DfT considers tougher penalties for phone use whilst driving

The transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has reportedly asked civil servants at the Department for Transport (DfT) to examine the case for doubling the number of penalty points drivers will receive if caught driving whilst speaking on a mobile phone.

If implemented, the move, which has been recommended by Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the head of the Metropolitan Police, would see the current three penalty points given for the offence doubled to six – meaning those caught twice in three years would be banned from driving.

The Guardian reports that Mr McLoughlin (pictured, right) told journalists: “The person using their phone doesn’t realise the damage or the danger they can be in. It ends up ruining different people’s lives – those who are driving as well as those who are injured.

“It is one that I want to look at. There could be some difficulties about it but I think we’ve got to get that message across to people about safety.”

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of the road safety charity Brake, said her organisation hoped the government would implement the proposal.

“Brake has long campaigned for tougher penalties for mobile phone use at the wheel because of the suffering we see the bereaved and injured victims of road crashes put through as the result of such a senseless and unnecessary risk,” she said.

“An increase in penalty points is a step in the right direction, but it could provide a more effective deterrent if combined with a increase in the fixed penalty fine to £500-1,000, as well as heightened traffic enforcement, so risky law-breaking drivers know they will not get away with it.

“It is also vitally important the government doesn’t ignore the danger of hands-free mobiles. Research shows using a phone hands-free is about as risky as picking up the phone while driving, so this should be included within the ban, and carry the same penalty.

“Our message to drivers is clear: switch your phone off, put it out of sight and reach, and remove the temptation to jeopardise someone’s life for the sake of a call or text.”

Incident video camera supplier SmartWitness said the proposals didn’t go far enough – highlighting DfT figures which it said implied that the rising number of mobile phone-related road deaths was likely to surpass the falling number of drink-driving-related deaths by 2015.

SmartWitness managing director Simon Marsh said: “We believe a large number of serious and fatal accidents are wrongly classed as ‘in-vehicle distraction’ when the specific cause of the accident was down to mobile phone use.”

He added: “The only real deterrent is a one-year ban from driving for anyone caught texting at the wheel. It’s clear that the current legislation isn’t working and an increase to six points for mobile offenders will not be enough to stop the death toll.”

Meanwhile, driver safety and compliance solutions specialist Lytx Europe Ltd welcomed the transport secretary’s decision to look into the issue – whilst also calling on ministers to consider ways to deter eating and drinking at the wheel.

Lytx data reportedly demonstrates that drivers who eat and drink whilst driving are 3.6 times more likely to be involved in a collision than those who do not. Meanwhile, using a mobile device makes drivers 4.7 times more likely to be involved in a collision, the company said.

Lytx Europe general manager Paul Jones said: “We know that distracted driving is a significant factor in vehicle collisions. Our predictive analytics show that distractions, which include eating and drinking and use of mobile devices, are among the leading causes of collisions.

“The message is to remove all distractions and focus on driving safely. Getting into a collision and potentially causing serious injury simply isn’t worth it.”

Professor Stephen Glaister, head of the RAC Foundation, suggested motorists’ illegal use of phones at the wheel was more likely attributable to the low chance of getting caught than the size of the potential penalties.

“Our own research shows how dangerous using mobile at the wheel can be. Texting while driving impairs reactions more than being at the drink drive limit or high on cannabis…

“The Department for Transport’s own figures show that after two previous occasions when this law was tightened and fines increased the number of people offending initially dropped but then rapidly rose again. The conclusion must be that drivers simply don’t think they are going to be caught.”