Drinking Age

Roberto Sedycias asked:


Modern life means that a cell phone (telefone celular) is a basic requirement. The user can be contacted at any time, can get assistance in an emergency and can stay in touch with anyone when anywhere on the globe. Travel plays an important role in mobile phone use, particularly in the world of business. Excellent deals can be cut whilst on the move and there need never be anther office crisis. It is generally agreed that the mobile phone (telefone celular) has a positive impact on modern life. However, cell phone usage can also have its down side.

To use a cell phone (telefone celular) whilst driving is extremely dangerous yet many people choose to drive and make or answer calls. It is important that people become more aware of the effects of using a phone whilst driving to help prevent further accidents from happening. The importance of the matter is being slowly reflected in laws, with outcomes ranging from fines, to detrimental effect upon licenses, and even imprisonment. Some countries allow for emergency numbers to be called, and stopping would result in accident. Many countries now ban all types of cell phone use, whilst others have a ban on it only. If a driver is thought to have used a mobile phone whilst in an accident, they can be prosecuted for dangerous driving.

To use a cell phone (telefone celular) whilst driving put the driver four times more at risk of a crash. This means they are four time more likely to injure or kill themselves or another person. Recent research has revealed that using a mobile phone whilst driving is even more dangerous than drink driving. Studies show that responses are 50% slower than normal when using a mobile phone, and 30% worse than under the influence of alcohol. The reason behind this is the distraction. Using a cell phone (telefone celular) create visual, auditory, physical and mental distractions.

Distractions to this degree have a series of possible effects. When using a cell phone (telefone celular), a driver is less likely to notice road signs, is more likely to drive too close to others, and find it difficult to maintain a regular speed so display erratic driving. Using a mobile phone can mean many things; it is not just restricted to calls. Cell phone usage also includes reading or responding to texts, being logged into the internet, pictures and using the phone camera.

Hands free kits were invented to counteract the problem of driving using cell phones (telefone celular). However, recent studies have labeled the hand free phone accessory is just as dangerous. The hands free kit is equally distracting, and though it is not prohibited in many countries, it should not really be used. If it is completely necessary, then the call should be kept brief and any emotionally stressful or distracting calls should be ended immediately. Although the hands free kit is allowed, it can still be used as evidence to prosecute if considered a cause for a road accident.

To stay safe, the best action you can take is to take notice of laws and never use your cell phone (telefone celular) whilst driving. This includes using it to even look up numbers or check the time. a momentary lapse in concentration could have fatal results. Turn your mobile phone off and use the voicemail messaging facility as this encourages you to check and use only when safely parked. Remember, even if you are in slow moving heavy traffic; do not use your cell phone as weather conditions and unexpected events can still cause an accident.

Leave any received texts until later, and never try to send one whilst driving. Pull over if any text or call is vital. If you use your mobile device (telefone celular) for work, then make use of use government guidelines. The increased problem of driving whilst using cell phones has caused government initiatives and information services to spring up all over the world. And finally, be equally vigilant with others; hang up is you call someone who is driving.

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Earl

Michael Challiner asked:


They are tiny bikes that reach great speeds and make a lot of noise. But police have had enough of youths creating havoc on mini-motorbikes and now have powers to seize the annoying and sometimes dangerous toys.

What’s more, if children are riding these miniature vehicles on the pavement or road, they face prosecution just like adults. Any penalty points handed out by the court will be kept on file and activated as soon as they are old enough to apply for a driver’s licence.

For those who have penalty points, it becomes increasingly expensive to gain car insurance. And with respect to mini-motorbikes, you could have a situation where children have been prosecuted for dangerous driving on these vehicles and then struggle to find an insurance company willing to offer them a policy to insure their car once they are at the age of 17 and have passed their driver’s licence. The best case scenario is probably going to be that their premiums are sky high.

A spokeswoman for Direct Line Insurance says mini-motorbikes are now being treated as road vehicles and drivers of them have to abide by all the same traffic rules as anyone else. But while police can now prosecute youths on mini-motorbikes, they are not entirely sure yet what the nuisance makers will be prosecuted with. “You could get prosecuted for uninsured driving, paying no road tax or driving without a licence,” she says.

She also points out that just how high insurance premiums will be for those with mini-motorbike offences will depend on what police prosecute the offenders with. “It depends on what the points are for…For a speeding offence it is not going to make a big difference, but for a drink driving offence it is going to make a massive difference.”

She says for example of how prosecutions can drive up premiums, take an 18-year-old boy living in Hove, East Essex. The youth drives a 2001 Ford Fiesta car. He has been prosecuted for dangerous driving and has only had his driver’s licence for a short time. To obtain fully comprehensive cover under a Direct Line insurance policy he would pay annual premiums of £2473.80. Without the conviction the price would be £1908.90.

What is interesting about this is that if you take a female of the same age, driving the same car and from the same area, she would pay just £1218 without a conviction and £1576.05 if she had a driving conviction. So she would in fact pay less for insurance even with a conviction than a male her age without one. Why the difference in price between young men and women? The spokeswoman says that it is because statistics show that one in three young men have a serious accident within their first year of driving.

A spokeswoman at the Association of British Insurers says the chances are if you have been caught speeding on a motor bike you are going to be more at risk behind the wheel of a car than others. It’s a known fact that young men are the most at risk of having a car accident, which is why they pay so much more for their car insurance.

“I think they make up 3% of the driving population but account for over 30% of all of the driving convictions. It depends on the insurance company, but we (the insurance industry) insure on risk and therefore we calculate our premiums accordingly.”



Carl