Using Your Mobile Phone When Driving
Using your mobile phone when driving now risks a £200 fine and 6 points on your driving license
From March 2017, using a mobile phone while driving a car or riding a motorcycle risks a hefty fine and the possibility of losing your driving license. If you are driving a bus or a goods vehicle the maximum fine is £2,500.
Police crackdown on drivers using a mobile phones when driving
The police caught 47 drivers an hour using mobile phones during a recent crackdown. Last November police handed out 7,966 fixed penalty notices to drivers who were using handheld mobile devices. Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester said “drivers need to take personal responsibility for what they do when in charge of a vehicle.”
Transport secretary gets tough on motorists using mobile phones
After hearing the views of cabinet minsters, the transport secretary has decided to roll out new tougher rules for motorists doubling the punishment for driving while using a phone. A new advertising campaign will show the dangers of using a mobile phone when driving. The aim is to make using a mobile phone while driving socially unacceptable just like drink driving and drug driving.
When can you use your mobile phone while driving
You can only use your mobile phone while driving your vehicle if you need to call 999 or 112 or if it’s unsafe or impractical to stop. You must not use your phone when queuing in traffic or stopping at traffic lights. See the Highway Code for rules on waiting and parking, including rules of parking at night and decriminalised parking enforcement.
- General rule 238
- Parking rules 239 to 247
- Parking at night rules 248 to 252
- Decriminalised Parking Enforcement DPE
New drivers risk being disqualified
Getting caught using a mobile phone will have dire consequences. When you have passed your driving test do not use your mobile phone when driving. Getting 6 points on your driving license means you will lose your license. You will have to for your driving license again by taking your theory and driving test again.
Consequences
In August 2016, a HGV driver traveling at 50mph was scrolling through his mobile phone. The traffic in front of his vehicle was stationary. The driver was so engrossed in his mobile phone he was unaware of the traffic ahead. Four people lost their lives that day. The driver of the HGV vehicle was handed down a 10-year jail sentence. If any lessons are to be learnt from this tragic event, it is that using mobile phones when driving can have deadly consequences.
