……the makings of a true life horror revenge film seeded.
Some people act pretty tough when they think they are invulnerable but things change very rapidly when confronted without their 2 ton metal security blanket.
No One Special
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 2:05 PMAnd then the rider remembers your car/rego and follows you home next time he sees you……the makings of a true life horror revenge film seeded.
Some people act pretty tough when they think they are invulnerable but things change very rapidly when confronted without their 2 ton metal security blanket.
Doug Cox
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:52 AMIt’s worse than that. I’m sick of all the idiots crossing the centreline towards me while they’re texting, you can pick them by the way the car wanders then jerks back into it’s lane suddenly when the driver looks up.
I ride a motorcycle and I’ve changed my riding habits, now keeping well to the left when approaching oncoming traffic.
Phone use or any kind is a distraction as dangerous as a seriously drunk driver or driving down a rough road with a loaded shotgun propped up in the back.
As a firefighter who has to clean up the carnage created by these idiots, I would suggest to them that they need to learn to ignore their phone until they’ve pulled over safely.
Don’t even get me started on dash-mounted display units…
MotorMouth
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 9:44 AMI find that even using hands-free is a distraction. A couple of times I’ve had to brake hard to avoid someone I would normally have seen in plenty of time. There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to use a phone while driving. It takes no effort at all to pull over or wait until you are stopped at the lights to read an SMS, although, if you had a decent phone it would read your SMS to you and allow you to dictate responses.
TSH
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:45 AMI put my phone in easy reach when driving, and will let a call go if I’m busy or in traffic. If I do have time to reach down and swipe-to-answer, I’ll leave it where it is and shout “sorry! driving at the moment! I’ll call you back ok?!” then hit “end call”.
I never sms while driving, especially with a touchscreen that I have to watch. Was guilty of doing it when I had a physical T9 keypad as you could use that by feel alone.
Jackson Bison
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 9:51 AMI think the fines should be twice as high for those idiots who hold their phones at their chins as though it somehow makes them less on it.
chugs
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 9:59 AMI think the danger is overblown.
For the millions of kilometres driven the vast majority of drivers are using their phones. Clearly if phones were resulting in accidents this would be represented in accident statistics.
I do think there are some dangers but lets start seeing problems where there aren’t any.
John
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:28 AMThere are dozens of studies, and they all come out more or less the same. Using the phone whilst driving increases the risks – to you and to others. Your “logic” is like the heavy drinker who thinks they drive better when drunk. It’s crap, they don’t and just because you haven’t yet had a problem (at least that you know about) doesn’t mean you won’t.
MotorMouth
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 9:57 AMHow would mobile phone use be represented in accident statistics? No-one is going to admit to it, so unless there is evidence of it, it will go unreported. If you don’t find it impairs your own driving, then I’d suggest you are probably already a terrible, inattentive driver. Driving should require 100% of your concentration, giving it any less is how you get camera fines and have/cause accidents.
LOL
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:00 AMThe number of time I’ve seen police on the mobile phone is taking the piss..
InformedGamer
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:08 AMRealistically, having to hide your mobile phone use is whats causing more accidents. If we were allowed to use our phones, we’d have them at eye height allowing us to keep our eyes up on the road. Albeit, I never send a text unless I’m stopped at the lights, but I’ve never had an accident talking on hands free or glancing at my phone to check an important text.
As a little bit of extra info, did you know until mid last year you could get off a “using mobile phone while driving” charge if you claimed you were using it for music/GPS/Email. Of course it didn’t take it long for that loophole to get patched up.
Stew
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:41 AMI wondered about that. Changing the radio station on your car stereo is fine, but changing the MP3 currently playing on your phone (which is plugged into your car stereo) isn’t…
wsDK_II
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:54 AMThe controls on your car are static – as in they dont move and you (after a few weeks) should be able to find them in the dark (if you cant, then please dont drive). the difference is that your phone can move all over the place so you have to search for it, meaning that you are not concentrating on the road.
if you had your phone stuck to the car somehow so it didnt move, and the controls were always accessable (as in you didnt have to enter in a passcode to unlock the screen to access them) then i dont see what the problem would be with that.
Stew
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:15 PMIt might new car, or a new stereo, or a hire car, or a friend’s car – doesn’t matter. Just pointing out there’s a significant grey area.
I still reckon a cop could bust you for answering a call on your phone which goes through your car stereo’s bluetooth depending on how grumpy they are.
Richard
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 1:22 AMYou don’t have to hide the phone, and you can use it for specific functions. Buy a handsfree kit and the device can be right there and you will be able to make calls.
If a text message is so important then pull over, it’ll only cost you 30 seconds anyway.
Besides that, there are studies to show it’s more dangerous. It wasn’t always a case that you had to “hide the phone”, but the rules changed for a reason.
