Drivers caught using a phone within two years of passing their test will have their licence revoked under new rules in England, Scotland and Wales. Penalties for using a phone at the wheel double from 1 March to six points and a £200 fine. New drivers who get six points or more must retake their practical and theory. More experienced drivers can be banned if they get 12 points in three years. The tougher punishments come alongside a hard-hitting advertising campaign.
In 2015 – the latest year for which figures are available – 22 people were killed and 99 seriously injured in accidents where a driver was using their phone.
Police forces have begun a seven day crackdown, with extra patrols and an “increased focus” on stopping people using their phones while driving. About 3,600 drivers were handed penalties in the last co-ordinated enforcement week from 23-29 January, the Department for Transport said.
Adverts aimed at discouraging phone use have been developed by the government’s road safety group Think! and the AA Charitable Trust, and will be shown at cinemas and on billboards, radio and social media. In one, a drunk man suggests he swap places with his sober girlfriend, who is texting while driving him home. The film ends with the message: “You wouldn’t drink and drive. Don’t text and drive.”
What is the law?
- It is illegal to ride a motorcycle or drive using hand-held phones or similar devices
- The rules are the same if you are stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic
- It is also illegal to use a hand-held phone or similar device when supervising a learner driver or rider
Source www.bbc.co.uk
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