krug3r
24-06-2003, 12:17
[SOURCE BBC]
Police say using a mobile impairs driving.
Using a handheld mobile phone while driving is to be made illegal.
Ministers say the new offence is to take effect from 1 December this year, with offenders fined £30 initially - rising to a maximum £1,000 if their case goes to court.
Those caught breaking the ban would also get three penalty points on their driving licences for each offence.
Under current laws motorists can only be prosecuted for using mobiles if they fail to keep proper control of their vehicle - there is no actual law specifically prohibiting the use of mobiles while driving.
Concentration block
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.
The planned new law will have to be approved by Parliament and be added to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations.
Roads Safety Minister David Jamieson said: "Driving whilst using a mobile phone is dangerous.
"We are all too familiar with the sight of people driving along while holding and talking on their mobile phones.
"Any driver will be distracted by a phone call or text message.
"It affects the ability to concentrate and anticipate the road ahead, putting the driver and other road users at risk.
"Our decision to introduce this new offence will make the roads safer for us all. Missing a call won't kill you - an accident quite possibly could."
Mr Jamieson said other types of behaviour, such as eating and drinking while driving, could be dangerous and were covered by general careless driving laws.
But mobile phone calls posed particular risks as they could often continue for 10 to 15 minutes, he argued.
Risks
Research shows that people using a phone while driving are four times more likely to have an accident, says the government.
It is also warning users of hands-free phones that they still risk prosecution for failing to have proper control of their vehicle or for careless or reckless driving.
Even hands-free calls are distracting, say ministers.
Studies by the Transport Research Laboratory have suggested using a hand-held mobile is more dangerous than drink driving.
The practice is illegal is more than 30 countries.
A survey by the RAC motoring organisation last year suggested most drivers backed a handheld phone driving ban.
More than 90% of those questioned said phone driving caused other motorists to drive badly.
But only 43% thought they themselves were unsafe when they did the same.
Map-reading worse?
Just a quarter of those surveyed actually admitted to having telephone conversations while driving.
And most of those asked said a ban would not adversely affect them.
Both map reading and putting on make-up while driving were seen as more dangerous than driving and phoning by more than 70% of those questioned for the survey.
Several police forces in recent months have mounted crackdowns on using mobiles while driving under current laws.
Andrew Howard, head of roads safety for the AA motoring trust, predicted the law change would see phone driving "plunge drastically".
He told BBC News Online: "It's a bit like the seat belts law - nobody bothered with them until the law came out although they knew it made sense."
Mr Howard thought that the new law would give people the excuse they wanted to stop using their mobiles without worrying about not looking "cool".
That made it more likely people would obey the new law rather than ignoring a ban they thought would not be enforced.
"The government has had to walk down a tightrope between safety and practicality," he said. "It has probably done as well as it could.
"We know mobile phones are dangerous but it is incredibly difficult to enforce a ban on hands-free phones."
Police say using a mobile impairs driving.
Using a handheld mobile phone while driving is to be made illegal.
Ministers say the new offence is to take effect from 1 December this year, with offenders fined £30 initially - rising to a maximum £1,000 if their case goes to court.
Those caught breaking the ban would also get three penalty points on their driving licences for each offence.
Under current laws motorists can only be prosecuted for using mobiles if they fail to keep proper control of their vehicle - there is no actual law specifically prohibiting the use of mobiles while driving.
Concentration block
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.
The planned new law will have to be approved by Parliament and be added to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations.
Roads Safety Minister David Jamieson said: "Driving whilst using a mobile phone is dangerous.
"We are all too familiar with the sight of people driving along while holding and talking on their mobile phones.
"Any driver will be distracted by a phone call or text message.
"It affects the ability to concentrate and anticipate the road ahead, putting the driver and other road users at risk.
"Our decision to introduce this new offence will make the roads safer for us all. Missing a call won't kill you - an accident quite possibly could."
Mr Jamieson said other types of behaviour, such as eating and drinking while driving, could be dangerous and were covered by general careless driving laws.
But mobile phone calls posed particular risks as they could often continue for 10 to 15 minutes, he argued.
Risks
Research shows that people using a phone while driving are four times more likely to have an accident, says the government.
It is also warning users of hands-free phones that they still risk prosecution for failing to have proper control of their vehicle or for careless or reckless driving.
Even hands-free calls are distracting, say ministers.
Studies by the Transport Research Laboratory have suggested using a hand-held mobile is more dangerous than drink driving.
The practice is illegal is more than 30 countries.
A survey by the RAC motoring organisation last year suggested most drivers backed a handheld phone driving ban.
More than 90% of those questioned said phone driving caused other motorists to drive badly.
But only 43% thought they themselves were unsafe when they did the same.
Map-reading worse?
Just a quarter of those surveyed actually admitted to having telephone conversations while driving.
And most of those asked said a ban would not adversely affect them.
Both map reading and putting on make-up while driving were seen as more dangerous than driving and phoning by more than 70% of those questioned for the survey.
Several police forces in recent months have mounted crackdowns on using mobiles while driving under current laws.
Andrew Howard, head of roads safety for the AA motoring trust, predicted the law change would see phone driving "plunge drastically".
He told BBC News Online: "It's a bit like the seat belts law - nobody bothered with them until the law came out although they knew it made sense."
Mr Howard thought that the new law would give people the excuse they wanted to stop using their mobiles without worrying about not looking "cool".
That made it more likely people would obey the new law rather than ignoring a ban they thought would not be enforced.
"The government has had to walk down a tightrope between safety and practicality," he said. "It has probably done as well as it could.
"We know mobile phones are dangerous but it is incredibly difficult to enforce a ban on hands-free phones."