A video on social media showing drivers "unaware" that they are crossing a contraflow cycle lane, marked by red paint on the road, and knocking down not just cyclists, but also scooters and motorcycle riders, and even running into other cars in Brighton city centre has left people shocked, with campaigners once again urging the Labour council to implement a car-free environment in the area.

The multiple collisions on Church Street were caught on video by a shop owner's camera in the space of just a couple of months, at the intersection between Portland Street and Spring Gardens.

road.cc stalwart Jo Burt (better known as VecchioJo), corroborated the dangers on the street, saying that "it's a shockingly badly designed bit of infrastructure".

"The road is one way all the way up the hill but there’s a contra flow bike lane all of the way down. It's dangerous at every junction but this is the worst," he added.

Crashmap, which logs collision data, shows seven crashes between 2017 and 2021, with nearby junctions having contraflow bike lanes on North Laine such as New Road, and Trafalgar Street and Blackman Street, also being hotspots for similar crashes.

Nader, who posted the video on Twitter, however wrote that this was a "daily occurrence", reports Brighton and Hove News (link is external). He added that the most recent collision was captured on the camera this Tuesday.

He said: "Cars [drivers] absolutely do not look right when coming out of Spring Gardens. They sometimes don’t even realise it is a give way junction and you can often witness someone go straight through.

"In the past month I’ve witnessed two people turn into Church Street to go the incorrect way down the one way road. I’m not sure if the building site is obscuring the signage or if it’s getting lost in the visual noise.

"Thankfully there haven’t been any serious injuries yet."

A spokesman for Bricycles, a campaign group for cyclists in Brighton and Hove, called on the council to ban cars from the North Laine entirely. He said: "This whole area in the city centre should be a car-free environment.

"This was the number one recommendation from Labour’s own Climate Assembly in 2020. The Labour council now needs to get it in place as soon as possible."

The Labour-dominated Brighton & Hove City Council has come under fire by campaigners in recent months for not showing support for cycling policies and described as being "actively against active travel".

Just a week ago, cyclists had questioned the development, or lack thereof, about the cycle lane on Marine Parade, next to the pavement, from the Marina to the Palace Pier, for which the former Green council had secured a £1.2 million funding for in May.

Jamie Lloyd, former Green Councillor and lead for Active Travel, had told road.cc: "Now that the anti-active travel Labour Council are in full control, they will almost certainly not do anything to deliver on that."

The council was also quizzed if there were any plans to make the junction in North Laine safer, to which the chair of the Transport and Sustainability Committee, Councillor Trevor Muten replied: "I’m shocked and disturbed by the contents of this video, and my thoughts go out to everyone who was affected by these collisions.

Councillor Muten urged people involved in these collisions or those who witnessed them to report them to the Operation Crackdown, the joint initiative run by Sussex Police and Sussex Sustainability Research Programme to investigate anti-social driving.

He said that they analysed the collision data based on collisions reported to the police that result in an injury, adding that he believed it could be possible that they were not made aware of "some of the incidents" shown in the video.

He continued: "As part of our strategy to improve road safety in the city, have also recently introduced a new process for prioritising safety-related improvements. This will take into account other factors beyond collision data alone. One of these is around the perceived risks to pedestrians and cyclists.

"We are committed to making further improvements and investing in high quality infrastructure which makes on our city accessible, enjoyable and safe for all."

A Brighton resident and cyclist, Sarah Forbes, meanwhile, questioned Muten on social media: "Will there be immediate action to improve this junction? I really didn't want to cycle down here after seeing this but realised it would add so much time to my journey, especially without VG3 link either. Hard to keep going with those images running through my mind."

Another person tagged Muten and the council on social media, saying: "We desperately need improved and safer cycle infrastructure, not more delays."

https://road.cc/content/news/drivers-hitting-cyclists-contraflow-brighton-cycle-lane-303741

On 08/09/2023 02:12 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> A video on social media showing drivers "unaware" that they are crossing a contraflow cycle lane, marked by red paint on the road, and knocking down not just cyclists, but also scooters and motorcycle riders, and even running into other cars in Brighton city centre has left people shocked, with campaigners once again urging the Labour council to implement a car-free environment in the area.
>
> The multiple collisions on Church Street were caught on video by a shop owner's camera in the space of just a couple of months, at the intersection between Portland Street and Spring Gardens.
>
> road.cc stalwart Jo Burt (better known as VecchioJo), corroborated the dangers on the street, saying that "it's a shockingly badly designed bit of infrastructure".
>
> "The road is one way all the way up the hill but there’s a contra flow bike lane all of the way down.

