Don’t use sat-nav apps while driving – new police warning

Motorists have been warned that tougher penalties for using phones, introduced in April, also cover using sat-nav apps.

Technically, using a sat-nav app on a phone becomes illegal only when you touch the screen to operate it. A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs Council said: “If an officer determines that a driver using their sat-nav hindered their ability to control the car, the driver could face prosecution”.

However, motoring groups say that you should be allowed a quick touch of the screen.

A spokesman for the AA said: “If it pops up with a message which requires just one press of a button, such as ‘A faster route has been found. Accept/decline’, you should be OK to do this, as you would with an in-built sat-nav”.

But he added that you should pull over and park if you need to enter a new route.

Drivers found guilty of using a sat-nav app face the same penalty as those who talk or text – a £200 fine and six points, double the amount before April.

If the case goes to court, drivers can be banned and hit with a top fine of £1,000. Guilty drivers who have held their licence for less than two years can be forced to retake their test.

The laws governing phone use while driving derive from the principle that a motorist must be in full control of their vehicle at all times. Drivers are permitted to use their phones only when parked safely. The ban applies also when cars are stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic.

The only reason drivers can legally use a phone is to call 999 when it’s impractical or not safe to pull over and park.

Should penalties for using phones while driving be tougher? Let us know: letters@ computeractive.co.uk

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