Increased penalties for drivers who dial and drive

West Mercia Constabulary is warning motorists who continue to flout the law and use their mobile phones while driving that their number is up.

From Tuesday 27^th February drivers who are caught using a hand-held mobile phone will be given a £60 on the spot fine and will receive three penalty points on their licence.  If the case goes to court car drivers risk a maximum fine of £1,000 while drivers of vans, lorries, buses and coaches will face a maximum fine of £2,500.

Any new drivers who incur six points within two years of passing their test will lose their licence under the New Drivers Act.

Motorists could also be prosecuted for using a hands free mobile phone if they are not in proper control of their vehicle.  The penalties will be the same as for using a hands free mobile phone.  Penalties for driving carelessly or dangerously when using any kind of mobile include disqualification from driving, a heavy fine and imprisonment.

These tougher regulations have been brought in to deter people from using their mobiles when they are behind the wheel.  In 2006 a total of 2,400 motorists in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin were caught using a hand-held mobile phone or did not have proper control of their vehicle, which is an average of 200 people a month.

The increased penalties will take immediate effect on Tuesday 27^th February and West Mercia Constabulary will be targeting drivers who use their mobiles on the move, on roads across the force area.

The force is keen to educate motorists about how dangerous it is to use their mobile while driving.  Research has shown that if a person is using their mobile while driving they are four times more likely to have a crash.  Tests have shown that reaction times for drivers using a hand-held mobile were 30 per cent worse than for driving while drunk.  They were nearly 50 per cent worse than when driving under normal conditions. Direct Line Mobile Phone Report 2002  These findings are reflected in the growing number of reports about serious road traffic collisions caused by drivers who were not concentrating on the road, because they were using a mobile phone.

Sergeant John Roberts, the force’s casualty reduction manager, said:

“It is against the law to use a hand held mobile phone to make or receive calls and text message whether you are driving, stationary at traffic lights or stuck in a queue of traffic.  When drivers are caught they will be given a £60 fixed penalty fine on the spot and will receive three points on their licence.  If the matter goes to court they could receive a fine of up to £1000.  If they are using their phone to call or text someone and they are involved in a collision they could be prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving; both offences carry severe penalties and could result in the driver being sent to prison.

“While carrying a mobile phone in a car in case of an emergency is beneficial and reassuring, using it to chat to friends, family, work colleagues and clients while driving is as dangerous as drink driving.  Drivers are putting their own lives at risk as well as risking the lives of other people on the road.

“Using a mobile phone, whether hands free or hand held, distracts you from what is happening on the road.  Being distracted by a conversation or text message means that you will react more slowly to what is happening around you and take longer to brake.  People who use mobiles while driving are much less aware of what is happening on the road in front of them.  They fail to see road signs, do not maintain proper lane position or a steady speed, they are more likely to tailgate the vehicle in front of them and may pull out in front of other vehicles because they aren’t concentrating properly.  The safest option is for people to keep their mobiles switched off while they are driving so they don’t get distracted.

“West Mercia Constabulary is committed to reducing the number of road traffic collisions in the force area and we will be stepping up our enforcement campaign against motorists who flout the law and increase the risk of collisions.  Our advice is it’s good to talk, but not while you are driving, so switch your mobile off before you drive off.”

Mobile phone safety is one of the key areas of the force’s on going Seven Deadly Sins campaign, which aims to raise awareness about road safety and reduce the number of people who are killed and injured in collisions on the roads in West Mercia.

The seven key are areas are:

• Motorcycle safety
• Speed
• Mobile Phones
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Poor driving
• Illegal vehicles
• Seatbelt safety

For more information about the Seven Deadly Sins road safety campaign please visit the force’s website www.westmercia.police.uk.  It has an area dedicated to mobile phone safety and links to the Highway Code website and the Think! Road Safety website.

MOBILE PHONE LEAFLET  (986.94 KB)