In other words, it ISN'T one-way.

Thickos at road.cc at it with their hazy grasp of the English language
yet again.

> It's dangerous at every junction but this is the worst," he added.
> Crashmap, which logs collision data, shows seven crashes between 2017 and 2021, with nearby junctions having contraflow bike lanes on North Laine such as New Road, and Trafalgar Street and Blackman Street, also being hotspots for similar crashes.
> Nader, who posted the video on Twitter, however wrote that this was a "daily occurrence", reports Brighton and Hove News (link is external). He added that the most recent collision was captured on the camera this Tuesday.
> He said: "Cars [drivers] absolutely do not look right when coming out of Spring Gardens. They sometimes don’t even realise it is a give way junction and you can often witness someone go straight through.

So... IS the street one way or ISN'T it?

Or is this a Schrodinger One-Way Street?

> "In the past month I’ve witnessed two people turn into Church Street to go the incorrect way down the one way road. I’m not sure if the building site is obscuring the signage or if it’s getting lost in the visual noise.
> "Thankfully there haven’t been any serious injuries yet."
> A spokesman for Bricycles, a campaign group for cyclists in Brighton and Hove, called on the council to ban cars from the North Laine entirely. He said: "This whole area in the city centre should be a car-free environment.
> "This was the number one recommendation from Labour’s own Climate Assembly in 2020. The Labour council now needs to get it in place as soon as possible."
> The Labour-dominated Brighton & Hove City Council has come under fire by campaigners in recent months for not showing support for cycling policies and described as being "actively against active travel".
> Just a week ago, cyclists had questioned the development, or lack thereof, about the cycle lane on Marine Parade, next to the pavement, from the Marina to the Palace Pier, for which the former Green council had secured a £1.2 million funding for in May.
> Jamie Lloyd, former Green Councillor and lead for Active Travel, had told road.cc: "Now that the anti-active travel Labour Council are in full control, they will almost certainly not do anything to deliver on that."
> The council was also quizzed if there were any plans to make the junction in North Laine safer, to which the chair of the Transport and Sustainability Committee, Councillor Trevor Muten replied: "I’m shocked and disturbed by the contents of this video, and my thoughts go out to everyone who was affected by these collisions.
> Councillor Muten urged people involved in these collisions or those who witnessed them to report them to the Operation Crackdown, the joint initiative run by Sussex Police and Sussex Sustainability Research Programme to investigate anti-social driving.
> He said that they analysed the collision data based on collisions reported to the police that result in an injury, adding that he believed it could be possible that they were not made aware of "some of the incidents" shown in the video.
> He continued: "As part of our strategy to improve road safety in the city, have also recently introduced a new process for prioritising safety-related improvements. This will take into account other factors beyond collision data alone. One of these is around the perceived risks to pedestrians and cyclists.
> "We are committed to making further improvements and investing in high quality infrastructure which makes on our city accessible, enjoyable and safe for all."
> A Brighton resident and cyclist, Sarah Forbes, meanwhile, questioned Muten on social media: "Will there be immediate action to improve this junction? I really didn't want to cycle down here after seeing this but realised it would add so much time to my journey, especially without VG3 link either. Hard to keep going with those images running through my mind."

It's perfectly acceptable to Sarah Forbes for other citizens to have
time added to their journeys though?
>
> Another person tagged Muten and the council on social media, saying: "We desperately need improved and safer cycle infrastructure, not more delays."
> https://road.cc/content/news/drivers-hitting-cyclists-contraflow-brighton-cycle-lane-303741

