Facts : Mobile Phones

 

Introduction

Using a mobile phone when driving puts the car driver, passengers, and those around the car, at risk.

When a driver is using a mobile phone, they pay less attention to the road and are less able to notice any changes. A substantial body of research shows the chances of being involved in a crash whilst on a phone increases by around fourfold.

Although there is the physical distraction of holding the phone, the main risk is caused by the mental distraction of the phone conversation. This is what causes the driver to lose concentration. Hands free phones do not reduce the risk caused by mobiles in a significant way.

The Law
In December 2003, it became illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving or riding a motor vehicle on the road. This includes any activity that involves holding the phone such as dialling a number or sending or reading a text, listening to a message, as well as talking on the phone. The penalty was a £30 fine, but in February 2007, the penalty was increased to three penalty points on the driving licence and a £60 fine.

It is also illegal to “cause or permit” a driver to use a hand held mobile phone, and so your employer can also be held liable if they require you to use a hand held phone whilst driving.
Drivers who are using a hand held or hands free phone could also be charged with ‘failing to have proper control of the vehicle’, depending on the circumstances, and drivers can also be charged with either careless or dangerous driving in severe cases.

Facts and Statistics about Mobile Phone Use
Despite the law and the dangers, a proportion of drivers persist in using their mobiles while driving. In the most recent surveys, 2.9% of car drivers, and 5% of van and lorry drivers, were talking on either a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone.

As can be seen in the graphs below, the use of hand-held mobile phones by drivers reduced after the introduction of the law in 2003, then gradually rose gain, before decreasing when the penalty was increased in 2007 (marked with vertical black lines). Unfortunately, using mobile phones is increasing again.

The Simulator and Mobile Phones
Using a hand-held or hands-free mobile phone significantly distract drivers, and increases the risk of being in an accident by four times.

The simulator allows you to compare the length of stopping distances at different speeds, with or without a mobile phone.

The main effect is that thinking distances are increased significantly by the distraction caused by the mobile phone. The thinking distance shown when mobile phone use is selected is the time it takes a distracted driver to notice a hazard and react, compared to the time it would have taken an alert driver.

The increase is due to the distraction of the mobile phone; drivers using a mobile phone are concentrating less on the hazards of the road. Any observations that a driver using a phone makes tend to be focussed straight ahead, as opposed to thinking about and looking for other hazards around the vehicle - such as a pedestrian stepping out.