People holding and using their mobile phone while driving are now breaking the law – according to new UK Government plans first published by Roads Minister Baroness Vere last October.
Of course, was is already a criminal offence to use a hand-held mobile phone to call or text while driving. However, until this year it was technically still legal for someone to use it to scroll through Facebook or take photos. This is because of a legal loophole where such actions weren’t seen as ‘interactive communication’, and therefore did not fit the definition of the offence.
However, the loophole has now been shut, meaning that the only circumstances a driver is be able to pick up his or her phone is to make a contactless payment, for example at a drive-through.
Commenting on the changes, Road Minister Baroness Vere said:
Our roads are some of the safest in the world, but we want to make sure they’re safer still by bringing the law into the 21st century. That’s why we’re looking to strengthen the law to make using a hand-held phone while driving illegal in a wider range of circumstances – it’s distracting and dangerous and for too long risky drivers have been able to escape punishment but this update will mean those doing the wrong thing will face the full force of the law.
Please note that the law does not forbid drivers to use their mobiles ‚hands-free’. Using a mobile’s maps application while it is in a cradle is also permitted.
Photo credit: pikist.com