JNugent <jnugent@mail.com> wrote:
> On 08/09/2023 02:12 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> A video on social media showing drivers "unaware" that they are crossing
>> a contraflow cycle lane, marked by red paint on the road, and knocking
>> down not just cyclists, but also scooters and motorcycle riders, and
>> even running into other cars in Brighton city centre has left people
>> shocked, with campaigners once again urging the Labour council to
>> implement a car-free environment in the area.
>>
>> The multiple collisions on Church Street were caught on video by a shop
>> owner's camera in the space of just a couple of months, at the
>> intersection between Portland Street and Spring Gardens.
>>
>> road.cc stalwart Jo Burt (better known as VecchioJo), corroborated the
>> dangers on the street, saying that "it's a shockingly badly designed bit of
>> infrastructure".
>>
>> "The road is one way all the way up the hill but there’s a contra flow
>> bike lane all of the way down.
>
> In other words, it ISN'T one-way.
>
> Thickos at road.cc at it with their hazy grasp of the English language
> yet again.
>
>> It's dangerous at every junction but this is the worst," he added.
>> Crashmap, which logs collision data, shows seven crashes between 2017
>> and 2021, with nearby junctions having contraflow bike lanes on North
>> Laine such as New Road, and Trafalgar Street and Blackman Street, also
>> being hotspots for similar crashes.
>> Nader, who posted the video on Twitter, however wrote that this was a
>> "daily occurrence", reports Brighton and Hove News (link is external).
>> He added that the most recent collision was captured on the camera this Tuesday.
>> He said: "Cars [drivers] absolutely do not look right when coming out of
>> Spring Gardens. They sometimes don’t even realise it is a give way
>> junction and you can often witness someone go straight through.
>
> So... IS the street one way or ISN'T it?
>
> Or is this a Schrodinger One-Way Street?
>
>> "In the past month I’ve witnessed two people turn into Church Street to
>> go the incorrect way down the one way road. I’m not sure if the building
>> site is obscuring the signage or if it’s getting lost in the visual noise.
>> "Thankfully there haven’t been any serious injuries yet."
>> A spokesman for Bricycles, a campaign group for cyclists in Brighton and
>> Hove, called on the council to ban cars from the North Laine entirely.
>> He said: "This whole area in the city centre should be a car-free environment.
>> "This was the number one recommendation from Labour’s own Climate
>> Assembly in 2020. The Labour council now needs to get it in place as soon as possible."
>> The Labour-dominated Brighton & Hove City Council has come under fire by
>> campaigners in recent months for not showing support for cycling
>> policies and described as being "actively against active travel".
>> Just a week ago, cyclists had questioned the development, or lack
>> thereof, about the cycle lane on Marine Parade, next to the pavement,
>> from the Marina to the Palace Pier, for which the former Green council
>> had secured a £1.2 million funding for in May.
>> Jamie Lloyd, former Green Councillor and lead for Active Travel, had
>> told road.cc: "Now that the anti-active travel Labour Council are in
>> full control, they will almost certainly not do anything to deliver on that."
>> The council was also quizzed if there were any plans to make the
>> junction in North Laine safer, to which the chair of the Transport and
>> Sustainability Committee, Councillor Trevor Muten replied: "I’m shocked
>> and disturbed by the contents of this video, and my thoughts go out to
>> everyone who was affected by these collisions.
>> Councillor Muten urged people involved in these collisions or those who
>> witnessed them to report them to the Operation Crackdown, the joint
>> initiative run by Sussex Police and Sussex Sustainability Research
>> Programme to investigate anti-social driving.
>> He said that they analysed the collision data based on collisions
>> reported to the police that result in an injury, adding that he believed
>> it could be possible that they were not made aware of "some of the
>> incidents" shown in the video.
>> He continued: "As part of our strategy to improve road safety in the
>> city, have also recently introduced a new process for prioritising
>> safety-related improvements. This will take into account other factors
>> beyond collision data alone. One of these is around the perceived risks
>> to pedestrians and cyclists.
>> "We are committed to making further improvements and investing in high
>> quality infrastructure which makes on our city accessible, enjoyable and safe for all."
>> A Brighton resident and cyclist, Sarah Forbes, meanwhile, questioned
>> Muten on social media: "Will there be immediate action to improve this
>> junction? I really didn't want to cycle down here after seeing this but
>> realised it would add so much time to my journey, especially without VG3
>> link either. Hard to keep going with those images running through my mind."
>
> It's perfectly acceptable to Sarah Forbes for other citizens to have
> time added to their journeys though?
>>
>> Another person tagged Muten and the council on social media, saying: "We
>> desperately need improved and safer cycle infrastructure, not more delays."
>> https://road.cc/content/news/drivers-hitting-cyclists-contraflow-brighton-cycle-lane-303741

Well said.

Cyclists seem to have this attitude of ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’
and in order to make it work demand that every pedestrian, horse, and all
other vehicles get banned from everywhere.

And they wonder why they are hated!

Do painted areas on roads have any legal significance, or are they merely
advisory?

