Utilizing a hand-held cell phone whereas driving is an offence punishable by a £200 fantastic with six penalty factors, so it’s merely not definitely worth the danger.
Right here’s some smart recommendation from highway security and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Help on tips on how to keep away from cell phone temptation.
It’s additionally value remembering that hands-free use could also be authorized, however drivers nonetheless danger being distracted when dialling, speaking, texting or shopping their telephones throughout journeys.
Authorities figures for 2021 (the newest out there) present that 1% of drivers had been noticed utilizing a hand-held cell phone while driving.
The worst group of offenders had been van drivers (1.9%) in contrast with automobile drivers (0.8%), whereas males aged 17 to 29 had been the more than likely to be noticed utilizing a cell phone.
Keep protected with these easy ideas
- You’re allowed to make use of a cell phone when you’re safely parked, with the engine off and the handbrake on.
- Please don’t choose up your cellphone in every other driving scenario, together with once you’re stationary at site visitors lights or queueing in site visitors.
- The one exception to that is if it’s an emergency and it might be unsafe or impractical to cease, through which case you could name 999.
- Don’t assume that utilizing a hands-free package means you could have handled the danger. You might be nonetheless permitting your self to be distracted from the duty of protected driving, and you might nonetheless be prosecuted for not being in management (an offence that carries a £100 fantastic and three penalty factors).
- Take a couple of minutes earlier than a journey to make vital calls or to verify voice messages and emails. Work along with pals, household, colleagues and work contacts to take away the expectation that we must always all be out there, on a regular basis.
- Plan journeys to construct in breaks from driving, the place you may name, textual content or electronic mail or work together with social media in a protected setting.
