Calling time on distracted driving

By Categories: Commercial NewsPublished On: Tuesday 25 March 2025

Mark Hadley, co-founder and CEO of Blackout Technologies, explains how integrated blocking technology can help tackle the cost of mobile phone distraction

Using a smartphone when driving makes you four times more likely to have a collision. Despite this, illegal mobile device usage is surging, particularly among younger drivers. This represents a huge and growing risk to transport operations that have a responsibility to safeguard their drivers, business, and other road users.

On the UK road network, it is illegal to hold and use a mobile phone or any handheld device while driving. The penalties for being caught include a £200 fine and 6 points on your license, while new drivers face having their license revoked if within two years of passing their test.

If the case goes to court, the driver could also be banned from driving and receive a maximum fine of £1,000. As of March 2022, the laws were updated to increase the deterrent, close loopholes and address a wider range of mobile device uses.

Businesses, meanwhile, have a duty of care to ensure they are meeting health and safety standards across their fleet operation, and could be held liable in the event of a collision involving one of their vehicles.

The result of non-compliance can be significant, with potential fines representing at least 20 per cent of turnover and even a custodial sentence for those in charge. A business must also consider other implications including increased insurance costs, staff shortages due to banned drivers, and reputational damage.

Tougher laws have so far failed to provide an adequate deterrent, with a 93 per cent year-on-year increase in drivers caught using a mobile device. Mobile device distraction is believed to contribute to as many as 40 per cent of vehicle collisions, but still a significant proportion of drivers openly admit to using their smartphones behind the wheel.

Worryingly, a quarter of all drivers have claimed to make or receive voice calls illegally while driving, a figure which rises to 49 per cent of those aged 17 to 24. Worse still, almost a third of under-25s have admitted to video calling while driving.

Telematics has evolved in recent years to better target driver behaviour and fleet risk, such as distracted driving, although this typically focuses on gaining insights after the incident and taking corrective action.

Monitoring harsh driving events can effectively identify underlying issues, while driver-facing cameras can determine if a mobile device was in use during a near miss or collision.

More recently, AI cameras have been introduced to identify and address distracted driving as it happens, however, there have been some concerns amongst drivers around privacy as well as the frequency of false positives, which can become an added distraction.

There is now huge potential for fleet and video telematics to be combined with emerging mobile blocking technology to provide added choice and safety features within the marketplace.

This integrated solution removes the need for additional hardware or installation costs, while enhancing the telematics system to deliver added road safety, driver welfare, risk reduction and insurance benefits.

The blocking technology is capable of preventing unauthorised access to smartphone apps and notifications while driving. When the vehicle is in motion, this type of tool can automatically restrict encrypted messaging tools, the camera and other popular apps, and even prevent drivers using their smartphone when in stationary traffic.

It can also possess crash detection functionality, meaning a notification can be sent to the driver to verify if a collision has occurred and check on their welfare.

Transport operators need to remove the temptation for drivers to take their eyes off the road and discourage illegal device usage. Industry experts anticipate that integrating blocking technology could reduce smartphone distractions by a further 10 to 20 per cent, so this technology innovation has a significant role to play.

By removing distraction, fostering improved concentration and promoting a responsible driving attitude, it becomes possible to prevent many avoidable road injuries and deaths, while enhancing overall driver and fleet performance.

www.blackout-technologies.com