We have a painted junction a few miles away, put in after a vehicle ban was
overturned by pressure from shopkeepers whose businesses had taken a big
hit. No-one understands what the markings mean.

--
Spike

They sometimes don’t even realise it is a give way junction and you can often witness someone go straight through.

That was my takeaway too. The contraflow cycle lane is actually a bit of a red herring - a lot of those collisions appear to be a result of motorists just going straight across without looking in either direction...

Spike <aero.spike@btinternet.invalid> wrote:
> JNugent <jnugent@mail.com> wrote:
>> On 08/09/2023 02:12 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> A video on social media showing drivers "unaware" that they are crossing
>>> a contraflow cycle lane, marked by red paint on the road, and knocking
>>> down not just cyclists, but also scooters and motorcycle riders, and
>>> even running into other cars in Brighton city centre has left people
>>> shocked, with campaigners once again urging the Labour council to
>>> implement a car-free environment in the area.
>>>
>>> The multiple collisions on Church Street were caught on video by a shop
>>> owner's camera in the space of just a couple of months, at the
>>> intersection between Portland Street and Spring Gardens.
>>>
>>> road.cc stalwart Jo Burt (better known as VecchioJo), corroborated the
>>> dangers on the street, saying that "it's a shockingly badly designed bit of
>>> infrastructure".
>>>
>>> "The road is one way all the way up the hill but there’s a contra flow
>>> bike lane all of the way down.
>>
>> In other words, it ISN'T one-way.
>>
>> Thickos at road.cc at it with their hazy grasp of the English language
>> yet again.
>>
>>> It's dangerous at every junction but this is the worst," he added.
>>> Crashmap, which logs collision data, shows seven crashes between 2017
>>> and 2021, with nearby junctions having contraflow bike lanes on North
>>> Laine such as New Road, and Trafalgar Street and Blackman Street, also
>>> being hotspots for similar crashes.
>>> Nader, who posted the video on Twitter, however wrote that this was a
>>> "daily occurrence", reports Brighton and Hove News (link is external).
>>> He added that the most recent collision was captured on the camera this Tuesday.
>>> He said: "Cars [drivers] absolutely do not look right when coming out of
>>> Spring Gardens. They sometimes don’t even realise it is a give way
>>> junction and you can often witness someone go straight through.
>>
>> So... IS the street one way or ISN'T it?
>>
>> Or is this a Schrodinger One-Way Street?
>>
>>> "In the past month I’ve witnessed two people turn into Church Street to
>>> go the incorrect way down the one way road. I’m not sure if the building
>>> site is obscuring the signage or if it’s getting lost in the visual noise.
>>> "Thankfully there haven’t been any serious injuries yet."
>>> A spokesman for Bricycles, a campaign group for cyclists in Brighton and
>>> Hove, called on the council to ban cars from the North Laine entirely.
>>> He said: "This whole area in the city centre should be a car-free environment.
>>> "This was the number one recommendation from Labour’s own Climate
>>> Assembly in 2020. The Labour council now needs to get it in place as soon as possible."
>>> The Labour-dominated Brighton & Hove City Council has come under fire by
>>> campaigners in recent months for not showing support for cycling
>>> policies and described as being "actively against active travel".
>>> Just a week ago, cyclists had questioned the development, or lack
>>> thereof, about the cycle lane on Marine Parade, next to the pavement,
>>> from the Marina to the Palace Pier, for which the former Green council
>>> had secured a £1.2 million funding for in May.
>>> Jamie Lloyd, former Green Councillor and lead for Active Travel, had
>>> told road.cc: "Now that the anti-active travel Labour Council are in
>>> full control, they will almost certainly not do anything to deliver on that."
>>> The council was also quizzed if there were any plans to make the
>>> junction in North Laine safer, to which the chair of the Transport and
>>> Sustainability Committee, Councillor Trevor Muten replied: "I’m shocked
>>> and disturbed by the contents of this video, and my thoughts go out to
>>> everyone who was affected by these collisions.
>>> Councillor Muten urged people involved in these collisions or those who
>>> witnessed them to report them to the Operation Crackdown, the joint
>>> initiative run by Sussex Police and Sussex Sustainability Research
>>> Programme to investigate anti-social driving.
>>> He said that they analysed the collision data based on collisions
>>> reported to the police that result in an injury, adding that he believed
>>> it could be possible that they were not made aware of "some of the
>>> incidents" shown in the video.
>>> He continued: "As part of our strategy to improve road safety in the
>>> city, have also recently introduced a new process for prioritising
>>> safety-related improvements. This will take into account other factors
>>> beyond collision data alone. One of these is around the perceived risks
>>> to pedestrians and cyclists.
>>> "We are committed to making further improvements and investing in high
>>> quality infrastructure which makes on our city accessible, enjoyable and safe for all."
>>> A Brighton resident and cyclist, Sarah Forbes, meanwhile, questioned
>>> Muten on social media: "Will there be immediate action to improve this
>>> junction? I really didn't want to cycle down here after seeing this but
>>> realised it would add so much time to my journey, especially without VG3
>>> link either. Hard to keep going with those images running through my mind."
>>
>> It's perfectly acceptable to Sarah Forbes for other citizens to have
>> time added to their journeys though?
>>>
>>> Another person tagged Muten and the council on social media, saying: "We
>>> desperately need improved and safer cycle infrastructure, not more delays."
>>> https://road.cc/content/news/drivers-hitting-cyclists-contraflow-brighton-cycle-lane-303741
>
> Well said.
>
> Cyclists seem to have this attitude of ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’
> and in order to make it work demand that every pedestrian, horse, and all
> other vehicles get banned from everywhere.
>
> And they wonder why they are hated!
>
> Do painted areas on roads have any legal significance, or are they merely
> advisory?
>
> We have a painted junction a few miles away, put in after a vehicle ban was
> overturned by pressure from shopkeepers whose businesses had taken a big
> hit. No-one understands what the markings mean.
>

