Should careless driving land you in jail? for reading text messages, glancing at a map, & eating at the wheel?

Question

Tough new laws could mean drivers will face jail for reading text messages and eating at the wheel.

Where should the line be drawn on safe driving?

A new offence of causing death by careless driving comes into force across the UK next week.

Motorists who are distracted by glancing at a map, eating, drinking, tuning a radio or putting on make up could face prison sentences of up to five years.

Historically, careless driving has only been punishable with a fine, whatever the consequences.

Will the new laws improve driving habits?

What should qualify as careless driving?

Should manufacturers adapt cars to make them safer for drivers?

Have you experienced careless driving?

Answer 1

Its a good move. Anyone who has lost a beloved in an accident caused to be careless driving will agree.

Answer 2

People should concentrate on their driving at all times. it is hoped that people will modify their actions when driving, but I doubt it.  

Answer 3

There are many ways of looking at this problem.  Perhaps it would be easier to just take 2 particular items.

If a driver was to knock down and seriously injure or kill a close member of your family and it was found that the driver was talking on a mobile phone at the time-- what punishment would you think appropriate.

If a driver seriously injured or killed a close member of your family and it was found that he was 10mph over the speed limit at the time----what punishment would you think appropriate.

Looking at the problem in this way may seriously alter a persons view of the laws.

Answer 4

it should, but worse yet, it can get you into your grave prematurely.  

Answer 5

Glancing at a map? Tuning the radio? How on Earth could this ever be policed fairly!

Using a mobile phone while driving is stupid and dangerous and should carry a very lengthy driving ban in my opinion, but to actually jail someone just for behaving irresponsibly is absolutely ridiculous.

Why don't the government just ban driving completely and have done with it! This is clearly just more pandering to the do-gooder brigade.

Answer 6

Cars have been adapted to make them safer and more people survive serious incidents than ever before.  The new law plugs a gap in the old law but I cannot see it improving driving habits.

People are careless in their vehicles, they do not consider that they have the ability to kill with a car.  The moment a driver pays less than 100 per cent attention to the road they become a potential incident.  I do not call smashing cars "accidents" as all accidents could be avoided.  Whilst certain types of people behave in a mindless fashion, i.e., reading maps, driving whilst using a mobile telephone, eating etc. then there will not be any improvements.

I chose to take an advanced driver course which I believe helps sharpen driving skills.

On one occasion a man nearly drove into the back of me, he followed me to my destination and accused me of bad driving - fortunately I had checked my rear view mirror and the moment that he nearly hit me his head was over the passenger seat side of the car and almost out of view as he was reaching for something in the passenger seat well.  With a mindset like that there is no hope!

Answer 7

Yes and no.

The government should do more in general to enforce rules and punish crime. But a person should not go to jail for eating at the wheel or tuning the radio. Jail is reserved for real criminals who are determined to keep committing crime.

Instead their priority seems to always be on making money, eg. speed cameras, makes money but after everyone has past one they just speed back up again!

Answer 8

Well I am terrible for driving and texting. So I guess I should just say may God have mercy

Answer 9

thats exactly what it means, you COULD face a jail sentence not you WILL, they are trying to frighten people into driving more carefully by not saying exactly who will go to jail and who won`t, if you personally think you will be jailed for perhaps eating at the wheel then you will think twice about doing it

Answer 10

Yes it should. Everyone who gets behind the wheel of a car is driving  a heavy, powerful, potentially lethal machine. The problem being as with so many of the new laws introduced by the government, is how to Police this. We probably all see drivers every day using their mobiles and doing other stupid and dangerous things. My car was written off in April when an idiot driving a large Renault van slammed into the back of my stationery vehicle. He admitted he was distracted because he was reading a text from his boss. I reported the accident in which I was injured to the Police with both mobile numbers (boss and driver) and received a letter saying they wouldn't pursue a conviction. I will not recover from my injuries until December at the earliest yet no-one but me gives a sh**. Whats the point off all this legislation if there's no-one to enforce it?

Answer 11

An idiot woman ran into the back of my car last week whilst tuning her radio, or whatever it was she was doing.  This is the second time I have been hit at traffic lights by someone doing this, so I say yes they should receive sever punishments but probably not jail.  Large fines at least.

Answer 12

i think the punishment for careless driving should be severe. i was going to the mall the other day and there was a woman in front of me that kept crossing the line, weaving and tailgating the person in front of her. when i got closer i saw she was fixing her hair putting on make up and who knows what else. a few times i even saw her fluff her hair with both hands leaving the stearing wheel. when i finally passed her i saw a baby in the back seat...i wanted to drag her out of her car a rip her hair out. not only was she endangering other drivers but the baby in her car!...dumb Bi#ch

Answer 13

Sure.

Why not?

For not being focus on driving while on the road.

Losing concentration on the gadget.

That can create havoc with traffic jam with road accidents.

Wasting other people's  time.

In doing things at own whims and fancy out there.

As life-style.

Getting caught.

Then get thrown into the slammer for sometime.

Should be a lesson to all.

With practise make it perfect on driving.

Luke 8.10,17

What do you think?

Answer 14

It would be awful going to prison for adjusting your car radio but killing someone whilst taking your eye off the road is avoidable.

Answer 15

Yes careless driving that results in the death of someone else should result in a prison sentence. A car is no different from a knife, when used properly it is a tool but misused and its a weapon that kills. At forty miles an hour a car out of control is a ballistic missile and if someone allows this to occur through their negligence then they deserve to be properly punished. I am a long time car driver, I would expect to be imprisoned if I killed someone on the roads because I was not paying attention. The fear that I could kill is what makes me so attentive and angry at those who do not.

I feel that more should be done by the police to penalise those who are obvious in their disregard. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen a police car pass or pull up to the lights beside someone in their car using their phone. There should be a greater drive for the stopping of this behaviour. Once someone is dead they cannot be brought back, but if we crack down hard on the person using their phone regularly then maybe we can save the life in the first place.  

Answer 16

Was`nt the prison part, for causing death or injury, while doing these things?

Answer 17

anything that distracts the driver is very bad and that people still do it whilst driving at speed amazes me, and i think the punishment should be loss of licence for at least a year. No one can be concentrating effectively while eating, talking on a phone, or indeed whilst doing those things listed. Plus drink drivers should be banned for at least 10 years.

you know how many accidents are caused by people who are careless, far too many.

Answer 18

Let's be honest if i turn my radio or GPS while driving it doesn't mean i am careless driver, i just do it where it is saved. Those equipments are for manipulating while driving and if u are good driver u can do that with no problem at all while driving, the speed cameras are more dangersous, they destract my observation more badly cos i look only at my speeder at athe camera point. Anyway u think it's right if i'm jaild for 5 years for playng with my GPS and criminals jaild for 4 years for killing others for fun, u think it's right?

Answer 19

The answer to improving road safety is simple, do away with all the cameras and put traffic police back on the streets, cameras don't spot dangerous driving, drivers on the phone, drunk drivers etc etc.