UK POLICE TO CRACKDOWN ON MOBILE PHONE USE BEHIND THE WHEEL

The BBC reported that this week, police forces across England and Wales will be conducting a week-long crackdown on road users found to be using their mobile phones. This comes alongside plans to increase penalty points and fines for those caught using a handset at the wheel.

RED Driving School CEO Ian McIntosh says on the subject; “Mobile phone use is a very real problem on Britain’s roads, and I welcome any steps to try and crack down on it. I do a lot of miles on the road and it’s rife; you really do see it everywhere.

“However as much as more police presence on the roads will act as something of a deterrent, there simply are not enough police officers to be able to crack down on a problem of this magnitude.

“We need to make using a phone whilst driving socially unacceptable…this is what’s happened with drink driving, and there’s a real stigma around it which is what prevents the vast majority of people off carrying out this crime. This will come not just through police presence, but through harsher penalties for phone use and hard-hitting campaigns which demonstrate how dangerous using your phone can really be.

“These days, we really are all glued to our phones, and of course on a long journey it can be tempting to look, but it’s never ok to do so. Turn your phone off or onto silent, and lock it in the glove box, or even better the boot to remove this temptation to look. RED Driving School instructors take great pains to stress the importance of this good habit to our learners, and it’s an attitude we should all have.”