I know the junction ( I know Brighton, rather better than the OP).

The first time I saw the junction I remember thinking ‘what kind of idiot
designed this’. Then, the whole of Brighton is a transport nightmare due to
leftie, tree hugging, nonsense. Actually, Brighton is a nightmare - not
just traffic, dirty, weeds growing everywhere, human waste on the
pavements, litter, ….

IPcyclist | 122 posts | 23 min ago
2 likes

WTF! The give way is clear. Zero excuse there. Turning into oncoming traffic WTF! Driving without due care and attention.

Safety | 108 posts | 3 min ago
I agree with other comments on the standard of driving issue.

It would be interesting to know that even with the availability of good quality video evidence how many of these drivers were charged with careless never mind dangerous driving? Or more likely were they dealt with simply through car insurance policies?

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> Safety | 108 posts | 3 min ago
>
> I agree with other comments on the standard of driving issue.
>
> It would be interesting to know that even with the availability of good
> quality video evidence how many of these drivers were charged with
> careless never mind dangerous driving? Or more likely were they dealt
> with simply through car insurance policies?

We know from what has been previously posted that getting compo is
uppermost the cyclist mind.

--
Spike

Brian <noinv@lid.org> wrote:
> Spike <aero.spike@btinternet.invalid> wrote:

>> We have a painted junction a few miles away, put in after a vehicle ban was
>> overturned by pressure from shopkeepers whose businesses had taken a big
>> hit. No-one understands what the markings mean.

> I know the junction ( I know Brighton, rather better than the OP).

> The first time I saw the junction I remember thinking ‘what kind of idiot
> designed this’. Then, the whole of Brighton is a transport nightmare due to
> leftie, tree hugging, nonsense. Actually, Brighton is a nightmare - not
> just traffic, dirty, weeds growing everywhere, human waste on the
> pavements, litter, ….

I can see the attraction for cyclists who travel down from London to take
in the fresh air!

--
Spike

OnYerBike replied to chrisonatrike | 1273 posts | 4 hours ago
3 likes

There is some terrible driving that is entirely unrelated to the cycling infrastructure, but a few of the clips it appears to me that the drivers did check (albeit only briefly) to their left but failed to check in the direction of the contra-flow.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> OnYerBike replied to chrisonatrike | 1273 posts | 4 hours ago
> 3 likes
>
> There is some terrible driving that is entirely unrelated to the cycling
> infrastructure, but a few of the clips it appears to me that the drivers
> did check (albeit only briefly) to their left but failed to check in the
> direction of the contra-flow.

That’s a massive drawback to contraflows, and speaks of poor concept and
design.

--
Spike

AReadman | 2 posts | 2 hours ago
4 likes
They really need to do something, otherwise the council leader might end up in a corporate manslaughter charge.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> AReadman | 2 posts | 2 hours ago
> 4 likes
>
> They really need to do something, otherwise the council leader might end
> up in a corporate manslaughter charge.

