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Survey finds drivers continue to flout phone laws
Date: 27 February 2018 | Author: Sean Keywood
More than one in five drivers are still using their mobile phone at the wheel a year after tough new penalties were introduced, a survey has found.
Vehicle CCTV provider SmartWitness found that 21% of motorists admitted to checking their phone for incoming messages while driving - equivalent to seven million when applied to all drivers - and 14% said they still spoke on the phone at the wheel and answered incoming calls.
This is despite measures introduced by the UK Government on 1 March last year that increased the penalty for phone use to six licence points and on-the-spot fines of £200. The level of offending has gone down from before these were introduced, when one in four drivers were using phones.
The survey of 2,000 motorists found that 76% were aware of the increased penalties and 67% said they would support a further increase in fines and penalty points.
Of the drivers who admitted to breaking the law with their phone, 69% said they only did it when they were stuck in traffic or moving slowly.
SmartWitness chief executive Paul Singh said: "While it is welcome news that fewer drivers are using their phones behind the wheel, these figures are still a huge concern for everyone wanting to improve road safety.
"Studies consistently show that using a mobile phone while driving is as dangerous as drink driving.
"Yet seven million drivers are consistently flouting the law and ignoring concerted efforts to clamp down on the problem.
"The way to tackle this abuse is to make using your phone at the wheel as socially unacceptable as drink driving and we all have a responsibility to hammer home this point."
