Tougher rules for drivers over car phone use
Drivers are to be banned from scrolling through playlists on handheld devices as part of a Government crackdown on road safety.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced it is planning to strengthen laws from next year to make it easier to prosecute drivers using and holding their phones at the wheel.
Under the current law, drivers are banned from texting or making a phone call – other than in an emergency - from a handheld device.
From 2022, drivers will not be allowed to take photos or videos, scroll through playlists or play games on their phones when driving.
Anyone caught using their hand-held device while driving will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence.
Drivers can still use devices such as sat-navs and mobile phones using satellite navigation, if they are secured in a cradle.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "By making it easier to prosecute people illegally using their phone at the wheel, we are ensuring the law is brought into the 21st Century while further protecting all road users.”
The crackdown comes after a public consultation which found 81% of respondents supported strengthening the law.
President of the AA Edmund King said: "By making mobile phone use as socially unacceptable as drink-driving, we are taking big steps to make our roads safer.”
RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: "As our phones have become more sophisticated, the law has not kept pace and this has allowed some drivers to exploit a loophole and avoid the maximum penalty."