Yesterday there were two of them that held me up. I chose the lane with the cab in front as we were approaching a green light, because usually they are pretty competent drivers and don't waste time. Not this one - he got slower and slower and eventually stopped as the light turned orange, and I was stuck behind him. GRRRR! We were crossing a main road, so it was a long wait. Some time later when the light went green again, he started up at a leisurely pace, letting the cars on the other two lanes go past, then had to stop and merge because there was a car parked on our lane. As I went past the parked car, I could see that the guy was sitting there with a phone stuck to his ear, oblivious of the chaos he was causing, and when I was finally able to change lanes and get free of the taxi, I saw that the taxi driver also was deep in conversation on his phone, and still travelling slower than the traffic around him.

We have fines here in NSW (in Oz) that you think would put people off, but it doesn't seem to. Maybe it's because the mantra of most seems to be "Thou shalt not get caught" and nobody seems to be enforcing it.

This is from a government agency:

GET THE MSG: Don't talk or text when driving. Talking on a mobile phone or texting is fast becoming the biggest distraction facing drivers today. Up to 80% of Australians own a mobile phone and many are using their mobile phone illegally while driving a car. The results of driver distraction can be horrific and deadly. Driver distraction is also a major cause of minor car crashes, in particular rear-enders.

What does the law say?

It is illegal in all Australian states and territories to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving – this includes sending or receiving SMS messages. The penalty for being caught talking or texting while driving in NSW is a $225 fine and the loss of 3 demerit points.

Hands-free kits:

It is not illegal to drive using a mobile phone with a hands-free in-car kit or portable hands-free device. However, it is recommended that you park your vehicle before using or answering a mobile phone.

Research has shown that using a hands-free does little to lessen the risk of a serious collision (Study completed by the George Institute for International Health (2005)). Using a hands-free in-car kit or portable hands-free device while driving is the equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration of .08. The legal blood alcohol limit for an unrestricted driver in NSW is .05, and for young drivers the blood alcohol limit is zero.