Penalty Points and Fines Set to Double for Motorists Using Phone Behind the Wheel

Driving, Mobile Phone

Drivers caught using their mobile phone behind the wheel are set to receive harsher repercussions under new legislation that is set to come into effect in the first half of 2017.

Under current legislation if a driver is caught using their phone they will receive three points and an on the spot fine of £100. These penalties are set to double to six points and a £200 fine the government has announced.

The current system has come under close scrutiny due to a lack of prosecutions and convictions and more worryingly the failure of UK road users to take the offence of using a phone when driving seriously.

Research by the RAC has found young drivers and those recently qualified are at greatest risk of committing an offence. More often than not being newly qualified and young goes hand in hand. If spotted using a phone these individuals could be forced to retake their test.

However, it isn’t just new drivers that could face harsher punishments. Experienced drivers may find themselves facing a court date if caught twice facing fines of up to £1000 and a six month driving ban.

The RAC has reported that illegal use of mobile phones in vehicles has reached “epidemic proportions” with 11 million motorists admitting to making or receiving a call whilst driving in the last year.

The RAC added:
“Attitudes towards handheld mobile use have become worryingly relaxed over the last two years.
And it is not just attitudes that are shifting – actual behaviours are changing significantly too with the percentage of drivers who admit to having used a handheld mobile phone while driving having shot up.”

RAC research into driver habits produced some worrying figures regarding mobile phone usage. This year the percentage of people who think it’s okay to answer a phone call has doubled from 7 per cent to 14 per cent. In addition 19 per cent admitted to sending a message or posting to social media behind the wheel with 14 per cent of motorists taking photos or videos. The most shocking figure is that people admitting to using a phone behind the wheel has jumped up from 8 per cent to 31 per cent is just two years.

With mobile phones having an ever-increasing presence in our daily lives is doubling penalties going to be enough to deter usage? It could be argued that using a mobile phone behind the wheel will only be taken seriously and eliminated by treating it in the same manner as drink driving where immediate bans are issued.