Think! Switch Off Before You Drive Off

A new THINK! campaign to highlight the dangers of using a mobile phone when driving was launched today by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick.

The £1.5m campaign, featuring a new radio advert as well as the hard-hitting television advert launched last year, will remind drivers to switch off before getting behind the wheel. It is timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the introduction of tougher penalties for using a mobile phone when driving.

Jim Fitzpatrick said:

"Talking on a mobile phone when driving is distracting and affects your ability to react to dangerous situations, making you four times more likely to have a crash.

"That is why we increased the penalty for illegally using a mobile when driving to three penalty points and a £60 fine. Our latest research shows the message is getting through to drivers but some people are still needlessly risking their own lives and putting others in danger for the sake of a phone call. I urge all drivers to switch off or go to voicemail before they drive off."

Recent research showed a 40 per cent reduction in the number of car drivers seen using hand-held mobiles at the wheel between September 2006 and August 2007. Just one per cent of car drivers were observed using a hand-held mobile while driving, compared with 1.7 per cent in 2006.

Chairman of Road Safety Officers for the North West Steve Whitehouse said:

"The latest figures show that most people are taking heed of the message but there are still some who think it’s ok to use their phones while driving. Research has shown that using a mobile at the wheel, whether hand held or hands free, can have more of an effect on you than drink driving. It can make driver reaction times up to half a second slower. That means If you’re travelling at 70mph it would take you an extra 46 feet to stop. The penalties have been increased as a deterrent, which has helped, but people really should be thinking about their own safety and that of others when they get behind the wheel. No call can be so important that you have to put lives at risk.”

Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving was made illegal in December 2003. Section 26 of the Road Safety Act 2006 increased the fixed penalty for drivers using a hand held phone or similar device from 27 February 2007. The penalty rose from £30 to £60 and three penalty points. The same changes were made to the penalties for not having proper control of a vehicle - a measure which can be used where a driver has been distracted by using a hands-free mobile phones. If the police or the driver chooses to take a case to court rather than use a fixed penalty notice, the penalty is 3 points, discretionary disqualification and a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 for drivers of vans, lorries, buses and coaches).

Source: GNN

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