31.01.17 Eight-thousand drivers caught using their phones whilst driving

The tougher penalties announced by the Department for Transport in November last year are expected to take effect in the first half of 2017. The new penalties will see drivers caught using their phones behind the wheel faced with 6 points on their licence and a £200 fine.

Other penalties within the new rules include; -

• Newly qualified drivers made to retake their take the first time they are caught using a mobile phone whilst driving
• More experience drivers could also face a court trial if they are caught offending twice
• Fines for those caught offending twice could be up to £1000 along with a six-month driving ban

Following a week-long campaign in November 2016 after the publicity surrounding the lorry driver who was sentenced to ten years in prison for causing the death of a family, police officers in England, Northern Ireland and Wales issued more than forty fines per hour, sixty-eight summonses and delivered hundreds of verbal warnings.

During a clamp-down in May 2015 2,690 fines were issued and in September of the same year 2,276 fines were issued. This was then followed by 2,323 fines issued in May of 2016.

Police Chiefs have said that the success of the campaign has led to another one being launched earlier this month.

Aspire Comment

Aspire recently published a news article on this matter and expressed the importance of having an appropriate mobile phone policy in place and to ensure staff fully understand the implications and likely consequences of not adhering to their policies and using mobile phones whilst driving.

If you would like us to support you with drafting a 'Mobile Phone and Driver Policy' or would like some further guidance or advice about this, get in touch with us on 0121 445 6178.

To read our previous news article, click here.