Mike Waters’ Blog: 15 January 2007

A phone call that could result in jail

Can we really have come to a point where drivers have to be threatened with a possible prison sentence to get them off their phones when behind the wheel? Despite it being illegal since 2003, it seems many drivers remain happy to keep on taking those calls when they’re in the driving seat.

The latest figures show just how much of problem the authorities are facing in terms of stopping drivers using their phones. According to the most up-to-date numbers available, 129,700 motorists flouted the ban in 2005. New legislation brought in this year in which drivers can be fined up to £5000 and given up to nine points for using their phone, with or without hands-free, was designed to dissuade them from taking calls while driving, but it seems now this is not strong enough.

Ministers are keen to take a firmer approach after figures showed that mobile phones were linked to 13 fatal accidents in 2005 and 52 serious crashes. Government investigation also suggests that up to half a million calls are made by drivers on mobiles every day.

Under new guidelines drivers could now be charged with dangerous driving if caught using a mobile phone, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail. In addition, drivers that kill someone when using a mobile phone could be charged with death by dangerous driving, which carries a 14-year jail term.

For me it is staggering that so many drivers continue to think it’s safe to use a phone when so much research points to the dangers of doing so. Tests by scientists at the Transport Research Laboratory revealed that drivers on mobiles had slower reaction and stopping times than those under the influence of alcohol. The same study also revealed that hands-free kits were almost as dangerous as hand-held phones. Drink driving is rightly a social taboo and the majority of drivers wouldn’t dream of driving over the limit. Why then do we continue to use mobile phones?

This latest proposal to introduce sterner penalties will hopefully bring a fresh perspective on using mobile phones and my hope is that this will extend to businesses. While ultimately, the decision to use a phone while driving rests with the driver, many businesses do not help by contacting their employees when they are known to be travelling. Many also do not have a policy on phone use, stipulating that using a mobile, even hands free, is not acceptable when driving. Few businesses would tolerate their employees breaking other laws, so why should it be acceptable to use a phone on the road?

We are beginning to see businesses respond to the issue and develop phone usage policies, but they remain few and far between. The challenge now must be to turn this from the exception to the norm.