South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership
News
20 Feb 2023
BLOCK THE TEMPTATION TO BREAK THE LAW
Are you one of the 70% of people who are strongly against the use of mobile phones while driving?
Research has found that the majority of drivers are committed to not using their phone while on the road – this is good news.
Over the next couple of weeks, the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership (SYSRP) will be putting the spotlight on the dangers of distraction in a bid to help and discourage drivers from giving in to temptation.
A spokeswoman for the Partnership said: “When driving, anyone using a handheld mobile phone or even hands free, is FOUR times more at risk of crashing.
“And did you know that a driver distracted by a phone can be impaired to the same degree as a drink driver?
“It’s so important that we all understand the dangers of mobile phone use and make it as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving.”
The current UK law states that it is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle. This means you must not use a device in your hand for any reason, whether online or offline. For example, you must not text, make calls, take photos or videos, or browse the web.
You can get six penalty points and a £200 fine if you break the law and you will lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last two years.
“The legal repercussions reflect how dangerous it is to use your phone behind the wheel,” added the spokeswoman.
“We don’t want people trying to find loopholes or hiding the fact they are using their phone; the law is the law so that people avoid distraction because it’s the safe and right thing to do.
“The reality is that as well as being four times more likely to be involved in a collision, phone use while driving will make you far less likely to notice and react to hazards, affect your lane control and impact on your speed choices.”
The law around mobile phones was updated in March 2022 to make it illegal to touch a handheld device while driving, including refreshing the screen, checking the time and using sat nav. The only exception is if you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop.
“If you need help avoiding temptation while driving, why not look into mobile phone blocking pouches or put the phone in the glove box,” added the spokeswoman.
“You could also install an App that blocks calls when driving and sends a message to the caller to let them know why you can’t answer.
“If you know this has been taken care of, it can be good for relieving the stress of thinking that your callers will think you are ignoring them as well as reminding friends and family it’s ok not to take calls when you’re driving.”
For more information on mobile phone laws visit: https://sysrp.co.uk/mobiles
The national campaign #standingupforhangingup will run from Monday 20 February to Sunday 12 March.
Research has found that the majority of drivers are committed to not using their phone while on the road – this is good news.
Over the next couple of weeks, the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership (SYSRP) will be putting the spotlight on the dangers of distraction in a bid to help and discourage drivers from giving in to temptation.
A spokeswoman for the Partnership said: “When driving, anyone using a handheld mobile phone or even hands free, is FOUR times more at risk of crashing.
“And did you know that a driver distracted by a phone can be impaired to the same degree as a drink driver?
“It’s so important that we all understand the dangers of mobile phone use and make it as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving.”
The current UK law states that it is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle. This means you must not use a device in your hand for any reason, whether online or offline. For example, you must not text, make calls, take photos or videos, or browse the web.
You can get six penalty points and a £200 fine if you break the law and you will lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last two years.
“The legal repercussions reflect how dangerous it is to use your phone behind the wheel,” added the spokeswoman.
“We don’t want people trying to find loopholes or hiding the fact they are using their phone; the law is the law so that people avoid distraction because it’s the safe and right thing to do.
“The reality is that as well as being four times more likely to be involved in a collision, phone use while driving will make you far less likely to notice and react to hazards, affect your lane control and impact on your speed choices.”
The law around mobile phones was updated in March 2022 to make it illegal to touch a handheld device while driving, including refreshing the screen, checking the time and using sat nav. The only exception is if you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop.
“If you need help avoiding temptation while driving, why not look into mobile phone blocking pouches or put the phone in the glove box,” added the spokeswoman.
“You could also install an App that blocks calls when driving and sends a message to the caller to let them know why you can’t answer.
“If you know this has been taken care of, it can be good for relieving the stress of thinking that your callers will think you are ignoring them as well as reminding friends and family it’s ok not to take calls when you’re driving.”
For more information on mobile phone laws visit: https://sysrp.co.uk/mobiles
The national campaign #standingupforhangingup will run from Monday 20 February to Sunday 12 March.
