Richard Yarrow's opinion for www.startrescue.co.uk, providing low cost Vehicle Recovery cover.

I have a theory about mobile phones. I think that if you hold one to your ear while in a car it slowly sucks out all trace of common sense. How else can you explain the growing phenomenon of drivers stopping in a downright dangerous place because their phone is ringing and they’ve not got a hands-free kit, like the one pictured.

 

They come to a halt so abruptly it’s like their car has broken down and they need vehicle breakdown recovery services. They’re conscientious enough to know it’s illegal to answer the call while they’re on the move. That’s great. Well done people. But simply jamming on the anchors and pulling over to the side of the road with barely a look in the rear view mirror is more dangerous than answering the call! Oh, I’ve only got 10 seconds to press the green button before it trips to answerphone. Right, that looks like a suitable spot, five yards before the road narrows for a zebra crossing!

 

You will no doubt have guessed, correctly, that an incident occurred this week. On Wednesday I barely missed rear-ending a Daihatsu Sirion because the male driver pulled over abruptly to answer the phone. I will confess I wasn’t totally focused on his car… because I was more worried about the group of kids messing about next to the zebra crossing and wondering whether one or more of them was going to step out. His brake lights caught my eye and I had to swerve right to avoid ripping off his bumper. No indication, nothing. He just braked and stopped. A glance in my rear view mirror revealed the reason.

 

A similar incident occurred on Monday and discussions with a friend revealed he’s witnessed examples too. I believe this is an illness, a disease. As such it needs a name and I’ve come up with one. I’m calling it Stupidity. Punishment should be removal of driving licence and mobile phone.