Well that'll fix the problem
 

Hands-free calls to be banned in UAE? | GulfNews.com

Must be summer.



"Hands-free calls while driving could soon be banned as the Ministry of Interior is working on regulations to limit use of smartphones and other electronic gadgets in cars"

"“Road accident data has shown us that use of some electronic devices impacts driving and that is the reason why we are working on regulations or ways that will limit the use of gadgets like Google Glass, smart watches as well as other telematics that are installed in vehicles,”"

"“We have involved university students as well as experts to develop an app that will automatically block the use of phones or other smart devices while a person is driving. We have also tried using jammers, but we are not convinced about jammers because we found that they can have adverse health impacts,”"


I dont even....cant even...

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

I carpool with someone who uses hands-free technology while driving.

There's no question that the quality of his driving deteriorates rapidly as he talks on the phone. He gets distracted, he forgets the traffic around him, including drifting to below the speed limit and even drifting into surrounding lanes. Despite repeated reminders from me he always laughs and blows it off.

I'm all for the ban. Especially in this country.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Agreed, I have done a fair bit of research on this multi-tasking while driving thing and what is the best option available and I must admit that man was not made to do so many tasks at once. I say 'so many' because driving is not just one task, its many small tasks all rolled into one. Speed check, rear view mirror check, side mirrors check, front distance check, route check, emergency awareness, engine monitoring, road condition check, traffic signs check are all happening at the same time and one after the other continuously till the car arrives at its destination. Ofcourse over time a decent driver develops most of them into his muscle memory but throw in a curve ball like holding an intelligent conversation with another person, which involves feedback and information sharing and most of those checks go out the window. Imagine trying to see a coin on the road in front of you while you are doing a 100, you will focus so much on that coin that you will loose sight of what is looming right after it or next to it.
So yes, I am all in favor of banning phones completely out of vehicles, even the bluetooth hooked up with the speaker ones.
Now HOW are they planning to do it is beyond me. I have seen SO many idiots on the roads here using speaker phone while holding the phone next to their chins and gesturing wildly that I recommend they develop an app that will have like a speed detector built into it. Any phone that is detected at moving at speeds higher than 20 kph maybe?

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Very good post.

Driving in the UAE is an intense activity primarily because people drive so fast and so closely to one another. You do need to be fully focussed on the road and the traffic, including all the checks you mentioned.

I like the idea of an app that automatically shuts down the mobile once it's detecting you're going faster than a certain threshold.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Nice idea but it can't be done - not strictly true but it would mean shutting down the entire network on all roads and that'll never happen.

Why would you install an app on your phone that disables it? Etisalat/Du/TRA can't do it, it's pie in the sky.

Education is the only way this can be changed.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Will I still be able to text?

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

That'll be fine as your kids bounce around the car without seatbelts and you wear sunglasses with your 50% tinted windows as you drive your behemoth of a car without indicators.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

UAE government can order all mobiles sold in the country to have the app, so it'd be preloaded by the manufacturer. Just like the mosque / quran app is preloaded.

You are right that some people will find ways around it, by importing illegal mobiles or buying it abroad. But if the punishment is severe enough it should have some impact. You'll never eliminate it completely but if you halved the number of drivers on the mobile that could improve traffic safety quite a bit.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

I've never had a mosque or quran app pre-loaded and all my phones have come from etisalat

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Should conversations between driver and passenger be banned as well? ;)

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Not too difficult to do but it needs to be at the vehicle level rather than phone I think. Would take time to filter into the system as older cars would not be affected but in time, like seatbelts it could become ubiquitous. Technically simple. In the same way your vehicle can detect the presence of your smart key in the car so it could also detect a mobile, which is constantly radiating energy in some part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Use that signal to immobilise the vehicle.

Switching to airplane mode with no calls and no data lets you start the car.

Of course this would shut down all mobiles in a vehicle not just the drivers. Hmm win win then.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Martin, it can't be done at a network level. What are they going to do, install some lead box in every car so you can't use a mobile?

Also as most cars are internet connected (whether you realise it or not), then it just won't work.

Can't be done, nothing to see here, move along now.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

No no no, not in the network.

