Photo: Flickr
Smartphones are indispensable this day and age, but using one while driving two tons of metal around other people should stop. Us riders know better how dangerous this kind of attitude is and we stumble upon it every single day in traffic. In the UK at least this will be punished harshly and some drivers might even lose their license.
From now on, anyone found calling, using an app or texting while driving in the United Kingdom will face a £200 fine on the spot along with six penalty points to their license.
It might not be much of a hassle if you’re an older driver with few traffic offenses, but if you’re new behind the wheel, you can lose your right to drive for a while.
That comes from the fact that new drivers can lose a maximum of six points in the first two years after passing the test. So getting caught using your phone even for a quick answer to a message will get you an immediate ban.
“Everyone has a part to play in encouraging their family and friends not to use their phones while driving,” Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said. “It is as inexcusable as drink driving.”
An RAC warning says the use of mobile phones behind the wheel is epidemic as drivers don’t believe they could get caught by the police. The proportion of people thinking it is acceptable to take a short phone call while driving has doubled in the last two years.
Another research shows twenty-two people were killed and 99 got seriously injured in accidents on the UK roads in 2015 due to drivers using a mobile device.
The introduction of the harsher sanctioning also follows a tragic incident in which a Polish driver killed a family of four after failing to stop while scrolling through music on his smartphone.
We can only wish the punishments go higher for such actions and be implemented in every country. There are places where undercover motorcycle cops filter through traffic and hunt for smartphone offenders.
It might not be much of a hassle if you’re an older driver with few traffic offenses, but if you’re new behind the wheel, you can lose your right to drive for a while.
That comes from the fact that new drivers can lose a maximum of six points in the first two years after passing the test. So getting caught using your phone even for a quick answer to a message will get you an immediate ban.
“Everyone has a part to play in encouraging their family and friends not to use their phones while driving,” Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said. “It is as inexcusable as drink driving.”
An RAC warning says the use of mobile phones behind the wheel is epidemic as drivers don’t believe they could get caught by the police. The proportion of people thinking it is acceptable to take a short phone call while driving has doubled in the last two years.
Another research shows twenty-two people were killed and 99 got seriously injured in accidents on the UK roads in 2015 due to drivers using a mobile device.
The introduction of the harsher sanctioning also follows a tragic incident in which a Polish driver killed a family of four after failing to stop while scrolling through music on his smartphone.
We can only wish the punishments go higher for such actions and be implemented in every country. There are places where undercover motorcycle cops filter through traffic and hunt for smartphone offenders.
Google News