New Vic GPS laws

[backPAQer]

Sounds like maybe we need to start considering what are the good GPS holders...or do we start convincing Mr Plod that we're all just using glorified "voice recorders...it's not a mobile phone or GPS"

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonl ... esVDUs.pdf

[the farmers 5]

Well,i guess its just a matter of time before they catch the lanky "bacPAQer" out riding the bike on the hunt for a FTF with a mobile in one hand and GPS in the other .

[solomonfamily]

I was just reading the article in the age about it

http://www.theage.com.au/national/mobil ... -f10z.html

in 200 meters turn left... arriving at destination, "Central Police Station". Please turn off and hand me over.....

[backPAQer]

what makes it tricky for me is that my phone IS my GPS...or vice versa. The law says I'm not allowed to touch any part of my phone...but I am allowed to touch a gps...so what is a smartphone running gps software...a phone? a gps?

maybe I'll just wear it like a watch and that'll confuse them.

[jusojara]

I was just reading the article in the age about it

http://www.theage.com.au/national/mobil ... -f10z.html

in 200 meters turn left... arriving at destination, "Central Police Station". Please turn off and hand me over.....

The Minister says 'Hands on the wheel...'.

When will manual vehicles become unregisterable because you need to take one hand off the wheel and touch the gear stick in order to change gears

[the farmers 5]

The police force know what they are doing and in the end the lives they save might be yours or mine or any of our kids.

This 4 minute video just released will become one of the most watched clips around the world.It should be made compulsary to watch for any driver let alone Geocacher.

You will never text again whilst driving in a car after watching this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBllktSWqYQ

[Quasar]

Is this in Vic only? I often travel interstate for work and take my GPS along for a bit of caching, but of course don't have a holder in a rental car.

Of course they seem to be assuming everyone has an in-car sat-nav system, which aren't very good for geocaching.

[Damo.]

Is this in Vic only? I often travel interstate for work and take my GPS along for a bit of caching, but of course don't have a holder in a rental car.

Of course they seem to be assuming everyone has an in-car sat-nav system, which aren't very good for geocaching.

The article I read ended with something like "these laws bring Victoria in line with the other states."

edit: as does the linked article above..

The new road safety laws bring Victoria into line with national standards.

[Mr Emu]

You will never text again whilst driving in a car after watching this.

You're not kidding.

Although the younger generation are of particular concern, it doesn't apply just to them either. However I'm sure many people think it wouldn't happen to them (which why laws are made to try to enforce safer behaviour).

If you want to challenge your assumptions about the safety of any phone use while driving (including hands-free!), check out the recently released information from a suppressed 2003 study from the United States http://bit.ly/1uemgw. A link to the actual report (pdf) is available on that site too.

The experimental data indicates that, with the exception of the consequences of manipulating a wireless communications device, there are negligible differences in safety relevant behavior and performance between using hand-held and hands-free communications devices while driving from the standpoint of cognitive distraction. Specifically, the experiment data reveal observable degradations in driver behavior and performance and changes in risk-taking and decision-making behaviors when using both hand-held and hands-free mobile phones, and the nature of these degradations and changes are symptomatic of the potential safety-related problems.

This summation mirrors those from numerous other studies, which have often related the dangerous distraction of phone use while driving, including texting, to alcohol-induced impairment.

I am sure the same thing applies to GPS use, and specifically to the texting-like behaviour of pressing the buttons on-the-go.

Until now I have "safely" used a hands-free kit in my car, priding myself in my superiority over those "losers" using their mobiles while driving. Using the GPS and the occasional SMS while driving? "Sure, I'm a safe driver, it won't be a problem... just this once..." Never mind the kilometers I can't remember having flown by while I have been gas-bagging on the phone, supposedly being "efficient" by commuting and working at the same time...

Time for all of us to really re-evaluate our behaviour. Perhaps we've just been unbelievably lucky so far!

[The Spindoctors]

I think all of us, particularly those with a family, found the 2:30 point in the video most shocking.

I've expressed my views on this in the past so I won't rehash them. But I will add a few more.

I have travelled with a few geocachers on trips and have been amazed at the number of times they've fiddled with mobile phones and GPS receivers while driving. On at least one occasion the driver veered off out of our lane and nearly caused an accident. I've vowed never to travel with them as driver again.

I've also said to Nay that I will never adjust the GPS receiver while driving, and I've asked her to go off at me if I revert back to that behaviour. I did once and quite rightly copped a spray.

Finally, this isn't a young person's issue. I've seen plenty of 30, 40, 50+ adults doing exactly the same thing.

[the farmers 5]

Well ,it looks like this story is going to get bigger than you think. Well done Roger [ bacPAQer ] on the news item alerting Geocachers.

This story is now featuring on this Sunday nights 60 minutes show [6 th sept'] discussing everything mentioned .They are also going to show this British clip highlighting the dangers of texting whilst driving mentioned earlier in this topic.Here it is again ,It might be graphic,but its gets the message across.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBllktSWqYQ

This is the original newspaper story including using a GPS whilst driving.
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonl ... esVDUs.pdf

If you have been texting or findling buttons on your GPS whilst driving ,this will soon change your attitude.
A dont miss episode.Well done again bacPAQer

[Damo.]

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article ... =4&fpid=18

VicRoads reverses mobile GPS ban
Motoring authority 'clarifies' new law governing the use of mobile phones in cars

The motoring authority of Victoria, VicRoads, has backed down on a plan to ban the use of mobile global positioning system (GPS) devices in cars.

The state’s revised mobile phone laws proposed to ban the use of smartphones as a GPS navigational aid while driving, which would have made Victoria the first state to introduce the restriction.

A spokesperson for VicRoads said the revised laws had been clarified to allow the use of mobile phones to make and receive calls, and as satellite navigational tools, if the device is secured in a commercially designed cradle.

“The change now states that in addition to being able to make or receive a call when the driver is using a phone in a cradle or remotely, the driver is also able to use the music and audio (without video) functions,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“Using a phone as a GPS is also permitted, but only if the phone is secured in a commercially designed cradle.

“All other functions of the phone outside of GPS and music/audio (without video) remain prohibited.”

So no home-made cradles allowed!

[Team Ladava]

The thing that the majority of the population have in common
is that we believe we are 'better than average' drivers. ????

[ma77hew]

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article ... =4&fpid=18

VicRoads reverses mobile GPS ban
Motoring authority 'clarifies' new law governing the use of mobile phones in cars

The motoring authority of Victoria, VicRoads, has backed down on a plan to ban the use of mobile global positioning system (GPS) devices in cars.

The state’s revised mobile phone laws proposed to ban the use of smartphones as a GPS navigational aid while driving, which would have made Victoria the first state to introduce the restriction.

A spokesperson for VicRoads said the revised laws had been clarified to allow the use of mobile phones to make and receive calls, and as satellite navigational tools, if the device is secured in a commercially designed cradle.

“The change now states that in addition to being able to make or receive a call when the driver is using a phone in a cradle or remotely, the driver is also able to use the music and audio (without video) functions,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“Using a phone as a GPS is also permitted, but only if the phone is secured in a commercially designed cradle.

“All other functions of the phone outside of GPS and music/audio (without video) remain prohibited.”

So no home-made cradles allowed!

So, if you build it at work, is it 'commercially designed'?

[If]

I don't see the problem with in car GPS's or smart phone GPS's or any type of in car navigation system being used while the vehicle is in motion
Any device that gets the driver looking beyond the front of the bonnet (albeit virtually) has to be contributing to safety in a positive way