Someone seems to be spiralling into a fantasy world.

--
Spike

BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP | 911 posts | 1 hour ago
Surely some of those drivers were not just 'unaware' but distracted; by their mobile phones or whatever?

WELL SPOTTED!
DOES SEEM TO BE VERY COMMON.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP | 911 posts | 1 hour ago
>
> Surely some of those drivers were not just 'unaware' but distracted; by
> their mobile phones or whatever?
>
> WELL SPOTTED!
> DOES SEEM TO BE VERY COMMON.

Forty million drivers travel 330 billion miles a year, so no, it’s not
common. It’s just bigged up by self-appointed vigilantes on bicycles to
suit their own agenda.

--
Spike

On Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 7:03:48 AM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP | 911 posts | 1 hour ago
>
> Surely some of those drivers were not just 'unaware' but distracted; by their mobile phones or whatever?

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “It’s concerning there has been an increase in the proportion of drivers observed using handheld mobile phones at the wheel since 2017.

"Historically, when the Government stiffens penalties, there is a drop in illegal phone use before old habits begin to creep back in again. While many drivers would like to see the penalties increased further, we believe the Government should be rolling out new camera enforcement technology similar as is already used several other countries such as Australia and the Netherlands.

"We believe this technology would be an important tool for reducing the number of unnecessary lives tragically lost on our roads each year because of this dangerous and illegal habit.”

Among all drivers and car drivers, the highest proportion of drivers observed using a mobile phone in Great Britain estimated as aged 17 to 29 with a much lower proportion observed for those estimated 60 or older.

Overall, there was little difference between urban and rural roads except for van drivers, where proportions of drivers using phones on rural roads was notably higher than for urban roads (2.7% compared with 0.9%).

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 7:03:48 AM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP | 911 posts | 1 hour ago
>>
>> Surely some of those drivers were not just 'unaware' but distracted; by
>> their mobile phones or whatever?
>
> RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “It’s concerning there has
> been an increase in the proportion of drivers observed using handheld
> mobile phones at the wheel since 2017.

…but no numbers are mentioned to support this assertion.

> "Historically, when the Government stiffens penalties, there is a drop in
> illegal phone use before old habits begin to creep back in again. While
> many drivers would like to see the penalties increased further, we
> believe the Government should be rolling out new camera enforcement
> technology similar as is already used several other countries such as
> Australia and the Netherlands.
>
> "We believe this technology would be an important tool for reducing the
> number of unnecessary lives tragically lost on our roads each year
> because of this dangerous and illegal habit.”

Without data, such loss of life may amount to only a handful of cases, an
argument that cyclists can understand because they trot it out every time a
pedestrian is killed by a (usually pavement) cyclist.

> Among all drivers and car drivers, the highest proportion of drivers
> observed using a mobile phone in Great Britain estimated as aged 17 to 29
> with a much lower proportion observed for those estimated 60 or older.

And?

> Overall, there was little difference between urban and rural roads except
> for van drivers, where proportions of drivers using phones on rural roads
> was notably higher than for urban roads (2.7% compared with 0.9%).

So, it is ‘only a handful’ of cases.

--
Spike

We all like to be entertained while we drive, which may include making and taking the odd phone call. It has been illegal to use a phone while driving in the UK for some years now, but there were some loopholes in the original rules. Changes to the rules on using a mobile phone while driving were introduced in 2022, closing those loopholes. It was a necessary move – research showed that one in 200 drivers still handled their phone while being sat behind the wheel.

It’s worth noting that most new cars are equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, even just Bluetooth, which enable hands-free phone use and make it completely unnecessary pick up your phone.

In this guide we’ll help you understand why the changes were introduced, when you can use your phone in the car and what to do if your car doesn’t have the tech to keep you legal.

The big change introduced in 2022 was a tightening of the rules to make it illegal to touch your phone at all while driving, or even when stopped in traffic.

Previously, the law had only banned hand-held calls and messaging – so-called ‘interactive communication’. Using your phone for anything else such as scrolling through playlists, taking photos and videos, or setting navigation was, in effect, entirely legal. Though prosecutions were brought for using a phone in these ways, they were successfully challenged and the charges dropped.

