Action call over mobile phone drivers

Four out of five drivers want camera technology introduced to catch people using their mobile phones while behind the wheel.

The findings come in an RAC survey which also shows 18% of young drivers admitting to video calling while behind the wheel.

The motoring organisation, which commissioned the poll of 3,068 drivers, warned that the growth in popularity of video calling services such as FaceTime, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp poses a" new, clear and present danger" on the roads.

Some 29% of drivers of all ages say they make and receive voice calls on handheld phones while behind the wheel – a six per cent up on last year and is the highest proportion since 2016.

Other drivers' use of handheld phones is the second biggest overall motoring-related concern identified in the RAC's annual Report On Motoring, with 32% saying mobile use concerns them and 79% saying they want camera technology introduced to catch drivers using their phones illegally.

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: "The problem of illegal phone use at the wheel has far from disappeared and the popularity of video calls means this type of communication represents a new, clear and present danger on the UK's roads in 2020.

"The fact drivers still state it's their second biggest motoring concern of all shows that more progress still needs to be made here."

In 2019, there were 637 casualties on Britain's roads, including 18 deaths and 135 serious injuries, in crashes where a driver using a mobile was a contributory factor.