[pratap.pratu]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Listening to music on earphones should be banned not only when riding but also when driving a car. In fact, I think I read in some ipod or music player (or was it earphones?) instructions manual too that these should not be used while driving. Makes sense to me, specially for noise cancelling earphones.

Yes but speaking in your context, even stereo systems should be banned in cars since music tends to be a distraction especially when ac is on in car. My thought is music should be heard (be it on bikes or car) from music players to a subtle level and not so high that u can hear the world around. Logic applies to cars and bikes.

[sourabhzen]

A little bit out of context, but it must help people decide for themselves...
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/..._the_next.html

[subraiyr]

A bit overzealous run by BTP to curb improper road behavior. I agree with a lot of the points that BTP has put forth excepting the talking on phone issue. While talking over phone is to be considered as an offence, a Bluetooth headset or in built blue tooth system cannot be put under this law. A few simple reasons for this

1. The rationale behind non usage of phone is that it creates distraction to the driver while he is driving. To this effect, music within the car, conversation between driver and passengers or between passengers can cause distraction. Equally important is any unnatural sound on the road such as fire crackers can cause distraction

Now - imagine a doctor caught in traffic, trying to speak to the hospital to stabilize and emergency patient. What about police talking over CB radios while chasing behind a culprit. Are they also not human beings and wont they be distracted by all the CB noise, holding the transmitter in hand - esp the cops on bikes !!

Last week the Asst commissioner of police was interviewed on this and when the RJs posed certain questions some of his answers were hilarious - meaning to say that BTP has not thought it through. Some answers, not verbatim though

Q. Dont conversation with co - passengers constitute distraction ?
A. No. Co passengers are typically family and you don't argue with family in the car

Q. What about crying babies
A. Laughter

Q. What about music
A. There is no argument and therefore it is not a distraction

Seriously - an overzealous policy not thought through. Barring this, rest are definitely welcome as long as enforcement is as strict

[Serpentor11]

The intention is good, the way it is enforced is not.

I surely agree with all others that claim using the phone while driving is totally unsafe. I have seen people texting while driving!! People like that are indeed a hazard to other motorists on the road.

IMO cancelling the license after a set of repetitions of the offence seems fair than doing the first time.

[carboy]

Good stuff. Hope this becomes the norm all over the country. If the call is important, go to the side of the road, stop & take the call. If you constantly get calls & cannot do this, hire a driver or take a taxi.

[msdivy]

This new directive from BTP was exploited as per Bangalore Mirror. The drunken driver didn't have a license and hence was no question of cancellation of licence

they (police) were baffled with the driver's reply when he said he did not have a licence. His contention was he had recently bought the car second hand and was in the process of getting a licence. With no option left, the traffic police seized his car and asked him to come back with receipts after paying fines in court for drunken driving and driving without a licence. The driver duly obliged, returning promptly the next day with the receipts. He got his car released too.

The errant driver appeared in court the following day, paid a fine of Rs 1,100 for drunken driving and another Rs 300 for not having a licence, and coolly walked out. His vehicle, that had been seized, was released too.

Licence to drink: Man shows how, stumps the cops

[sdp1975]

Pasted from http://rto.kar.nic.in/Revised%20M.V....0Corrected.pdf , here's what 230-A of the K.M.V rules say :

230-A. Prohibition of using or holding mobile phone while driving.-(1) No person shall
while driving any motor vehicle in a public place, use or hold in his hand a mobile phone.
(2) If no person other than the driver is sitting in or on the the motor vehicle, the mobile phone, if any, shall be switched off, during the journey

(2) is practically impossible to implement, and I think all drivers would be losing their licenses if this were to be implemented in letter. Why have rules that can''t be implemented ?

[Mad Max]

And... In related news, more than half the taxis in Bangalore were impounded and the drivers arrested for constantly talking on their mobiles while driving. The taxi union has planned a road roko right outside BIAL for the same since they consider everyone their family and this law is not not justified. (Fake news)

Hehe.. You should see the taxis in and around Sarjapur road. They just coast by the cops standing at the intersections happily chatting away.

