Effective from the end of February, drivers will receive a £60 fine and three penalty points on their license, for using a hand-held mobile phone when driving.
According to Plantronics’ research, 96% of motorists questioned think driving whilst using a mobile phone is a serious offence, but only 29% actually switch their mobile off before driving. Of those who kept their phone on, 85% take and make calls whilst on the move, although many insisted that they wouldn’t do so if they had children on board.
The ideal solution for safe and legal in-car conversations is a Bluetooth hands-free headset, but 74% of people don’t own one (provided that a phone can be operated without holding it, hands-free equipment is not prohibited by the new regulation). Since findings indicate that less than 1% of people in the U.K. have actually been fined for using a mobile phone whilst driving, the most common reason given by the 1,000+ motorists surveyed for not owning a headset was that they are not considered necessary (69%).
However, on Feb. 27 the law changed, and motorists in Scotland, London and the South East are most likely to be affected, as the research revealed they used their mobile the most to talk and text whilst driving.
Graham Tebb of Plantronics, comments, "Our survey shows that the U.K. really needs to wake up to how to use a mobile responsibly when driving to avoid fines and points on their licence. If you must speak on the phone when driving, only do so with the use of a headset or other hands free device– allowing both hands to be kept on the wheel."
Other statistics show:
• Nearly 17% of people surveyed in Northern Ireland didn’t think driving and using a mobile phone was dangerous
• The East of England was the region that saw cost as a bigger reason for not owning a Bluetooth handset more than any other.
• People over 55 are most likely to switch their phone off when driving – 48% compared with just 14% of 25-34 year olds
• 17-24 year olds are most likely to look at and send text messages while driving – 26%.
