Phone use at the wheel not smart

Research carried out for the UK driver’s association the RAC shows that even tougher new penalties are failing to dissuade those at the wheel from using phones. The research has shown that 60% of drivers believe being the cause of a crash would make them stop using phones while driving. According to the RAC, too many drivers remain unaware of the dangers of cell phone use while behind the wheel. And 86% of drivers admitting phone use at the wheel said they would stop doing so.
July 13, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

Research carried out for the UK driver’s association the 3443 RAC shows that even tougher new penalties are failing to dissuade those at the wheel from using phones. The research has shown that 60% of drivers believe being the cause of a crash would make them stop using phones while driving. According to the RAC, too many drivers remain unaware of the dangers of cell phone use while behind the wheel. And 86% of drivers admitting phone use at the wheel said they would stop doing so. Of note is that a high percentage of drivers still feel it is acceptable to use a phone while sitting in traffic. However this is also illegal.

The study revealed that being responsible for causing crash while using a handheld phone would make 60% of drivers from doing so again. It also showed that 55% of drivers would stop using a cellphone at the wheel after being stopped by a police officer. Meanwhile the threat of points and a fine would make 54% of drivers stop using a phone at the wheel and causing a near-miss while using a handheld phone would stop 53% of drivers from doing so again.

For more information on companies in this article

RAC

Related Content

  • Brake calls for tougher sentences for UK road death drivers
    May 28, 2014
    UK road safety charity Brake has renewed calls for tougher charges and penalties for drivers who kill and injure following the publication of British government criminal justice figures for 2013. The figures show the large proportion of drivers who kill and seriously injure being let off with relatively low penalties, reinforcing the importance of a forthcoming review of charges and penalties, recently announced by government. In total, 438 drivers were convicted of causing death or bodily harm. Just over
    Read More
  • Driving safely to cut risks for road users
    August 24, 2015
    Regulations in France covering driving have become tougher. In a bid to tackle distracted driving, French drivers are now banned from using hands-free phone kits that use headsets while at the wheel. This follows research showing that the use of hands-free kits is only slightly less dangerous than holding a phone in the hand while at the wheel. French drivers are also forbidden to eat, apply make-up, read a map or listen to very loud music when behind the wheel. Meanwhile headphones or wireless earpieces ar
    Read More
  • Distraction poses increasing risk to driving safety
    July 21, 2014
    In the UK a number of road safety campaigning groups are warning that driver distraction from mobile phones will become a bigger killer than drink driving by 2015. While cellphone use by drivers is banned in the UK, penalties are still light and enforcement lax. Drivers still frequently use cellphones while behind the wheel. Suggestions have been made to double the penalties facing offenders, but if this ruling is accepted it will still take time to implement. And some say these tougher penalties are still
    Read More
  • Road casualty rate increases in Netherlands
    December 15, 2016
    The recent news that the road casualty rate in the Netherlands has seen an increase should ring alarm bells in many areas. It is worth bearing in mind that the Netherlands has some of the safest roads in the world.
    Read More

Highlighted Content