Mac
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:25 AMStupid laws like this is what makes everyone paranoyed and more nervous. Stop controlling every inch of our lives and we might be a little more responsible.
SMIDSY
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 2:40 PM+1
Stupid laws getting in the way of my operating a motor vehicle without due care and attention.
It makes me really anoid and I reckon people have demonstrated they can be trusted to do the right thing without laws being enforced.
… oh, and something about ‘revenue raising’.
warcroft
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:13 AMI just dont answer the phone when driving.
My phone reads my text messages to me when Im in the car and I can use voice to reply to them. 100% hands free.
But we had this discussion at work the other day and my bosses daughter is a cop, so we called her for clarification and we asked about a few different scenarios. This is basically the crux of the rule. . .
You get a call and want to answer it you have to pull over to the side of the road, vehicle in park, ignition off, keys removed.
Even if you just got in your car, put your keys in the ignition (but have NOT started the engine) and answer your phone, you are considered (by law) in control of the vehicle and can be fined.
A considerate policeman will overlook the ‘keys in ignition’ issue, but an arsehole policeman will sting you for it.
warcroft
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:14 AMThis comment has been deemed inappropriate and has been deleted.
Adam
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 4:28 PMThis is true. You are supposed to remove the keys. A friend of mine was fined for sleeping while he was drunk. He had the keys in the ignition cause he was listening to music and was in the back seat, but he was still charged with a DUI. Crazy.
Realist
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:10 PMDon’t the police have better things to do? Like winning the War on Drugs?
MotorMouth
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10:05 AMYeah, how is making the city safe for its citizens worth anyone’s time. Jackass! If anything, police need to have a far greater presence on the roads. The fact that I haven’t been booked for speeding since 1995 is more than sufficient proof of that, because I drive like a crazy person all the time.
Steve
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:12 PMWhen I stop seeing the police talking and driving so will I. In fact i actually pulled over and congratulated a melbourne officer the other day as he had pulled over to talk.
Mac
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 1:35 PMDid he arrest you for being a patronising twerp who can’t mind his own business?
Hugh
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 1:23 PMI fail to see how this is any worse than Taxi drivers using their GPS data displays, truck drivers using their CB/UHF radios, or the Police themselves using data display, radio and phones.
Maniacal
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 2:51 PMI put my phone in a silent mode. I don’t answer it or text. I do not have GPS as i think it is just the same (or any other electronic device really).
I am a self confessed hoon, 99% of the time I don’t even have any tunes going because I enjoy driving purely for driving, even in peak hour and if I do have some tunes going it will be a cd of heavy metal, which tends to arc me up and hoon worse so I switch it off. it too hard to hear the motor using a manual effectively when music is blaring out.
I think anyone who believes they can drive a vehicle effectively while using devices is a dropkick and I often wonder why taxi drivers are allowed to use all that equipment. (as a side note, here in WA taxi drivers are allowed to NOT wear a seatbelt at night while all passengers must)
Capable
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 5:40 PMI just got done the other day for NOT using a mobile phone- it was sitting in my pocket the entire time. Even though people should be booked for using a phone while driving, forgive me for mistrusting those figures a little.
S0ULphIRE
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 7:21 PMI take public transport :D saves money and saves me having to deal with idiot drivers. Can I say, win?
Boring
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 9:08 PMI personally only pick up my smart phone in traffic jambs which are only not in place from about 11am till 3.pm everyday. It’s the only way to keep sane when you are lucky to be moving. Improve the roads spend some of the money raised from fuel taxes on roads, do them properly the first time instead of doing minimal then having to come back a few years later and adding more lanes causing even more traffic jambs while working and costing millions upon millions more having to come back and do it properly. Mind you I guess that’s always going to be the next governments problem. In the meantime you will just lower speed limits once the majority have adjusted to the new lower speeds and revenue slows to a trickle. In the name of road safety you will once again drop speeds by another 10k’s. What a windfall.
Once the revenue is required to make the state budget balance, surely people should realise it’s not about safety
niteling
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:02 PMI agree about lowering speeds, I live in Adelaide and the speed limits are ever dropping, it’s ridiculous.
MD
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 2:14 AMI have never had a accident driving while: Rolling a smoke, Eating Breakfast on the way to work, Brushing Teeth, smoking, talking to Passengers, Using a Laptop based GPS/Dispatch System, navigating via GPS device,txting or Talking on the Phone…. Using a street directory to find that address in unfamiliar territory…
Sure I have done all of those, I don’t make a habit of any but over the years, have been guilty o all the above… (who hasn’t had a coffee while driving)
Sure I have had the odd wobble along the road, while driving distracted…..NO Accidents, and no fines for these Infractions.
Proves Nothing…
I have had a ‘couple’ of accidents: pushing the Limits of physics, taking the vehicle beyond its design capacity, animal on road while blinded by other high beams, Other Driver Driving through a stop sign, other driver rolling into my lane while passing, Other Driver Hesitating on roundabout(my bad), not noticing traffic stopping unexpectedly (again my bad)…
What does this Prove, NOTHING..
