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Got the message? #DontStreamAndDrive

Image of Alisdair Suttie
Author: | Updated: 26 May 2016 16:24

It’s legal and thousands of drivers do it every day, yet it’s one of the most dangerous activities you can take part in whilst driving. What is it? Live streaming, which is a recent development thanks to the technology of our mobile phones.

More and more of us now connect our phones to the car to not just make calls as we drive, we’re using them to access music, podcasts, even messages.

Bluetooth connectivity in car

Such technology is wonderful. Using your phone as an MP3 player and keeping it out of reach is no worse than listening to the radio. The very true and horrific danger is when we turn the phone into a camera.

You may wonder why anyone would want to broadcast themselves as they drive or why anyone else would want to watch. Yet in this age of instant messaging and immediate access, an increasing number of drivers are using live streaming apps such as Periscope or Snapchat on their phones in the same way they might previously have used Facebook, Twitter or one of the many other social media options.

So long as these drivers do not touch the phone while they are driving, they cannot be prosecuted under the same law as someone caught handling a phone behind the wheel. That’s fair enough, you might think, but the dangers are just the same.

Serious problem

Studies by many experts in this area, including Thatcham in the UK, show that using a mobile phone either in your hand or hands-free has the same effect as being over the drink-drive limit. It’s also akin to driving while falling asleep, so you can quickly understand just how serious a problem this is.

A significant factor in live streaming being so dangerous is it takes the driver’s eyes away from the road for prolonged periods. As the phone acts as a video camera and has to be positioned so the driver is visible, it also means the driver tends to look at the lense rather than the road ahead. There are many examples where a live streaming driver spends more than half of their time when driving looking at the phone.

Streaming whilst driving is as bad as drink driving.

That level of distraction is usually only found in drunk drivers and those using drugs or seriously fatigued. To willingly put yourself in that position is tantamount to suicidal driving.

Worse still are the consequences the actions of live streaming driver can have for other innocent road users. By diverting your attention from the road in front and around the car, the driver is simply unable to safely assess risks and hazards or take the appropriate action to avoid them.

Should a driver find themselves in this position, they may not be prosecuted for handling the phone, but they are likely to be charged with far more serious offences such as Driving Without Due Care and Attention, Careless Driving or even Death By Dangerous Driving that carries an unlimited fine and up to 14 years imprisonment.

All that for wittering away into a phone as you drive to work or the shops certainly doesn’t seem worth the risk.

Sergeant Dewson-Smyth has launched his campaign with the hashtag #DontStreamAndDrive

Let’s make prosecution for illegal tyres mandatory

Raising awareness

To raise awareness of this problem, a police officer has started an unofficial campaign to stop people live streaming from the car. Sergeant Neil Dewson-Smyth is the man behind the message and he says: “Police officers across Europe and the world know very well the dangers of driving and using a phone. Whether the driver is hands-free or holding the phone the two operations do not go together and can have fatal consequences.

“Much like drink-driving, despite our best efforts to educate and enforce the legislation, there are still drivers who engage in this dangerous practice. With the advent of faster network connections there has been a surge in the number of platforms that will allow video to be streamed live from a mobile device. Live streaming is not new but the current surge in use has led many commentators to believe that 2016 is the year of live streaming. Users can now broadcast live video from their mobile device.”

#DontStreamAndDrive

Sergeant Dewson-Smyth has launched his campaign with the hashtag #DontStreamAndDrive. It’s a message we at ContractHireAndLeasing.com wholeheartedly support and urge you to join in with.

Part of what this campaign is about reaching those drivers who do not think they are doing anything dangerous. Simply because setting the phone to video as you drive along is not illegal, it doesn’t make it safe. When asked if more should be done to reduce road deaths, many live streaming drivers completely agree yet are oblivious to the risks they are taking.

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