France Does Not Want You Texting And Driving, Or Parking

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In a report from LeFigaro, a new law in France makes using your phone while driving punishable, whether or not the car is moving. If you pull over and shut off the engine to make a phone call or answer a text, it is the same €135 and points as if you were driving. If you park your car in a parking spot and not just pull over, you are safe from the punishment.

Basically it is illegal to touch your phone while in a car on the road in France. I'm surprisingly okay with this, distracted drivers are getting out of control all over the world.

Translated:
According to the Court, it is therefore not enough to stop and shut down the engine to make sure that you can call the phone in your hand. You really have to park your car on a planned location. Judges, however, make an exception: a motorist who sees his car fail in the lane, can use his mobile phone
 
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I'm mostly OK with this, but I don't see a need for a limitation when the car is not moving.

You know, like sitting still in traffic and sending a message that you'll be late. Stuff like that.

I'm all for throwing the book at people who use their phones while the vehicle is in motion though. That is inexcusable.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
I'm mostly OK with this, but I don't see a need for a limitation when the car is not moving.

You know, like sitting still in traffic and sending a message that you'll be late. Stuff like that.

I'm all for throwing the book at people who use their phones while the vehicle is in motion though. That is inexcusable.
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Texting is the CAUSE of the great majority of traffic in the modern times. You're just part of the problem and think your not as susceptible to distracted driving as you truly are.
 
I'd love to see this, especially after today, after being cut off by three people doing something with their phones, two of them talking and one looked like he was texting or possibly using GPS maps, all within 4 blocks after leaving my office. Crucify them all.
 
A little bit fucking overboard in typical French fashion. I understand if pulling over and stopping is still impeding traffic (busy roads or highways) but without such exceptions spelled out it’s overboard.

At least they were smart enough to allow emergency calling. Ha, how’d you like to get a cellphone use ticket when calling tow services for a flat.

ZodaEX said:
Texting is the CAUSE of the great majority of traffic in the modern times. You're just part of the problem and think your not as susceptible to distracted driving as you truly are.
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Traffic is the cause of traffic. Texting at a stop light or sign can be safely done without impeding others. Of course I’d suggest only ever doing it when there are not other cars behind or ahead or oncoming of you.

Empty 4 way intersection no one coming for miles, I think I THINK it might be safe to look at the phone. But fuck man, throw the book at them, throw a second one if they don’t use their turn signal for all those others waiting on them too.
 
heatlesssun said:
Even at a stop light you're still driving and need to pay attention.
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Excellent job ignoring everything else I said after that statement. Superbly living up to your reputation.

I suppose car makers should stop including radios as well.
 
All for restrictions on driving and so so... Full retard on it being treated the same as driving while pulled over and engine turned off.
 
I had a field tech job in S. Florida from 1999 to 2008. I drove an average of 100 miles a day. We were required to us our cell phones, but I used a wired hands-free. The only accident I ever had was when my then GF was trying to pick a fight via txt. I got pissed, then boom. I rear-ended a mini-van. Downtown Miami. If you know, you know. If you don't, don't worry about it.

Texting while driving is insane. I believe that it's much, much more dangerous than talking on a cell while driving.

Just my opinion.
 
darckhart said:
err why isn't pulling over and shutting of the engine acceptable? Isn't that like the very definition of parking? out of the way of traffic flow. engine off. this extreme seems ludicrous to me.
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My guess is those auto-stop-start systems in cars. Engine can be off, but the car is still ready to go.


Well, in addition to that, allowing phone usage in any condition allows for creeping whataboutism the French probably want to shut down.
 
This is just plain stupid. Don't punish people doing responsible things you idiots.
Can't tell you how many times I have pulled over and grabbed my cell phone to plot a new route on Waze due to weather, traffic, or change of plans (effectively using my phone as a GPS) ... not being able to "touch your cell phone" while driving is just being out of touch with the modern world.
 
I'm fine with it up until the pulled over with the engine shut off part. I don't care if you are in an "official" parking spot or not..if you have your car in park and are out of the way that is acceptable. The law overreaches badly here and that will make people ignore it.
 
Punishment for texting while parked is fucking ignorant. There's plenty of times I pull over to stop, and check my route, BECAUSE IT'S THE SAFE THING TO DO. How the fuck am I causing a problem when I'm parked legit?
 
Dekoth-E- said:
I'm fine with it up until the pulled over with the engine shut off part. I don't care if you are in an "official" parking spot or not..if you have your car in park and are out of the way that is acceptable. The law overreaches badly here and that will make people ignore it.
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I agree. At the point that you're pulled over and the engine is off, then you're not driving the vehicle, but sitting in it.

I think the confusion is with the post and possibly within the article. The post says " If you pull over and shut off the engine to make a phone call or answer a text, it is the same €135 and points as if you were driving"
If you pull over and shut off the engine, it's called parking, but in the next sentence he says ". If you park your car in a parking spot and not just pull over, you are safe from the punishment."

Somehow pulling over and turning off your engine isn't the definition of parking?

And who the fuck turns off their engine while at a red light and then think it's ok to screw around with your phone? That's the dumbest crap.

But yeah, i don't get it. is it only parking if it's some designated spot in a parking lot? Isn't pulling over at the side of the highway and taking a call not legal in France anymore? You're still driving somehow?