But, I completely agree on the BTP taking the necessary steps. I always wonder when I see people in expensive cars juggling a phone in one hand while driving trying to talk to someone. A simple Bluetooth upgrade should be affordable to such car owners, right? Or do they just not think its a necessity? I love the Bluetooth in the Figo. It's a lifesaver when I get calls from office when I am driving.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

But, I completely agree on the BTP taking the necessary steps. I always wonder when I see people in expensive cars juggling a phone in one hand while driving trying to talk to someone. A simple Bluetooth upgrade should be affordable to such car owners, right? Or do they just not think its a necessity? I love the Bluetooth in the Figo. It's a lifesaver when I get calls from office when I am driving.

As per the rule, even handsfree is not allowed.

[zenren]

If talking over Bluetooth ICE is illegal, then the manufacturers should be fined for persuading users to violate the law. Even the RTOs should be questioned why they allow any car that advertises Bluetooth handsfree audio as a feature to be registered in their territory when it would clearly be violating the law.

I am not against punishing those who use mobile phones while driving but when a senior law enforcement official explicitly says that Bluetooth hands free is illegal by law, they should be able to answer why they allow such cars to be registered within their limits.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by zenren

If talking over Bluetooth ICE is illegal, then the manufacturers should be fined for persuading users to violate the law. Even the RTOs should be questioned why they allow any car that advertises Bluetooth handsfree audio as a feature to be registered in their territory when it would clearly be violating the law.

I am not against punishing those who use mobile phones while driving but when a senior law enforcement official explicitly says that Bluetooth hands free is illegal by law, they should be able to answer why they allow such cars to be registered within their limits.

Bluetooth can be used for streaming music to your cars system. It can be used for downloading updates to the car's software through your phone's internet connection etc.

A knife cannot be made illegal. It's only illegal to kill someone with it.

[zenren]

Originally Posted by carboy

Bluetooth can be used for streaming music to your cars system. It can be used for downloading updates to the car's software through your phone's internet connection etc.

A knife cannot be made illegal. It's only illegal to kill someone with it.

Why do you need to provide a mic directly above the driver for any of the uses that you mentioned? The placement of the mic clearly indicates that the company is expecting the driver to use the phone while driving.

Here is a picture from the Xcent official review:

[shashank.nk]

This rule is not being implemented at all. I was driving around Banashankari/Jayanagar today and saw atleast 3 instances of blatant rule violation,one of which was right in front of a cop.

• A lady with no helmet riding on the left lane at 10 km/h as she was very busy selecting a song to listen to (from her phone mid you!) on the go! People were honking to which she politely turned a deaf ear
• Another biker with no helmet blasted past the main road from a cross road,right in front of a cop, all the while chatting on his cellphone sandwiched between his shoulder and ear.
• A cabbie driving slowly in the middle lane,blocking everyone as he's on a call with the phone to his ears.

This was the problem in the past and still is now. The laws are all there with zero implementation.

[naut]

Today the traffic police on double road (Bangalore) were out to catch violators of "mobile phone usage while driving". A gentlemen in a swift was asked to pull over. The constable had a hard look at me to see if I had a bluetooth headset on, but invain.

I would always use my commute time to catch up with family and friends using a bluetooth headset till recently but stopped it after the recent drive by Bangalore police to punish the guilty by handing in a ban.

Folks, watch out. You'd better be safe than sorry.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

This rule is not being implemented at all. I was driving around Banashankari/Jayanagar today and saw atleast 3 instances of blatant rule violation,one of which was right in front of a cop.

• A cabbie driving slowly in the middle lane,blocking everyone as he's on a call with the phone to his ears.

This was the problem in the past and still is now. The laws are all there with zero implementation.

I don't think the rules applies to cabbies really
Why I am saying so is that, only on a blue moon day I see a cabbie not talking on his phone (while driving). In fact most of the rules seem to be 'relaxed' for our sons of the soil types, the only people who the rules apply are us - the people who actually care to follow rules.