Parents to blame for mobile madness

PARENTS are to blame for young drivers who risk lives by using their mobile phones at the wheel, the former Driving Standards Agency chief examiner has said.

Terry Wedge, who left the government body to run a consultancy firm, called for a change in family culture to stop younger drivers ignoring the rules after passing their test.

He added that the problem would only become worse as smartphone-integrated media systems become more popular.

Mr Wedge said: ‘If you see your mum and dad using their phones while driving then you’re much more likely to do that yourself.

‘We need to address the motivational issues. The context and even the culture within their family all influence the way they behave once you get out on the road.’

He added: ‘I’m very concerned with the emerging technology allowing full integration of a smartphone with the car entertainment system. I wonder how long it will be before we have to ask people to programme their music centre during their driver training, or what to do when a text message flashes up while you’re driving.’

His comments came after a poll of 2,000 drivers for Confused.com revealed that 33 per cent do not think the changes to the driving test, which come into effect in December, do enough to improve road safety. The changes replace the three-point turn with more bay-parking and learners will have to follow a sat-nav.

The penalty for using a mobile phone while driving was doubled in March 1 to six points and a £200 fine after the Daily Mail’s ‘End the Mobile Madness’ campaign. Reaction times are reportedly twice as long for texting drivers compared with drunk drivers.

Lorry driver Tomasz Kroker was jailed for ten years last October after killing a woman and three children in a crash on the A34 in Berkshire while distracted by his phone.