New law for drivers on mobiles not enough

TRANSPORT Secretary Grant Shapps has further clarified the use the use of a mobile devices while driving to remove some of grey areas.

Yet still further work needs to be done to manage and administer this dangerous practice.

Seventeen people have been killed by drivers who were distracted by their mobiles while driving and 114 people were seriously injured with a further 385 being slightly injured. Of those either killed or seriously injured, one in six were either a pedestrian or cyclists.

The figures highlight the threat posed to vulnerable road users from those who flout the law in using their mobiles or hand-held devices while driving.

Currently the law bans drivers from texting or making a call from such devices unless it is an emergency. The new law from 2022 will also not allow drivers to take photographs or videos, scroll through playlists or play games on their mobile phones when driving.

Anyone using either a mobile or a hand-held device while driving will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence. The monetary fine is far too low, as it needs to be more to become a deterrent.

We still have drivers with over 20 points on their driving licences and still driving due to their circumstances. I have no issues with those drivers who use devices such as sat-navs and mobile phones (using satellite navigation) if they are held or secured in a cradle.

But, as most others will notice, we still have motorists who take no responsibility for their driving. How many are prosecuted if the police find them not in proper control of their vehicle when we are a long way short of the 20,000 new officers promised?

Tony Morris

Carlton