RAC comment on DfT attitude survey on transport and mobile phone use at the wheel

The Department for Transport has today published a report on public attitudes towards transport which highlights that 71% of drivers feel that the law on using a handheld mobile phone is not enforced properly.

RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: “The law is clear, and the penalties for disobeying it are now stronger for very good reason – a pinging, buzzing smartphone represents one of the biggest modern day distractions in a moving vehicle. Government and industry must not let up in their efforts to explain the risks of dangerous mobile phone use to UK motorists.

“Drivers have consistently stated that the law on handheld mobile phone use at the wheel has not been effectively enforced and they do not believe there are enough traffic officers on our roads. In fact the number of dedicated roads policing officers has declined by almost a third in ten years so we now have just 2,643 in England and Wales. However, with the doubling of the fine and points from 1st March catching offenders using a handheld phone whilst driving has become a priority for many police forces.

“Drivers should be aware that police are now targeting handheld mobile phone use and deploying a range of tactics to catch offenders in the act from motorcycle cops to double-decker snipers.

“It really is time for both persistent and occasional offenders to think again about using a handheld phone at the wheel and we would urge everyone to make a personal pledge to stop at our Be Phone Smart website and to share it with friends and family.”

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The RAC Media Centre provides journalists and news outlets with the latest motoring-related news, comment, data and research.

The RAC is an iconic UK brand, and provides complete peace of mind to nearly 14 million UK private and business drivers - whatever their motoring needs. As well as its premium nationwide breakdown assistance service – with an expert branded patrol workforce attending more than two million breakdowns every year – and European breakdown assistance products, it offers a wide range of market-leading products across insurance, legal services, vehicle inspections and service, maintenance and repair. Included in this is the first-of-its-kind nationwide Mobile Mechanics service which brings the garage to homes and workplaces. 

At the forefront of new solutions for business fleets and consumers, the RAC’s breakdown service is electric-ready with mobile EV charging technology and be called on using myRAC – its all-in-one route planner, fuel finder and breakdown reporting app

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