New laws on mobile phone use while driving come into effect

New stricter laws regarding the use of a mobile phone when driving have come into effect from today, 25th March, with penalties of up to £1,000, six points or a full driving ban now in force.

The government has also launched an £800,000 advertising campaign via its THINK! team to make drivers aware of the penalties, as well as the risks to pedestrians, passengers and other road users.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“I will do everything in my power to keep road-users safe, which is why I am taking a zero-tolerance approach to those who decide to risk lives by using their phone behind the wheel.

“I’m ensuring anyone who chooses to break this vital law can face punishment for doing so and we’ll continue our efforts to ensure our roads remain among the safest in the world.”

Edmund King AA president said:

“The AA has long campaigned to make handheld mobile phone use while driving as socially unacceptable as drink driving and we warmly welcome the new law. This is a much-needed toughening of the rules to help make our roads safer.

“Those who believe they can still play with their phone because it’s in a cradle must think again – they leave themselves open to prosecution for either careless or dangerous driving.

“The best thing to do is to convert your glovebox into a phone box. We all need to keep our hands on the wheel and our eyes on the road.”

The updated laws will close a loophole, previously been exploited by some to evade penalties after being caught using mobile phone whilst driving. Previous legislation was developed before the smartphone era, and so only explicitly prohibited ‘interactive communication’ such as texting or making a call. New laws ensure activities such as playing games, taking photos and videos, and scrolling playlists and social media are also prohibited.

Exceptions have been specified that will allow drivers to use a device hands-free when secure in a cradle, for calls and use as a sat-nav. Drivers can also make contactless payments at drive-thrus and tolls, provided the vehicle is stationary.