Stopping the smartphone epidemic
Experts’ verdict on whether harsher penalties will prove effective
Experts have their say on how to get drivers off their phones
DRIVERS caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel will face six penalty points and a £200 fine as part of Government efforts to crack down on dangerous driving. But will it work? We’ve asked experts whether they think the new stricter penalties – due to come into force in early 2017 across England, Scotland and Wales – are the answer to stopping drivers using phones.
Repeat offenders will face a sixmonth driving ban alongside fines of up to £1,000, and newly-qualified drivers would lose their licence immediately. But the RAC says harsher penalties aren’t the only solution, with a cultural change regarding using phones at the wheel required among motorists and law makers.
Latest figures show attitudes to mobile phone use while driving have relaxed in the last two years, with those who think it’s acceptable doubling from seven to 14 per cent, despite the punishment already being set at three points and a £100 fine. The share of drivers checking social media in stationary traffic has also increased from 14 per cent in 2014 to 20 per cent today.
An estimated 11 million people admit to driving and using a phone in the last year, and five million say they’ve taken photos or videos. That’s despite mobile phone use while driving being identified as a contributory factor in 21 road deaths and 384 serious accidents in the UK in 2014.
One of the biggest reasons drivers said they were happy to use their phones was the belief that they wouldn’t be caught, so will tougher laws really have an impact? And, if not, what’s the solution?
Here’s what some leading motoring experts told Auto Express they’d like to see done to tackle the issue...