The rule changes introduced in 2022 closed those loopholes. Any hand-held use of a mobile phone while driving is now punishable with a fine and points on your driving licence. You may face even harsher punishment if caught making a video call while driving. These rules also apply if you’re supervising a learner driver. Get caught twice and you face an instant ban from driving.

"INSTANT BAN"

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> We all like to be entertained while we drive

No we don’t.

A false assumption had been advance to support whatever argument is being
made.

> which may include making and taking the odd phone call. It has been
> illegal to use a phone while driving in the UK for some years now, but
> there were some loopholes in the original rules.

Who says that phone calls are ‘entertaining’?

> Changes to the rules on using a mobile phone while driving were
> introduced in 2022, closing those loopholes. It was a necessary move –
> research showed that one in 200 drivers still handled their phone while
> being sat behind the wheel.

So, only a handful.

<remainder of argument [SIC] snipped>

--
Spike

On Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 7:03:48 AM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP | 911 posts | 1 hour ago
>
> Surely some of those drivers were not just 'unaware' but distracted; by their mobile phones or whatever?

A lorry driver jailed for killing three people by ploughing into traffic as he looked at his phone has told tearfully how he will regret what he did for the rest of his life.

Ion Onut helped to make a video from his prison cell warning of how using mobiles while driving can ruin lives in an instant.

“It shows you how quickly it happens, and how quickly your life changes from being normal to now being in prison, having a sentence of eight years,” he says in the hard-hitting film.

Onut was using the internet on his phone when he crashed into slow-moving traffic on the northbound carriageway of the A1(M) last July, killing three people and injuring several others.

Forensic examination of his phone found that Onut, of Galashiels, in Scotland, had been repeatedly on the web throughout his journey from Cambridgeshire right up until the collision, at Bowburn, County Durham, last July.

He had been trawling the internet for sexual partners, and his last interaction on his mobile was just seconds before he crashed, Durham Crown Court heard.

“I have to live with this for the rest of my life,” the 42-year-old said.

“I never had a chance to apologise, to say sorry for what I had done to those who lost their loved ones, the people who were injured, the ones who suffer from flashbacks.

“By being on my phone for a long period of time and then realising the traffic ahead of me had stopped, I had absolutely zero chance to act and pull my brakes on.”

Onut was driving at 58mph when his lorry hit another HGV and four cars ahead of him before crashing and bursting into flames.

David Daglish and Elaine Sullivan from Seaham, County Durham, and Paul Mullen from Washington, Tyne and Wear, died instantly.

After being rescued from his cab by other people, Onut was charged with three counts of causing death by dangerous driving, which he admitted.

On Tuesday he was jailed for eight years and 10 months and was disqualified from driving for more than 14 years.

“I have never been involved in anything with the police before, and then for using your mobile phone at the wheel you are here, away from the real world and friends and family,” he said.

“When I saw the videos of what happened it was unimaginable and hard to see. It was so disturbing knowing that was me in that lorry ploughing through the cars...

“Bad choice – really bad choice.

“It shows you how quickly it happens, and how quickly your life changes from being normal to now being in prison, having a sentence of eight years.”

DC Natalie Horner, of Durham Constabulary, said: “Ion’s actions from that day caused far-reaching and heart-breaking consequences for all of those involved – the families and friends of those who tragically lost their lives, the people who witnessed the collision, and the emergency services who attended the horrific scene that day.

“Ion himself also has to live with the horror of knowing that two families have been ripped apart and will never be the same again as a result of his actions.

“We hope this film highlights just how devastating using a mobile phone or other device at the wheel of a vehicle can be - in one split second, your life and other innocent people’s lives might never be the same again.”

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 7:03:48 AM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>> BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP | 911 posts | 1 hour ago
>>
>> Surely some of those drivers were not just 'unaware' but distracted; by
>> their mobile phones or whatever?
>
> A lorry driver jailed for killing three people by ploughing into traffic
> as he looked at his phone has told tearfully how he will regret what he
> did for the rest of his life.

Previously posted by you on 20 May 2023 at 12:00.

Do you keep a record of road deaths to hand for occasions like this? After
all, you despised TMH for doing much the same.

--
Spike

On 09/09/2023 11:38 am, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> We all like to be entertained while we drive, which may include making and taking the odd phone call. It has been illegal to use a phone while driving in the UK for some years now...

Thou liest.

This is thy negligence.

Still thou mistak'st... or else commit'st thy knaveries wilfully.