At the car level, same same smart keys.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

When I bought a Nokia handset here about 8 years ago it has some Koranic stuff pre-loaded but that hasn't been the case with subsequent Blackberries or iPhones.


Anyway, the wording of the story is "could be banned" so it's just one of those things they are looking at and that doesn't mean it will happen. How many things have been suggested or announced over the years and never actually happen?

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

ah, the underwater hotel. A dream come true.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

So many that we could list.

I am hoping the Al Wasl/Beach Road nonsense will go the same way.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

I can confirm that it's on the RTA tender list for the end of 2016.

But I can also confirm that many of the anticipated tenders announced by RTA for 2015 were never released.

Methinks enough influential locals will protest enough and it will quietly go away.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

they will probably submit their protest online via a mobile app while driving on the same road.

The whole area is a mess right now. I must have done 5 U turns last night there due to the roadworks.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Well I think it's fairly simple (the implementation, not the development)
Just link the app to your car's Salik tag. Anyone who goes into the RTA to renew the registration will have to go through steps a,b and c to ensure his mobile's app is now linked to his car's Salik tag.
Car won't start if the mobile isn't in the car and the mobile will shut off if it goes over 20
Of course there will be loop holes but hey, it's an idea, and now it's up to the slaves to figure out the nitty grittys!
Great men like me don't bother with details :P

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

So you use your smart key and "it" somehow makes a Faraday cage around your car so that the GSM "waves" can't access it?

Or that the same key somehow prevents all phones within a given radius from accessing the GSM network?

I don't know what you do but that's not practical, yes it could be done, but at $40,000 premium for the bit of kit to do it, it won't be.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Should have phoned someone for directions.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

We're getting there.

You get how if the smart key isn't in the car then the car will not start.
So if the car detects an active phone is in the car, really not that difficult, then the car will not start. Switch off the phone and the car will start.

Limiting it to inside the vehicle is pretty straightforward. Actually not much to it but getting the car manufacturers to add it would be impossible I'm sure.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

How about passengers with phones...would they also not be able to use their phone? And GPS, I use my phone for that :ohmy:

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

You can have the phone off but the GPS on. But it would need to be an offline GPS with the maps on the phone, no Google maps for the most part.

I think it would likely affect all phones in the vehicle. Making a sensor to detect the signal level from a phone inside the car is simple enough but not likely to differentiate between multiple phones in the same car.

A work around would be to return to external antennas. In such a way that radiation inside the vehicle is essentially nil but all your signal comes from the tethered external antenna.

I really can't see this being done. It's viable technically but so is an internet connected hairdryer.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

exactly, of all the issues that cause accidents and road deaths here using hands free devices is way way way down the list of problem to address first

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

There are countless nagged husbands out there secretly wishing for this to become law.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

I'm sure there's a snack bar within earshot.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

this will never come into force....just imagine all the locals going up in arms over this.


I have hands free in my car and I use it regularly - don't really see the issue, unless you are on the phone for longer than say 10 or so mins.

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

Do car accidents only happen after 10 mins?

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

work banned hands free years ago, it's a pleasure to get in the car and switch the bloody thing off

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

amen to that brother
just because one has gotten away without any accidents all his/her life while on a handsfee, still doesnt make it a good idea imho

and in other news (im not going to start a new thread for this)
16 year old kid gets married AND gets a week off from school in Saudi
Saudi school gives pupil, 16, honeymoon break | GulfNews.com

want to bet that the bride is not allowed to get in MOST of the rides in an entertainment park because of height restrictions ;)

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

That's appalling. Not a single mention of the bride and the school principal is quoted as saying "We offered him and his father our heartfelt congratulations." The poor girl. I can only assume she is just a child too. :(

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

and in the same breath :

Saudis act against anti-Islamic footballer haircuts | GulfNews.com

This is wrong on so many levels that I am speechless! What a personal insult to the person! Why didnt he just walk away from it all? Nazis anyone?

Re: Well that'll fix the problem
 

I saw that one too. Bizarre.

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Oh FFS! Of all the issues that KSA is facing they are bothered about haircuts. It's all about keeping control. Imagine if people were allowed to think for themselves! :ohmy: