The Rules About Driving and Mobile Phones
Using a hand-held mobile device whilst driving is a significant distraction and substantially increases the risk of a driver crashing. Although not illegal even using a hand free device increases the risk as well. A driver can be up to 4 times more likely to crash and the subsequent damage to vehicles and injury to people can be huge. Drivers will generally react much more slowly and brake later and are much less aware of what’s happening around them.
How many times do you see someone driving and using their mobile phone?
Driving or riding a vehicle whilst using your mobile phone or a sat nav device is illegal unless you have hands free access such as a Bluetooth headset or a windscreen mount or voice command. Any device you use must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead.
You can also not use your mobile when stopped at traffic lights or in a queue of traffic. How many times do you see people looking down at their lap because they think the phone is hidden or missing that the traffic has started to move ahead through lack of attention of their surroundings?
It is also illegal for a supervising driver (driving instructor or parent/friend) to use a mobile phone whilst supervising a learner driver. The supervising driver should be concentrating on the learner and the road ahead and behind as the learner would often be inexperienced.
The only time you can legally use a hand-held phone are if you are safely parked or you need to call 999 in an emergency and its unsafe or practical to stop.
Over the years the penalty for using your mobile whilst driving has gone up and up. Currently the penalty is 6 points on your driving license and a £200 fine. You could be taken to court and be banned from driving and receive a fine of £1000.
If you have passed your driving test in the previous 2 years then 6 points on your license would mean you lose it under the new driver rules. Imagine how you would feel if you had to pass your theory and driving test again!
Think how you would feel if you seriously injured or even killed someone just because you couldn’t wait to answer your mobile or thought you needed to send a text whilst driving. Its not worth it! Pull over safely first or even better switch your mobile off whilst driving.