i think this should go in effect in the US.
Jail for driving using Mobile phone
By: Drivers.com staff
Date: Wednesday, 09. January 2008
The British government has introduced new policy guidelines that make bad driving while using a mobile phone a much more serious matter. Under the guidelines, published by the Crown Prosecution Service just before Christmas, motorists in England or Wales caught using a hand-held phone while driving in a risky way could face up to 2 years in prison.
The U.K. banned driving while using hand-held devices in 2003, but there's been much criticism over a lack of enforcement of the law. A lobby group, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, says there is still a hard core of drivers who persist in using hand-held phones. In pushing for tougher rules and enforcement they want tough charges against drivers.
A key element in this tougher approach is bumping up charges against phone-using drivers involved in violations or crashes, especially those which feature risky behavior such as excessive speed or risky overtaking. The policy changes would result in charges of 'dangerous driving' (with a 2-year maximum jail sentence) rather than the lesser 'careless driving.'
It�s unclear how new rules would affect drivers using hands-free mobiles phones. Research has indicated that there is little difference in crash risk between hand held and hands free.
A major UK transport company, FirstGroup, has announced that none of its employees will be allowed to use hands free phones while driving. FirstGroup operates more than one fifth of local bus services in the UK, as well as some train services.
Emma Holyer, a spokesperson for Direct Line, a major UK car insurer, expressed the hope that there will be a new cultural awareness of the dangers of using mobile phones while driving.
She compared it with drinking and driving:
"Most people accept that talking on a mobile phone while driving is distracting, however many drivers don�t appreciate how dangerous it is. Drink driving is clearly an established danger in the eyes of drivers and hopefully using a mobile phone whilst driving will become a thing of the past."
0- British Broadcasting Corporation article
- Is driving with hands-free kit dangerous?
- Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety
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All Comments (3)
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mandy,
tariq,
h r u i nead driver
Paul,
does thsi mean i can throw out my new handsfree bluetooth device?
I think we should blame bad driving for crashes not phones. After all, driving is all about shifting your attention around (talking, adjusting radio, heat controls, gear changes, etc.). Anyone who can't do this needs training or should not be driving at all.
