By Jo Best, 26 February 2007 16:15
NEWS
UK drivers caught using their mobiles at the wheel will be hit with increased fines and penalty points as the government's new crackdown comes into force.
From Tuesday, the fine for driving whilst using a mobile will double from £30 to £60 and offenders will also be liable for three penalty points on their licence.
The harsher penalties will also apply to those not having proper control of their vehicle, "a measure which can also be used where a driver has been distracted by using a handsfree mobile phone", the Department of Transport said.
There are even stiffer penalties on the cards for bus, coach and goods vehicle drivers who can't hang up, including fines that could run into thousands of pounds.
According to the government, the revamped punishments are necessary to deter the 21 per cent of drivers who still break the law by chatting on the phone while driving.
Driving while using a mobile phone first became illegal in December 2003 and in the 12 months following the ban, 74,000 fixed penalty notices were issued.
Despite the increased punishments, not everyone believes penalties go far enough. Road safety charity Brake said the new measure won't deter motorists from using their mobiles and fines should be increased to £1,000. Police should also have the power to confiscate lawbreakers' mobiles, it said.
A survey by Brake and motoring assistance company Green Flag found that around half of drivers claim to talk or text whilst on the road and 61 per cent of drivers believe they have a less than 10 per cent chance of getting caught.
Comments
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1. galley slave#41
This is all very well but in an emergency the only way to get help is by using a mobile.
And the only person that can decide what constitutes an emergency is the person it is happening to.
2. anonymous
During my two, on hour, journey's yesterday I observed more than 10 drivers using mobile phones 'cradled' to their ears (possibly with the belief this makes them invisible!). at least two of the drivers had very sophisticated cars as they did not appear to need to use the steering wheel judging by their animated conversations.
How many people need to DIE or be seriously injured every hour of every day before these drivers get it. Do thye need to lose a close friend or family member before they work it out?
Driving requires concentration and an appropriate driving attitiude. Mobile phones are just one example which can destroy both with disasterous consequences
3. anonymous
As a motorcyclist I can see into cars very easily its a big worry trying to assess if a driver has seen you. a far bigger worry than mobile phones are the distracting idiot screens of the GPS systems trying to tell the insulated drivers where the real world is
4. anonymous
When the law was first introduced, have a guess who was the first person I saw flouting it? A copper!!! Says it all really.
5. Jeremy Wickins
We don't need all these extra laws - driving without due care and attention covers it very nicely.
6. anonymous
What about lighting a cigarette? The processes for that action: lighting, holding , raising and lowering. If it is dropped then it has to be recovered. I think there is some soft money targeting here
7. anonymous
How about banning Sat Nav, I see too many 'drivers' that believe tomtom drives the car as well as telling you where to go and what lane (not) to be in.