Doing Anything while Driving except for the driving part can be an offence, Driving with a couple of screaming kids in the car can be deemed distracted driving…. It is just that the police have made an example of Mobile phones drivers using a CD radio has always been technically illegal (argue it if you like) in the old days no-one (cop) would enforce it, now not so sure…
A Good Driver (probably not me, everyone always claims they are above average, when for everyone to make that claim means they are all mostly average, or below) will always pay attention to everything happening outside the car and will not be distracted by anything inside the car…. ( including talking to fellow inmates)
I have never had an accident for any of the things I have received fines over the years….
Speeding: I have never had an accident (incident) where the speed was excessive, all instances where speed was a factor, I was travelling was lower than posted speed and the road condition was bad (rallying around mountain roads,wet, gravel on corner, loose gravel etc…)
(Oh I did get a Neg-driving ticket one time when I had an accident, off the side of a road, one headlight (other one hit a cow) ‘missed a corner, (would have been posted around 15 if it had been posted) at around 60, and slid off the road missing a tree…. Cop attended and issued a fine (I suppose I had to pay for him driving nearly 100 km out of town to Breathalyse driver on friday night. ) due to towing co, refusing to tow car unless accident reported… so not totally true.)
Oh and the Aggressive Biker comments, not useful….
Anyone who thinks of throwing brake fluid, nails, glass, spikes at other cars or bikes needs to rethink..especially threatening to run a bike off the road it is one thing to use strong positioning in traffic, another to cause (risk) harm to the person . What if the person you just pissed off even more, does come around after and burn your house down, or kill your whole family one night, it has been done… (that is just a possibility not any kind of a threat) Think before Acting or Posting…(I thought)
Also Phone is a Phone, even if you are using it as a GPS unit, it is still a phone, and the cops are allowed to fine you for using a phone while driving, even if just changing MP3.. Even if the Phone is really smart (usually a lot smarter than the user else they would know that Using a phone or Drinking a coffee while stopped at a set of Lights is still driving a car (I always have a coffee in the morning) therefore not allowed (the phone specifically, coffee only by general ruling).)
Bike Riders… Watch that centre line, your wheels may be well inside your lane but where is your head….. I may be coming the other way on the dots (esp when looking to overtake a truck), your head and my mirror/ ‘A’ pillar will make nice music… Im allowed to have my wheel at the line (not on the line), and my ‘A’ pillar doesn’t care too much.
jd
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:25 AMjesus!! how many haters are there on the roads here in Australia. no one owns the road. this includes bikers and any other drivers…
show some respect and empathy…. some of the posts here are insane ! swerving deliberately at a biker?? Grow a brain. and get off the juice!!
Ryy
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 3:17 PMWhat about the people that stop at traffic lights with a gap of 5 meters!!
someone
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 9:16 PMI know right! They sit there and wonder why the light won’t go green. While I sit behind screaming “you’re not on the F*cking weight sensor”!
someone
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 9:15 PMI ride a motorcycle, and am not aggressive to cars. I also drive a car, and am not aggressive to riders. You people really want to seriously injure / kill someone because they overtook or filtered past you? That is beyond petty!
The road is for all of us (rego / tax payers) to share. And to drivers who unconditionally hate motorcyclists, admitting to attempting to run one off the road isn’t just an insurance claim… Its A)Assault with motor vehicle B)Motor vehicle as weapon C) Driving manner dangerous D)Assault with intent… and many more, there are no winners when it comes to road rage. Its not just an insurance claim, its actual jail time! So if a rider overtakes you, swallow your pride and get over it. And riders, stop teasing cars, yes we are faster than most anything else on the road, but no need to rub it in, it hurts drivers pride.
AM- BNE
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 9:58 AMI ride a bike every day.. most people are pretty good towards riders but to be honest I find 80% of bike riders to be complete dicks.. way too unsafe when splitting traffic. I split traffic but only when the traffic is at a complete stop and i know there is 100% room to do so and I dont go over 10km/h. I find scooter riders to be the worst.
On the other other side, I also see alot of bad drivers in the mornings too either from reading the paper, eating breakfast, on the phone, and texting. People still stopped in the middle of the road cause they have their head down and using the phone and not paying attention.
Fact of it all is if people had more respect for everyone else around them, life would be a hell of alot more better.
AM- BNE
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 10:01 AMJust to add.. I have no issues with police booking people for anything, including me for lane splitting. I dont see it as revenue making or anything like that… There should be way more traffic police out there. No1 uses indicators anymore, people speed everywhere, so many unroadworthy cars (bald tires), driving while on the phone.
Zopo
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 12:59 PMWhat about cabbies. They use a GPS looking thing to receive jobs. If using your phone was so dangerous how come taxis are allowed