Do you use your mobile phone while driving? Maybe you only flick your eyes over to your mobile if it buzzes. Perhaps you pick your phone up while waiting at traffic lights. Lots of people seem to take videos of themselves driving, or of other people on the road. While these things might not seem particularly dangerous, they are against the law. New research by the RAC has found that only 36% of drivers are aware of the penalties they may face for using a mobile phone while driving.
Growing Danger
The number of people who die in accidents caused by people using a mobile phone while driving is rising. Where 22 people died in 2015, 32 died in 2016. The growing popularity of apps such as snapchat might be behind this growth. Police believe that the real number of incidents caused by mobile phones may be much higher than reported, due to a lack of detailed investigations.
Potential Punishments
It is illegal to use your mobile phone while driving in almost any circumstances. Unless you are safely parked, or are calling an emergency number, it is against the law to use a mobile phone. If you are caught, you will receive a £200 fine and six penalty points on your licence. However, there is a real chance that you will have to go to court and pay up to £1,000 in many circumstances.
What Can be Done?
Very few people are aware of the penalties for using a mobile phone while driving. Fewer still know that the punishments are stiffer than they have previously been. However, 31% of people believe that the law doesn’t go far enough. Nearly a quarter of respondents to the RAC survey believed that even harsher policies should be put in place.
