Texting drivers: Penalty points and fines to double

[Mel O'Drama]

Good! Almost every day I see drivers breaking the law and risking other people's lives by using their phones. Including on the motorway.

There's no excuse for it. The only shame is that the majority of people who think their social life is more important than others' safety will continue to get away with it.






Drivers caught using handheld mobile phones in Britain are to face "much tougher penalties", with fines and points doubling, the government says.

Under new rules expected to come in next year, drivers will get six points on their licence and face a £200 fine.

Newly qualified drivers could be made to retake their test the first time they are caught.

The RAC welcomed the move but said cuts to traffic police meant many drivers did not think they would be caught.

The new rules, which will apply to England, Scotland and Wales, could also see more experienced drivers going to court if they offend twice, and facing possible fines of up to £1,000 and at least a six-month driving ban.

The increased penalties will be accompanied by a high-profile government Think! campaign highlighting the dangers of handheld mobile phone use at the wheel.

The Department for Transport said it expected the changes to take effect in the first half of 2017.

In England, Wales and Scotland, those caught using their mobile phone while driving currently get three penalty points on their licence and a £100 fine.

In Northern Ireland, drivers are given three penalty points and a £60 fine for the offence.

Earlier this week, a survey by the RAC suggested nearly a third of UK motorists text, make calls and use apps while at the wheel, with the number having risen since 2014.

Half of the 1,700 people questioned by the motoring organisation said they had even taken photos and made films while driving.

Department for Transport figures show that a driver impaired or distracted by their phone was a contributory factor in 492 accidents in Britain in 2014, including 21 that were fatal and 84 classed as serious.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37389800

 

[Ome]

This is great and much needed.

 

[Emelee]

Terrific and needed! More traffic safety!

 

[darkshadows38]

yes we do need that but i doubt people will listen to it. and i'd love to say it's just teenagers doing this but it's not adults also do it. if my mom wants to text she waits and if it's something that has to do right away she pulls off the right onto the side of the road so she won't drive into anyone than she texts. but what she normally does is instead of using her celly. she does have that on normally and plugged in. she uses her blu-tooth while driving so she can say dial so and so and that's NOT only so much safer for everyone including her. but it's faster too in case you are running late and it's smart too. why these idiots who text while driving don't do that is beyond me ?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

she uses her blu-tooth while driving so she can say dial so and so and that's NOT only so much safer for everyone including her. but it's faster too in case you are running late and it's smart too.

It's certainly much safer than texting or using apps, and preferable to using a hand-held.

I'm not convinced it's all that much safer though. I have Bluetooth set up in my car so that if someone rings me whilst I'm driving I can take it if I need to. In the majority of cases, though, I choose not to answer. Apart from the fact it's a distraction, it also feels rude to be loudly airing a private conversation to passengers or passersby.

What I've learned from doing this is that whatever it is will invariably wait until I get from A to B. Safely.

 

[darkshadows38]

well i'm not talking about when you are in traffic for example than my mom gets off the phone right away. i get what you mean but windows are normally up anyways. and it really depends on who is in the car with you too

 

[Ome]

Yesterday we were driving to a store and the car in front suddenly stopped. Wondering what had happened they put on their hazard lights, so we started to reverse and I could see them talking on the phone. Within 10 seconds they started to drive forward and put their hand out the car window to signal (I think) a thanks and their hazard lights went off.

I'm not 100% but I think they stopped in the road because their phone was ringing and decided to stick the hazard lights on to warn other drivers they had stopped, all to answer their bloody phone.

It was a busy high street road and they had many opportunities to pull over if they needed to. I guess they didn't want to lose their place in the traffic and so hell to the rest of us driving behind them.

 

[darkshadows38]

that's just plain stupid and not what i meant either. if you are in traffic than let your phone ring. your concentration can only be on one thing at a time. yes there are people who can do more than one thing but when you are driving it's a LOT different than when you aren't. i only said Blu-tooth because you don't have to reach for anything but put it on your head and speak call this and that. and you can hang up by voice and do it all by voice. you don't even have to stop the car either but if it's important than just pull on the side of the road or hell in a truck-stop or a gas station. what also drive me nuts is people who turn and don't even put a turn signal on!

 

[Sarah]

The 21st century obsession with not being able to be away from a mobile phone or look at every two seconds drives me mad. Not only is it dangerous behind the wheel, but it is also contributing to the breakdown of human relationships all over the place. I ban my family from having a phone at the table if we are out for dinner.

 

[darkshadows38]

that's because there's far to many people stuck on stupid as i like to say.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Well, the roads are safe with me. I just found a text this morning from Ukraine sent to me in January.

But I'm a low-tech kind of guy. My low-grade flip phone is well-beyond my capabilities.