Check what you know

Did you know?

  • Mobile devices are a major distraction but they are not the only one.
  • Distractions can include eating, drinking, setting satnav, radios etc – anything that takes your eyes off the road or distracts your concentration on driving.
  • Distraction is a major cause of collisions with drivers 4 times more likely to be in a crash if using a mobile device (even hands free).

40% of drivers name hand-held mobile phone use as one of their top 4 road safety concerns.

Drivers must not text, make calls, play games, scroll through playlists, take photos or videos, or browse the web while driving. An offence is triggered whenever a driver holds and uses a device, regardless of why they are holding it.

It is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data while driving. If caught doing so, drivers can face fines of up to £1,000, receive 6 points on their licence, or a full driving ban.

Many employers will also discipline drivers for doing so and it will increase the cost of vehicle insurance.

Just reading a text or email takes a driver’s eyes off the road for at least 5 seconds.

Driver Distraction

Safety moment:
Don’t drive tired, STOP and take a break
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwR_rwzNJ38

Best practice tips

  • If using hands-free devices, make sure they are fully set up before starting to drive.
  • Only use hands-free devices when you are happy it is safe to do so.
  • Always ensure a clear view of the windscreen and road ahead.
  • Do not hold or interact with a mobile device while driving.
  • Where possible, switch mobile phones to a form of safe-driving mode e.g. silent mode or switched off.
  • Using a mobile phone for navigation is legal, as long as it is kept in a cradle and not in the driver’s hand.

Operation Tramline

Operation Tramline targets dangerously driven commercial vehicles, other high sided vehicles and private cars to improve compliance and to reduce the number of incidents caused by unsafe driver behaviour.

Top three offences detected through Operation Tramline are:

Mobile phone use

Seat belt offences

Driver not in proper control