Fines for using mobile while driving to increase

Richard53

LM9 wrote: »

As has been said, without enforcement any law or penalty is irrelevant. A bit of changing public opinion doesn't hurt either.

When I were a lad in the early 80s amongst the men in particular drinking and driving was at best the accepted norm and at worst a sign of how manly you were. Then the government and police had a major crack-down with police resources allocated to catching drunk drivers, courts instructed to ban in all cases and plenty of hard hitting TV adverts.

Sure people still drink and drive but numbers are reducing and it is socially frowned upon.

Something similar needs doing about phones, if the government is serious about stamping it out. Increased penalty points, maybe make using a phone automatically driving without due care and allocate police overtime to target offenders.

I was just going to post almost the same thing. Drink/driving used to be socially acceptable, if a bit 'naughty'. That was certainly the case when I was a teenager in the 70s. The things that changed that were a massive education campaign and serious enforcement. We now need the same for mobile phone use. As others have pointed out, for every technological way of preventing it, there are three reasons why it won't work. Let's treat it like drink-driving: a year's ban and a £1000 fine for a first offence, and take it from there. A £30 fine deters no-one.

derrick

Richard53 wrote: »

I was just going to post almost the same thing. Drink/driving used to be socially acceptable, if a bit 'naughty'. That was certainly the case when I was a teenager in the 70s. The things that changed that were a massive education campaign and serious enforcement. We now need the same for mobile phone use. As others have pointed out, for every technological way of preventing it, there are three reasons why it won't work. Let's treat it like drink-driving: a year's ban and a £1000 fine for a first offence, and take it from there. A £30 fine deters no-one.

Neither does a £100.00 fine and 3 points which is the penalty, (where do you get £30.00 from?).


GOV.UK

"Penalties for using your phone while driving

You can get an automatic fixed penalty notice if you’re caught using a hand-held phone while driving or riding. You’ll get 3 penalty points on your licence and a fine of £100.


Your case could also go to court and you could be disqualified from driving or riding and get a maximum fine of £1,000. Drivers of buses or goods vehicles could get a maximum fine of £2,500.


New drivers

You’ll lose your licence if you get 6 or more penalty points within 2 years of passing your test."


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scooby088

I always ignore calls when I am driving, if it's important they will call back.

Plus aren't police officers who are using their radios whilst driving just as guilty as someone using a mobile phone or are they exempt.

AlanCarter

scooby088 wrote: »

I always ignore calls when I am driving, if it's important they will call back.

Plus aren't police officers who are using their radios whilst driving just as guilty as someone using a mobile phone or are they exempt.

They're exempt as their radios even though capable of making a phone call, do not fall within mobile phone con and use regs.

GingerBob_3

AlanCarter wrote: »

They're exempt as their radios even though capable of making a phone call, do not fall within mobile phone con and use regs.

So the man in the street (car) can use a CB radio hand-held mic then, without breaking the law?

AlanCarter

GingerBob wrote: »

So the man in the street (car) can use a CB radio hand-held mic then, without breaking the law?

Providing it's not transmitting on a frequency within those covered under the regs.

George_Michael

GingerBob wrote: »

So the man in the street (car) can use a CB radio hand-held mic then, without breaking the law?

Yes. This is why taxi drivers can use radios to communicate with their dispatcher.

Car_54

GingerBob wrote: »

So the man in the street (car) can use a CB radio hand-held mic then, without breaking the law?

Yes, without breaking this particular law (The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2003, section 2).

However, he could still be charged with other offences, e.g. not being in a position to have proper control, or careless driving.

GingerBob_3

Car_54 wrote: »

Yes, without breaking this particular law (The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2003, section 2).

However, he could still be charged with other offences, e.g. not being in a position to have proper control, or careless driving.

Yes, thought so. A bit like the guy who was prosecuted on that basis for eating an apple while the car was stationary at traffic lights. The so-called "authorities" have built-in stupidity and can't apply common sense.

AdrianC

GingerBob wrote: »

A bit like the guy who was prosecuted on that basis for eating an apple while the car was stationary at traffic lights.

Did that ever happen? Really...?