A Shropshire lorry driver who used his mobile phone at the wheel has admitted killing three people in a crash. Michal Kopaniarz caused the deaths of his three victims - which included a bride-to-be - in a collision on a major dual carriageway in 2021 and then destroyed his phone in a bid to cover his tracks.

The 40-year-old, from Telford, today, January 18, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared at Winchester Crown Court. He also entered a guilty plea to a further count of perverting the course of justice by destroying a Samsung mobile he was using at the time of the collision.

Kopaniarz, of Park Road, Donnington, was remanded in custody. He will be sentenced next month.

Bride-to-be Alex Britton, 28, Tom Watson, 30, and Tina Ince, 58, died in the crash on the A303 near Andover in Hampshire. All three, who were from the Hampshire area, were travelling in separate vehicles on August 25, 2021.

During the hearing, prosecutor Simon Jones said: "This defendant knew in August 2021 that it was his dangerous driving that caused the death of three people and he knew his destruction of his phone was done with a specific purpose." Samantha Ball, defending, said Kopaniarz was taking 'full responsibility' for what happened on the day of the crash

Judge Angela Morris adjourned the 'very sensitive and serious' case for sentence, which will take place on February 24. She also handed Kopaniarz an interim driving ban.

The judge added: "Having now pleaded guilty to such serious matters as these, I note there have been concerns in relation to his mental health, quite understandably given the nature of the offences he has pleaded guilty to. It seems to me in those circumstances that bail must be withdrawn at this stage.

"The defendant will now be remanded in custody."

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> A Shropshire lorry driver who used his mobile phone at the wheel has
> admitted killing three people in a crash. Michal Kopaniarz caused the
> deaths of his three victims - which included a bride-to-be - in a
> collision on a major dual carriageway in 2021 and then destroyed his
> phone in a bid to cover his tracks.

This is the fifth time you have published an account of this, the first
occasion was dated 20 May 2023 at 12:51.

Do you keep a record of road deaths to hand in order to make responses like
this? After all, you despised TMH for doing much the same.

--
Spike

A driver who was using his mobile phone when he struck down and killed a man has been jailed for eight months.

A report found “activity ongoing” on Shahriyar Mahoutchian’s phone in the “lead up and during the time of the collision”, which caused the death of 28-year-old Mohammed Osman.

The victim was attempting to cross a road in Hounslow on April 10, 2019, at around 6.15pm.

Witnesses reported that as the light turned green, three pedestrians - the first being Mohammed - stepped onto the road and started to walk across it.

The other two men stepped back, and at the same time Mohammed was struck by a fast-approaching car driven by Mahoutchian, who was driving at approximately 35mph.

Mohammed was thrown into the air and suffered "catastrophic" injuries, police said. Despite attempts to save his life by emergency services and the air ambulance, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mahoutchian, 30 and from Ascot, stopped at the scene before providing a negative drugs and drink test.

A post mortem recorded the primary cause of death as head injuries.

CCTV and phone records were presented to Mahoutchian when he was interviewed under caution, but he denied driving dangerously - giving ‘no comment’ to all questions when asked.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police read: “Phone records established multiple activity on Mahoutchian's phone within the timeframe of the collision, with the final connection terminating at the time the victim was struck. As such, the Forensic Collision Reconstruction Report concluded that the collision occurred within the timeframe the defendant’s phone was active.

“There were no obstructions to the defendant’s view, and there were no mechanical defects of the vehicle he was driving which could contribute to the collision.”

Mahoutchian’s sentence was reduced from 12 to eight months because of his early guilty plea. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and two months until he passes an extended test.

“The carelessness of Mahoutchian's driving that day cost the life of a young man," said DC Dariusz Alexander from the Serious Collisions Investigations Unit. "It has caused immeasurable suffering to his family and friends, and [this sentencing] marks the end of a protracted investigation to bring them justice. I hope they can now begin to move forwards, treasuring his memory.”

“The witnesses made a reference to traffic lights being red to oncoming vehicles and that Mahoutchian did not make any effort to slow down or stop when he collided with Mohammed Osman.”

He added: “The report also found activity ongoing on his mobile phone in the lead up and during the time of the collision. Whatever decision Mahoutchian made that day will remain with him for the rest of his life. I hope this sends a message to everyone on the roads to remain vigilant and focused on their surroundings. Looking down at your phone - even for a second - can quite literally cost a life.”

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/driver-30-jailed-after-fatally-21612588