Officers from Hampshire Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit will be supporting a national campaign this month aimed at tackling motorists who use their mobile phone while driving.
Research has shown using a phone while at the wheel can impair your ability to react more than if you were to drive while over the alcohol limit.
You are also twice as likely to be involved in a fatal collision caused by texting while driving than then you are from drink driving.
As part of the national campaign, officers from Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police’s Joint Roads Policing Unit will focus on detecting and prosecuting those who continue to use their phone while driving.
Road Safety Sergeant Dave Hazlett said:
“Most drivers are responsible and do not use their mobile phone whilst driving, but the few that continue to take risks by texting, surfing the internet, or completing other tasks, are putting other road users and themselves at risk.
“The distraction of your phone will mean you are much less aware of what’s happening around you. This can lead to you failing to see road signs with important information on, maintain a proper lane position or a steady speed.
“Additionally, it has been shown that motorists are four times more likely to be involved in a collision whilst using a mobile phone or being distracted in a vehicle, and your reactions are 50 per cent slower.
Article continues below this advertisement “I would also ask people to think twice before answering a call using hands free, as this still creates a distraction, and never take your eyes off the road.
“Challenge your friends and family to do the same, as it is unacceptable to use a mobile phone whilst driving.
“It is not worth the risk.”
So yet another pointless exercise how about trying to stop the serious crimes first ie drugs, assault with a deadly weapon etc. Suppose they must try and justify extra 7.1 percent in funding
Someone who crashes a car while using a phone is guilty of assault with a deadly weapon.
Wouldn’t be surprised if at least 10% of the drivers they stop on phones are also driving around with drugs.
Sorry to disagree but as a driver for many years chatting away on your mobile driving whilst driving is an accident waiting to happen and against the law. It’s not a pointless exercise and I suggest that when if someone smashes into you (god forbid) whilst on their phone you’ll have a different thought. There’s quite a few out there on their phone nowadays.
The Police will tell you that when they stop someone for a minor offence, all too often they then discover a whole lot more serious things about the car, the driver and the other occupants.
Really good idea to stop these morons who are risking all our lives by using phones whilst driving
Unfortunately, like drink driving, more often than not the driver on the phone comes out fine. It’s the person they hit that gets seriously hurt
when they get caught on their phones take the phones of them and crush them as so many people need there phones for other things word will get out that they will loss them if caught and i nice big fine
At last. I still see so many drivers using phones. Hands free is not much better either it’s still a huge distraction. We used to manage fine without a phone in the car so what is so important it can’t wait until you can pull over and safely answer.
Lockdown ? They would be far better off challenging motorist about their journey. Social media would soon get the message out
they still need a reason to pull you over. lockdown laws do not permit random car stops unless the police have suspicion that the person is breaking the law – and that suspicion has to be before pulling people over, not after
before anyone says different – yes the police can pull you over for any reason. They cannot pull you over without a reason to look for a crime.
While it has been illegal to use a hand held phone for many years, our useless government still permits the use of ‘hands-free’ devices, despite all studies concluding that the distraction is essentially the same, and that it can impair driving ability the same. We need the government to pull their finger out and ban this dangerous practice completely, so that such campaigns by the Old Bill are worthwhile.
The problem with ‘hands free’ is that people just use the speaker phone which is considered ‘hands free’. Putting a phone on your lap with the speaker on is even worse than driving with one hand.
WHAT ABOUT STOPPING PEOPLE PARKING THEIR VEHICLES ON PAVEMENTS MAKING IT DANGEROUS FOR OTHER MOTORISTS AND PEDESTRIANS TO WALK SAFELY ON PAVEMENTS!
PAVEMENTS WERE CREATED FOR PEOPLE TO WALK ALONG, NOT FOR PEOPLE PARKING THEIR VEHICLES!
squeeze past while carrying something sharp. scratches down the side of their car or van will soon stop them parking on pavements, and of course if they havnt left enough room for pedestrians, the damage was entirely their fault.
i fully understand what you are saying but what about island roads putting diversion sings half on the road and half on the pavement its just as bad. And then these white boxes half way in the foot paths that wightfibre have had fitted. These are just as bad as a car parked part on the path.
not to mention all the stupid signs that shops have out.
i saw a blind guy trip over a shop sign, (his white stick missed the frame of the sign). He shouted out “effing street furniture, if it isn’t difficult enough getting around”
A serious crime is some wanker doing 60 in a 30.The priority is speeding.