Use of mobile phones whilst driving.

Last week the East Nairnshire Community Council heard how some tractor drivers can be seen using mobile phones whilst driving along the country roads. One community councillor told the meeting that she thought it was so dangerous she phones the police when she sees it happening. The ENCC heard too of how traffic, particularly lorries, is now finding its way onto previously quiet roads due to the use of Sat Nav systems. The way our society is organised around motor transport means there will be more of this unfortunately as individuals and businesses look for the quickest way from A to B, finding new rat-runs to avoid the overcrowded rat-runs – even in rural Nairnshire. The desperate need that a lot of us now have to feel connected all the time via digital devices means the temptation to use/answer the phone whilst driving is always there, be it town or country.

In town too there is no shortage of drivers on phones, particularly on the A96 – this observer once saw a lorry driver navigating the King Street roundabout whilst going about whatever he felt it necessary to do on his phone. We live in a state that has a penchant for mass surveillance, the government is capable of accessing all our e-mails or listening to our phone calls if they wish – surely there is some way they could figure out who is using a phone while driving and quickly earn several billion in fines that could be issued instantly by post? A silly thought perhaps on a warm and Thursday morning but we need to hear more in the press of people being prosecuted for thinking they are above the law when it comes to driving and mobile phones.