Motorists in the dark about mobile phone law

net1

Around a third of motorists are confused about, or unaware of, a forthcoming new law governing the use of mobile phones

From the beginning of December, new legislation will come into effect making it illegal to hold a mobile phone while driving.

The Government announced it was considering the law change last August.

Since then it has consulted the public and experts on the proposal - with nearly 90% of responses in favour of a ban.

Research from the RAC showed one-fifth of the motorists who were aware of the change in the law were wrong in their knowledge of what the new law would comprise.

The RAC recommends that if you do need to use a phone while in your vehicle that you do so only with a fully-fitted car kit.

It also recommends keeping call-making to a minimum and using pre-programmed short-dial numbers wherever possible.

500,000 motorists are on the phone in their cars at any one time, according to the research. The practice is illegal in at least 30 countries.

In the UK, drivers must have proper control of their vehicles at all times and can be prosecuted for careless, inconsiderate or dangerous driving, if using a phone causes them to drive this way.

Penalties include an unlimited fine, disqualification and up to two years' imprisonment. It can also be an offence for employers to require their employees to use mobile phones while driving.

alec

About time too!

I spend a lot of time at airports dodging people who have trouble controlling even a luggage trolley while (inevitably very loudly) telling someone that they've landed / asking what's for dinner etc. on their electronic dummy.
Extrapolate this lack of coordination to driving a ton or so of metal at 70mph and the mind boggles.
Really worrying thought - portable phone users who smoke at the same time as trying to drive!

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Alec in France

rolfw

The problem seems to have becopme worse of late, perhaps it's because there is a whole new generation of drivers who were brought up with the mobile phone as an essential piece of equipment.

What I find perhaps even more disconcerting than car drivers with a phone stuck to their ear, is someone wrestling a 10 tone lorry one handed round a busy roundabout whilst holding the phone to his ear with the other, this I observed recently.

Unfortunately like everything else, they always take the cure too far, I'm sure that the insistence on full car kits being used has nothing to do with the government trying to give something back to the mobile phone companies after the 3G bidding fiasco.

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