Drivers on phones face tougher penalties
● Fines to double to £200 from 1 March ● Six penalty points on driving licences
Police are warning drivers not to use their mobile phones at the wheel ahead of a new law coming into force next week which will double the penalties for the offence.
At present, drivers who are stopped while using a mobile phone are issued with three penalty points on their licence and a £100 fine.
Under the new legislation, which comes into force on Wednesday, 1 March, the consequences double and will be six points and a £200 fine.
In more serious cases, police officers have powers to prosecute drivers for careless or dangerous driving. The increased penalties follow a series of fatal crashes, including a lorry driver who was jailed for ten years last October for killing a woman and three children on the A34 in Berkshire while scrolling through music on his phone.
Police have launched a campaign to raise awareness about the new law and urged motorists not to risk using an internet device or a mobile phone while driving.
Chief Superintendent Andy Edmonston, Head of Road Policing for Police Scotland, said: “The risks associated with using a phone while behind the wheel have always been very clear.
“Any driver will be distracted by a phone call or text message as it affects the ability to concentrate and anticipate the road ahead, putting the driver and other road users at risk.
“Distraction reduces hazard perception and increases reaction times in a similar way to drink-driving, making drivers much more likely to cause deaths and injuries. Drivers who think they can multi-task are fooling themselves: research shows 98 per cent are unable to divide their time without it affecting performance. Talking on a phone hand-held or hands free, texting, e-mailing, adjusting sat navs, eating, drinking and smoking are all proven to increase crash risk.
“The law says a driver must at all times be in proper control of their vehicle. If at any time they are not they may be guilty of an offence. Police Scotland consistently targets these offences on a daily basis to reduce road casualties and will deal with offences detected in an appropriate manner.
“We are using this change in the law to, once again, remind drivers that using a mobile phone while driving has always been unacceptable and even careful drivers can be distracted by a call or text – and a split-second lapse in concentration could result in a serious or fatal collision.”
Joint Scottish-uk government research in 2015 showed van drivers north of the Border were the worst offenders in Britain for using handsets at the wheel.
A total of 3.6 per cent of van drivers in Scotland – nearly one in 25 – were seen using phones while on the move compared to 2.5 per cent in England. The figures compared with 1.6 per cent for car drivers across Britain.
Young drivers were the most likely to use phones, with 5.2 per cent of 17 to 29-year-olds recorded.
More drivers were seen holding a phone for texting or internet use than at their ear for making calls.