autopilot-can-be-a-killerIt’s been a decade since the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving became a punishable offence, with motorists incurring three penalty points on their licence and a fine of £100 if caught.

Using a hands-free kit, however, is still legal.But is hands-free really safer than hand-held? Road safety charity Brake thinks not and is renewing its calls for mobile phones to be banned behind the wheel altogether.


Chatting causes accidents

A survey the group carried out in conjunction with Direct Line has shown that while the use of hand-held mobiles has fallen from 36 per cent in 2006 to 13 per cent today, the use of hands-free kits has risen from 22 per cent to 38 per cent, perhaps because drivers see them as a safe alternative.

However, as Brake points out, it is not the simple act of holding a phone that causes accidents, it is the distraction caused by the conversation being had between the driver and the person on the other end of the line.

Indeed, separate studies have shown that the risk of being involved in a crash is the same for those using hand-held mobiles as it is for those using hands-free, and in both cases it is four times higher than it is for motorists who don’t use phones at all while driving.

Research also shows that the effect of talking on a mobile phone can be worse than consuming certain levels of alcohol, with reaction times and speed control both adversely affected.

Hand-held use still rife

Although the use of hand-held mobiles behind the wheel has fallen, many motorists are still flouting the law, and they’re not just making calls on their devices, they are using them to text too.

Brake and Direct Line’s survey revealed that three out of ten people have sent or read a text message while driving, rising to more than four in ten for those aged 18 to 24.

Then there’s the use of apps, social media and internet browsing on smartphones, with more than one on ten respondents admitting to driving while carrying out one of these activities at least once.

Taking action

Brake has campaigned for a ban on hands-free devices in the past, and it is now renewing its calls, advocating a total ban on any kind of mobile use by drivers and tougher penalties for law-breakers. For example, it believes that fixed penalty fines should rise to between £500 and £1,000.

It is also lobbying the government to make traffic policing a national priority, and to invest more resources into catching those who break the rules.

But it may have a way to go before it can convince the motoring public that a hands-free ban is a good idea. Only a third of drivers said they agree with Brake, while two thirds disagreed and wanted hands-free mobile use to remain legal.

Out of sight, out of mind

Even if the law is changed, it could be some time before a ban comes into force. In the meantime, Brake believes mobile phones are better off out of sight while vehicles are on the move.

Simply hearing a phone ring as a call comes through or beep as a text message is received can be enough to distract a motorist from the road, so the charity is urging all drivers to switch their phones to silent, turn them off, or better still place them out of reach and earshot until their journey is over.

Ideally, they should be kept in the boot of the vehicle to avoid temptation altogether, and if a driver really must check their phone or make a call before they reach their destination, they should take a break and stop somewhere safe.

Rob Miles, director of motor at Direct Line, said: “The potential for casualties from mobile phone distraction is frightening. Hopefully, as drivers become more aware of the dangers inherent in the use of mobile phones whilst driving, it will become as much of a social taboo as drink driving has become in recent years.”

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