Thinking things through...

In a letter to the editor of the Newsday, Doodnath Maharaj wrote:

In reading the 2008 Budget proposals, Mr Manning announced that legislation would be passed to prevent drivers from using cellphones while being mobile. He insists that both hands must be on the steering wheel. Now clearly, what was the thought process behind this decision?

Will I be charged for the following: Waving to a friend; hanging my hand over the door; having a drink to quench my thirst; receiving money in a taxi; holding hands; if I spot a stolen vehicle, just witnessed a crime or an accident and I am alerting the police?

Just to let Mr Maharaj know:

• Wave to a friend - You aren't supposed to 'wave to a friend'. You are required to have both hands on the wheel, and concentrate on the road. The fact that you pay heed to a friend, and want to wave emphasises that your attention is already away from your driving.
• Hanging my hand on the door - again, both hands are required to be on the wheel at all times unless changing gears in a car with a manual transmission. How lax are you to contemplate 'posturing' while driving, leaving you less time to react in event of a crisis.
• Having a drink to quench my thirst - you really should pull aside to have that drink. Pulling to the side of the road, having the drink and proceeding on your way may take you all of two minutes. Think of what you would lose if while having that drink, you tilt your head back, and for that part of a second or more, you lose visual contact with the road. It happens, I know, I myself had done it before. Suppose in that instant, an accident happens and someone loses a life. Over a drink?
• Receiving money in a taxi - taxis really ought to stop to receive money and give change. In the hustle to do as many trips as possible, drivers never do the right thing. You give a driver your money, he looks away from the road over his shoulder to see which passenger of the three in the back seat is paying him - attention is not on driving. He looks at the bill to see what denomination/amount- attention not on driving. He looks at his 'wad' to make change - attention not on driving. Next time, do it all when the passenger alights.
• Holding hands - is it more important to hold hands or to have both hands on the wheels, to react if an event happens. Tch, Tch.
• Need to inform the police - oh please, are you saying that you'd continue driving if you see an accident, but pull out your cellphone and call the police while driving? PULL ASIDE and make your call. And stay there in case you are needed as a witness. If you don't want to remain and waste your time, why call? And again, you are distracted while making that call.

The reasons you cite are silly, and none are accepted in England. Hence my explanations above. You really should take a UK driving test, and see the difference it makes in YOUR driving.

And to answer your question: yes, in England you WOULD be charged for all of the conditions, in event of an accident, or even for 'driving in an unsafe manner'.