Or is there a rash of people getting into accidents with their engines off?

If it really is that you can't screw around with your phone with the engine off, i really feel as if this is just some cash grab by the police instead of being about safety.
 
Gigus Fire said:
Isn't pulling over at the side of the highway and taking a call not legal in France anymore? You're still driving somehow?
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There are PLENTY of wrecks that happen on the sides of highways with stopped vehicles. Not saying I agree with this law but pulling over on the side of a busy road or highway isn't necessarily a safe space.
 
This is great. They're basically encouraging people to continue driving while they text, because if they pull over, they're sitting ducks for cops.
 
Good. The law is similar to that in Ontario, Canada but our fine is much higher. CAD$490 plus 3 demerit point (enough to give you an insurance headache). And a potential Careless Driving charge on top of that. Hands free is fine but park it to use it otherwise.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/distracted-driving
 
What do you expect out of a EU country. What better way to part people from their money.
 
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i dont read french but uhh.. what about GPS? would i be able to have the phone mounted and on showing me turn by turn directions?
 
heatlesssun said:
There are PLENTY of wrecks that happen on the sides of highways with stopped vehicles. Not saying I agree with this law but pulling over on the side of a busy road or highway isn't necessarily a safe space.
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You're supposed to pull over on the sides of highways for any number of reasons that makes it so you can't drive properly. anything from mechanical to medical to distractions. technically any car in park and out of the way of traffic is never the cause of any accidents.
 
If they are going to enforce this they should be fair an include a fine for every other instance of distracted driving (including when not driving apparently), everything from Radios, GPS, kids crying, people talking, smoking, drinking, eating, not being 100% sober or drowsy just to name a few. Also why exactly do they need to steal money from people and not just subtract the points from the driver's license.... I'm going to have to think that one through super duper hard, I'm sure it's to save the poor lowly plebs from themselves somehow... lol
 
heatlesssun said:
There are PLENTY of wrecks that happen on the sides of highways with stopped vehicles. Not saying I agree with this law but pulling over on the side of a busy road or highway isn't necessarily a safe space.
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yup. that's why you are supposed to exit your vehicle and stay at a safe distance, just in case someone does rear-end it.
edit: oh and Alberta has this too. can't txt at a stop light either.
 
How can you text when your hands are supposed to be at 10 and 2 which requires 2 hands?

Already reckless driving. Case closed. Arrest them for that law that already exists.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
I'm mostly OK with this, but I don't see a need for a limitation when the car is not moving.

You know, like sitting still in traffic and sending a message that you'll be late. Stuff like that.

I'm all for throwing the book at people who use their phones while the vehicle is in motion though. That is inexcusable.
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Only if you pull over to the side of the road and park. Nothing is more annoying than someone who uses their phone at a red light, while not paying attention. Then the light goes green and we all miss the light cause of the douchebag playing with their phone at a red light.

I don't mean pull over at an emergency shoulder (for emergencies only, not a phone call/text), but pull over into a parking lot, rest area, etc.
 
I think a lot of people forget that France and other European countries tend to have road systems that's as thin as a mouse's hair. "Pulling over" may be just as bad as sitting in the middle of the road for us in some or a lot of parts in France. "Drive, drive, drive. park in the highway for a cat video, drive some more"
 
DrLobotomy said:
How can you text when your hands are supposed to be at 10 and 2 which requires 2 hands?
Already reckless driving. Case closed. Arrest them for that law that already exists.
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And how do I shift without breaking that law?
And how do I change the temperature without breaking that law?
And how do I smoke without breaking that law?
And how do I use my turn signals without breaking that law?
And how do I turn on/off the radio without breaking that law?
...

Distracted driving is distracted driving. I'm all for throwing the book at phone users who cause accidents. Or don't avoid them. But legally requiring hands at 10 and 2? That's a bit much.

On-board navigation systems can also cause distractions. That screen over your center stack? Yeah, that's not where the road is, so you shouldn't be looking there.

Phones are the biggest cause of distracted drivers. It is the drivers, not the phones. Can't keep from texting and driving? Doom on you.

This French law is silly. It will not be enforceable. It will, however, allow additional charges to be filed after an accident has occurred.
 
US needs this.
It is becoming bumper cars here, people look at driving as something else that is taking up their talk and text time. If you want to do the get off the Fing road, why do the rest of us have to work around them.
F everyone I need to stop and get bread.

I remember in the early 2000's when everyone paid by the minute.
There were test done about distracted driving and it was proven that NO ONE could do it and be safe.
BUT lobby folks dropped money on the senators and that was stopped real quick.
No blocking the money coming in from the morons.
 
And how do I shift without breaking that law?
And how do I change the temperature without breaking that law?
And how do I smoke without breaking that law?
And how do I use my turn signals without breaking that law?
And how do I turn on/off the radio without breaking that law?

You can do all of the above without taking your eyes off the road, If fact outside of smoking most cars are designed so that you can do just that.

Texting = Staring at a screen and typing, or reading what is on your phone screen.

Almost everything you do on your phone other than talking hands-free requires you to remove your focus from what you are doing and give your attention to your phone.

Its dangerous and should be a criminal offense worldwide. There is no reason for texting while driving. Not one valid excuse.
 
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