[Captain Slow]

If you read the entire article it also mentions that using a headphone and listening to music while riding a bike also constitutes to the same offence!

They are saying any kind of ear piece or headphone is now dangerous illegal, as it may distract you, even if you are not taking on the phone.

But having a kid on your lap while driving is not dangerous or illegal.


and I quote

Dayananda said that even using the phone via hands-free devices such as Bluetooth or earphones and texting or listening to music on the phone using earphones is illegal.

I fully support the govt when they say that talking on the phone or texting is illegal but listening to music ?
What is the Govt thinking? First the Sun Film ban and now music ban ?

Car drivers and get away with speakers in the car, what about bikers?

[pratyush6]

I am surprised that we are trying to justify talking using hands-free while driving. It needs to stop, and the punishment should be harsh. Quite a few views imply that it is all right to take a call in a car but not on a bike or while walking!

Most of the fatalities on the road are because either someone was busy talking on the phone while driving/riding or jaywalking.

Appreciate BTP for this and hope it is enforced stringently.

[hothatchaway]

^^^completely agree. See quite a few morons who blatantly juggle a phone and the steering wheel, while not as bad, hands free contraptions are still capable of what this law looks at stopping, which is distractions while driving. An earphone to listen to music is also quite risky IMO especially if those are noise cancellation ones and with bluetooth and what not who is to stop folks from taking calls with earphones plugged in

[Diesel_convert]

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

Car drivers and get away with speakers in the car, what about bikers?

I am sorry sir, but I think headphones on bikers is a terrible idea.

I have experienced many incidents of bikers not paying attention to honks from other motorists and then I notice two wires sticking out of their helmets.

I think speakers in the helmet are acceptable, not I'm headphones.


The same is not necessarily true about car audio or single ear bluetooth headsets, where ambient noise can still be heard.

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by Fillmore

Also do agree with the previous post, if talking on blu tooth is an offence then talking to fellow passengers also should be an office as it distracts you.

Talking on phone and talking to passengers are two different things IMO. You dont have to worry about pressing/touching the right button while taking a call from the passengers; you do not need to see at the screen to see who is talking to you; you are completely aware of the context/mood of the passenger while you need to guess them while talking on phone. Above all the passengers (usually) are at the same risk while talking to the driver and will ensure that they do not distractthe driver too much to cause an accident.

[ajmat]

In the UK, talking on a hands free is not against the law but it can count against you in the event of an accident

[hamster]

Was waiting for this thread to open since I read the article on BM on Monday.
Should appreciate the move taken by BTP, but at the same time it seems impractical.
Citing a few examples.

Most of us use online for many of our purchases. In Bangalore, most of the streets are not marked properly in the new areas. Or rather, in the apartment I live, there is not even a street name. I often have delivery agents coming to my house asking for directions. Sitting at home, I really dont know whether the delivery guy wears atleast a wired headset, while on his two-wheeler to deliver the goods. Why cant the BTP enforce this to all the companies which do online deliveries, instead of a blanket ban ?

We are driving to our acquiantance's house for the first time. We always prefer to get the route before hand. But there are times, we might be misled or lose our way and end up being somewhere else. We would really like to call up the other person and ask for direction.
Personally Having the bluetooth enabled headset in the car, has helped me a lot in these situations.

Sometimes, there are situations, when we would be caught in a bad traffic situation and would like to inform that your are late.
Using a bluetooth enabled headset to inform that you are late is not allowed ?

[NPV]

It all comes down to implementation (and the will/whimsies of traffic cops):
Last week I was on a 2 wheeler in Indiranagar. There was a Fiesta in front of me and we were approaching a blind right turn (it was a one way and we were in the correct direction). As soon as we turned right there were traffic cops, an inspector and a constable. The constable noticed the car driver speaking on his mobile phone and signalled to him to stop, the driver then waved to the inspector who immediately smiled and waved (acknowledging he knew him), then shouted to the constable "bit bidu" (in Kannada this means 'leave him'). Off he went till the end of the road continuing his conversation on the mobile phone I was in a hurry and could not note down the number, etc.

[srishiva]

People can always stop and take calls even in a car or on a bike. Driving while talking is really dangerous and most educated people have no problem doing this.

I always wondered if the taxi drivers talking on their radios with operators is legal? I guess the danger is less since they are not taking personal calls and would disconnect at the earliest

[KPS]

Originally Posted by srishiva

People can always stop and take calls even in a car or on a bike. Driving while talking is really dangerous and most educated people have no problem doing this.

I stand to be corrected, but I understand in Kerala you have to get out of the vehicle to speak on your mobile. If you sit in the car and talk, they will still fine you, as you are blocking traffic. So you have to find a parking space, park the car and then get out to talk!.

I am also guilty of talking on my car bluetooth system, though sometimes I stop my car if it is along conversation. Guess, I will now stop using the mobile while driving. If I have to, will stop the car and not endanger other users of the road.

Cheers

KPS

[risga]

As per the law, mobile phones should be in switched off mode, forget about talking or texting. If this were strictly enforced, it would be a problem for anyone driving alone.

This is going way overboard. Next they would stretch this argument to GPS devices for navigation, or even to using google maps through the phone while in the car.

[kl_kumar]

Wonder what the cabbies would do.. all the Meru/Ola etc.. plus the call center cabs.. all of them will be caught..
How about total handsfree system that comes along with the car? blue n me etc. you just listen the voice through speaker.. wonder that also would be fined?

I think its just a over reactive; cops are def'ly going to be leniant on many cases; and they would charge on a case to case basis mostly..

[procrj]

Its not just mobile phone usage but also first instance of drinking and driving will also lead to license being revoked. BTP post on Facebook

[sridhar_blr80]

I think it’s totally fair to cancel the license if you are caught on the Phone.

By the way I ride to office on my Motorcycle; the ground reality in Bangalore from my observation,
a) 99% of cab drivers is on phones every time I see
b) 6 out of 10 drivers are on phone calls, literally holding their mobile handsets against their ears
c) 3 out of 10 Motorcycle; riders are on phones

This is out of control situation to be honest and stringent measures like these are the need of the hour to stop people from using the phones while driving/riding.

[BuBooMan]

Okay so as I understand from the posts here, no telephony even through the in car bluetooth enabled head unit? So how are the hell does this work? One might be talking to oneself. Or singing. Or yawning. Any movement of the mouth is an offence? How about speaking to the passengers?
This is by far the most ridiculous new road law to have come up. No way can it be enforced.
Seriously, what were they thinking!