Roadside 'textalyser' will treat drivers on smartphones like drunks

Police may start using a "textalyser" soon the new gadget will help them gauge if a distracted driver has been using their mobile phone before a road incident.

The move is in response to the rise  of instances of distracted driving that have led to accidents and death.

The idea was proposed by a draft legislation in New York, which would require drivers to submit their phones for testing, if pulled up by authorities.

"Reports indicate that 67 per cent of drivers admit to continued use of their cell phones while driving despite knowledge of the inherent danger to themselves and others on the road," the draft law said.
"Therefore, it is in the state's interest to treat this impairment with a similar methodology to that of drunk driving."

The new law, known as "Evan's Law" is named after 19-year-old Evan Lieberman, who died in a 2011 collision caused by a distracted driver. His father, Ben Lieberman, helped to draft and implement the law through his awareness nonprofit  Distracted Operators Risk Casualties (DORCS).

How the device would work

Obviously, due to privacy laws, police would not be able to force people to unlock their phone to check their recent calls, texts or social media activity.

Instead, the "textalyser" would look at metadata on the phone just to check whether it was used recently or not - keeping conversations, contacts, numbers, photos, and app data private.

Mobile phones are biggest accident risk in the UK

67 people were killed in Britain in the past three years purely because drivers were on their phones - and this doesn't include those who may have just put down their phones or been about to pick them up.

The Department for Transport has said that of 88 deaths caused by distractions in 2012, 17 (or 19pc) were due to mobile use – the highest death rate compared to other in-case causes such as people, children or sat-navs.

For more in depth information please read the article by the Telegraph

Just give me the points and a fine

A driver caught using his mobile phone asked for penalty points and a fine rather than opt for a "boring" course, police have said.

The unnamed motorist stated on a caution form he had completed a driver improvement course the day before.

He wrote: "Just give me the points and fine - I did the mobile phone course yesterday. It was as boring as hell."

Those who commit motoring offences are sometimes offered courses as an alternative to penalties. No details about where the man was stopped have been released.
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The force's road policing team shared a photo of the form on Twitter with the comment: "Some will never learn".

M5 Truck and Multi vehicle crash 16/3/16 - Sydney NSW

Its always scary just how quickly things can go wrong on the road from a slight lapse of concentration

Death crash driver who drove at 95mph in 30mph zone jailed for 12 years

Matthew Scrimshaw killed a woman while speeding at up to 95mph in a 30mph zone has been jailed for 12 years.

The 37 year old was driving on the wrong side of the road when he hit Iris Higginson, 67, in December 2014. Scrimshaw was also 1.75 times over the blood alcohol limit.

The judge said it was the longest sentence he had passed for death by dangerous driving in a 30-year career

Nottinghamshire Police

Ahead of the crash Scrimshaw's Audi TT was captured on CCTV on Mansfield Road, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, at speeds of 88mph and 95mph, the trial heard.

Mrs Higginson who "had been doing absolutely nothing wrong" died at the scene when her Vauxhall Corsa was hit almost head on.

Scrimshaw made no attempt to comfort her, help her or call the police and left the scene to hide the fact he had been drinking, the prosecution said.

Judge Michael Stokes, who also banned Scrimshaw from driving for 15 years, said: "I have had to deal with some appalling cases involving extremely dangerous driving, but I cannot recall a case of a defendant who has demonstrated such an overriding contempt for the law and for the feelings of other people."

Scrimshaw was also found guilty of causing serious injuries by dangerous driving in relation to a friend who was a passenger in his car. He suffered a broken jaw and foot.


Speaking outside court, Ms Higginson's daughter-in-law Pauline Hotchkiss described her as "a wonderful lady".

She said the family had received justice "but we will not get over" the death of the great-grandmother.

A decision was taken not to proceed on charges of failing to stop at an accident, driving with excess alcohol and failing to report an accident.

Det Sgt James Greely, of Nottinghamshire Police, said it was some of "the worst driving I have ever investigated".

Speeding driver who blamed dead man jailed

A driver who blamed a dead man for his speeding offence has been jailed.

After Andrew Evans's car was caught by a speed camera travelling at 51mph in a 30mph zone in Plymouth in April, he claimed his neighbour Ben Hughes had been driving at the time.

It was only when police looked up Mr Hughes to pass on the prosecution they found he had died a few months before.

Evans, 48, of Ludlow, Shropshire, admitted perverting the course of justice and was jailed for six years...

source: BBC Devon

Can you drive your car after an MOT fail if the old test hasn’t expired?

Can you drive your car after an MOT fail if the old test hasn’t expired?

There is a lot of speculation around this topic online, some sites claim that drivers are within their rights to continue using a car with an in-date MOT certificate, even a tester has since deemed it unroadworthy.

The government has updated its guidelines warning motorists that they face prosecution if they drive their car following an MOT failure – even if its previous test hasn’t expired.

“You must not drive the vehicle on the road if it fails the test, even if the MOT hasn’t run out.”
It adds that the only exceptions are to drive to have the defects fixed, or to a pre-booked MOT appointment.

If you’re caught driving a car in a dangerous condition, you could face a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and three penalty points.

Source: http://www.motoringresearch.com

Unique Pothole Protest - Cock Drawing!

Bright white penises have been spray painted around more than a dozen potholes on Cock Lane. (yes that is the roads real name!).

Residents have been complaining about subsidence and the crumbling road surface for two years but the council has carried out no repairs.

Now motorists hope the images - which are different sizes and point in different directions - will spur authorities into action.

Polly Birkbeck, 49, spotted the obscene graffiti, in Fetcham, Surrey, while taking her daughter to school yesterday.

She said: "I drive down there every day on the school run and said to my daughter, 'hang on a minute, someone's drawn willies on the road'.

"There are about 15 of them, I stopped the car and counted.
"They're on all the bad bits of the road, it's a sort of protest by someone with a smutty sense of humour.

"That stretch of road is really annoying, it's terribly uneven, I guess the council will just scrub them off but I'm surprised they haven't fixed this bit of road because it's been like that for years.

"It's possibly a way to highlight the issue and galvanise someone into action.

"It did make me smile - it's quite surprising to see because you don't get much graffiti around here.

"I have absolutely no idea who did it, but it must have taken a while." Cllr Raj Haque said Surrey County Council had promised fix the road this month but it has now been put back to next year.

He said the delay was "a shock to many residents who were given reassurances that the work would be under way in September".

Ian Routledge, who lives on a road joining Cock Lane, said: “This has been an issue for at least two years.

"No-one from the council will have a sensible conversation with you about what needs to be done.
“We just get fobbed off all the time.”

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk