ITS LAW!
New legislation to increase the
penalty for using a hand-held phone whilst driving came into force on
27 February 2007. The original fine of £30 has increased
to £60 and three penalty points on your licence. Penalty points can mean
higher insurance costs. If you get six points within two years of passing
your test, your licence will be revoked and you will need to re-sit the
test. If the case goes to court, you could risk a maximum fine of £1,000,
which rises to £2,500 for the driver of a bus, coach, or heavy goods
vehicle.
A driver can also be prosecuted for
using a hands-free device if you are not in proper control of your vehicle
when using the device. The penalties are the same - £60 fine and three
points on your licence.
If you are an employer you can be
prosecuted if you require employees to make or receive mobile calls while
driving. It is an offence to cause or permit the use of a hand-held mobile
phone when driving. It is also an offence to cause or permit a driver not
to have proper control of a vehicle.
Callers also play an important role
in keeping the roads safe. If the person you are speaking to is driving,
please terminate the call and arrange to speak to them later.
Why are the penalties going
up?
- It is hard to do two things at
once and research has shown that if you are using a mobile phone whilst
driving, you are four times more likely to have a crash.
- In fact, if you use any type of
mobile be it hands free or hands held, your reaction times are worse
than if you were driving under the influence of alcohol. Tests have
shown that reaction times for drivers using a hand-held phone slows
reactions by 50% when compared to normal driving and by 30% when
compared to being drunk (Direct Line Mobile Phone Report 2002).
- The use of a mobile phone often
involves distractions which could be visual, auditory, mental or
physical (Direct Line Mobile Phone Report 2002).
- Even if you're a careful driver,
it's easy to be distracted by a phone call or text message - and that
split second lapse in concentration could result in a crash.
Direct Line Mobile Phone Report 2002 summary.
Are there any exceptions?
- A driver may call 999 or 112 in
response to a genuine emergency.
- Two-way radios are not covered by
this offence but other devices for sending or receiving data are
included if they are held while driving, i.e a PDA, Blackberry or
similar device.
We have a large range of hands free solutions in the links below:
Related Links:
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