To Graham Pattaya Thailand
"Drink driving laws are overzealous in my opinion, 2 drinks and you're over the limit is absurd".
Living in Thailand you should know that if you as a farang have an accident while driving, drink will make you the obvious one at fault. Don't drink & drive, EVER.

Michael, Khon Kaen, Thailand

You can legally operate amateur radio equipment while driving despite it being much more distracting than a mobile phone. So what's the problem ?

Cliff, Portishead, UK

I agree with banning cell phones and text pagers while driving. People's reflexes are slower to braking, turn signals. Pull over if you must text or talk on cell phones.

Kathleen Godwin, Ellicott City, MD, USA

@Martin: "Was it really necessary to carry out a study? Common sense alone should have brought any right-minded person to this conclusion." Unfortunately lots of Clarksonites would claim 'I'm just as safe texting - it's no worse than tuning the radio', so yes the research is necessary.

Will Duffay, London,

If we were allowed to just answer the phone then this wouldn't be a problem. The only reason to text and drive is so that the phone is out of sight.

Roger Hollows, Bedford, uk

Was it really necessary to carry out a study? Common sense alone should have brought any right-minded person to this conclusion.

It beggars belief that people are questioning the worth of the current goings-on at CERN while time and effort is being wasted on so-called research like this.

Martin, Wiltshire, UK

If, like Jack, you are "constantly looking at your speedometer" to check your speed, then you shouldn' have a driving licence. Any proper driver should be able to judge their speed with only an occasional glance at the speedometer. Not difficult and not dangerous.

Fraser, Basingstoke, UK

If it's been proven (again) that texting is more dangerous than drink-driving, why does the penalty not reflect this?
3 points and £60 is a common penalty because it's not high enough to stop the majority from committing the act, yet is high enough that the government can rake in the money.

James, Stamford, UK

I dont use my phone at all in the car. I havent lost my job and I havent lost all my family and friends either. I still manage to function normally without a mobile jammed incessantly in my ear. I also dont have the embarassment of hearing myself spout the mindless drivel I hear from others.

Bill Atkins, Rehoboth Beach, USA

I nearly crashed once because I'd sneezed and on a separate occasion my car actually mounted the pavement whilst I was try to get rid of a wasp which had flown in through the window. I couldn't really avoid either event, although in hindsight slowing down might have helped.

Alan Hunter, Sunderland, UK

M20 J5. I watched a woman in a brand new BMW X5 using her phone whilst smoking a cigarette. She twice hit the kerb then entered a roundabout in the wrong lane and changed lanes with no signals causing myself and other drivers to brake.
There were three children in the car. Not just the yobs then!

Jeffers, Maidstone, uk

Of course texting is more dangerous than drink driving - you actually have to take your eyes off the road to do it. Drink driving laws are overzealous in my opinion, 2 drinks and you're over the limit is absurd.

Graham, Pattaya, Thailand

Before cell phones we never had a reason to make a call while on the move. With all this technology we now have, I cannot believe that it is impossible to imagine a device that is mandatorily fitted to every car that jams cell phone signals while the vehicle is moving. Simple solution really.

George, Swindon, UK

Texting while driving more dangerous than talking - shock horror probe! What's worse is that once again the beleaguered taxpayer has paid for a piece of research that simply demonstrates what is blatantly self-evident.

Amanda Hopkins, Rugby, U.K.

With speed cameras and speed camera van’s around almost every corner drivers are constantly looking down at the speedometer for fear of driving one MPH over the limit.
The greed cameras are causing accidents by constantly distracting the driver. It’s like constantly replying to a text message.

Jack, Newark, UK

If caught texting just take their car away on the spot, it is one of the easiest crimes to prove using phone company records. If they thought that in addition to a heafty fine they would automatically forfeit their car this would stop instantly.

mike gee, bournemouth, uk

Will we see an expensive annual campaign of Police stopping cars at random on the pretext that their lights are dirty, and therefore they "have reason to suspect" they have been texting? I doubt it. Yet as it is another splendid opportunity to pretend all drivers are potential criminals, why not ?

George Edwards, Beijing, China

A puny £60 penalty for texting whilst driving does not deter, according to my own observations. A greater deterent is; Unlimited fine, car confiscation, and loss of licence for 2 years because study reveals worse than drink driving. I think you will then see a rapid decline in this dangerous habit.

Gino Francesco, Hastings, England

This individual finds it incredible that anyone could be stupid (and wicked) enough to compile a text message whilst in charge of a moving vehicle. Just how do they manage it?

Phillip, Poole, England

I once saw a man driving in Kuala Lumpur with a mobile 'phone between his left shoulder and ear, and writing in a notebook with his right hand, whilst steering with his knees. He was probably a Muslim, so, at least, hadn't been drinking.

Bill Peter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

With the availability of inexpensive, or free, hands-free kits available for mobiles there is no excuse for those who use a hand held mobile while driving. Texting is for lunatics.
We still see too many people phoning on the roads.

Howard, Chester,

Any driver who causes a fatal accient when heir driving is impaired by drink and other drugs, using mobile phones, eating, drinking, smoking, concentrating on other things happening in their vehicle - conversation - in fact any distraction at all should be jalied and banned from driving for life.

Rodney Barker, Gainsborough, England UK