UK to Ban Handheld Mobile Phone Use While Driving

Drivers will face £200 fines and other possible penalties for using handheld phones while operating a vehicle. 

The new mobile phone driving ban will close a loophole that allowed drivers to scroll on their phones while driving, The Guardian reported. Calling and texting while driving was already illegal, but drivers were able to get away with searching for music, scrolling on social media or playing games behind the wheel if they claimed they were not calling or texting.

The mobile phone driving ban legislation, which will not leave room for any excuses for using handheld devices, is set to be enacted next year, according to the BBC. 

The government is updating the mobile phone driving ban to include all use of phones, not only communication.

The U.K. government’s guidelines for the new mobile phone driving ban says it is illegal to hold a phone for any reason while driving. 

Instead, handsfree technology such as Bluetooth, voice command, dashboard or windscreen phone holders and built-in GPS must be used.

Furthermore, the U.K. government says phones or devices cannot impede drivers’ view of the road.

Police can charge motorists with fines and penalties for driving and using a handheld device. 

Drivers are still responsible for following the mobile phone driving ban while at traffic lights, stopped in traffic or when monitoring a learning driver.

According to the U.K. government, drivers can use handheld phones only when parked or if they need to use the phone for emergency 999 or 112 calls.

Drivers can receive six penalty points and a £200 fine if caught using a phone while driving. If new drivers who have passed the driving test within the last two years are caught using a phone while driving, they can face losing their licences. 

Roads minister Baroness Vere explained to The Guardian how the new phone ban will be making the roads safer.

“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 21st century,” Vere said. “That’s why we’re looking to strengthen the law to make using a handheld 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.”

The government is planning a consultation to assess the new mobile phone driving ban, according to The Independent. The enforcement of the handheld device ban is expected early in 2021.

Drivers using mobile phones had a major effect on the number of fatalities on the road.

The Independent reported a total of 637 accidents in Britain. Crashes caused by phone use resulted in 18 deaths and 135 severe injuries.

RAC says it is satisfied with the decision to close the obvious loopholes and establish a clearer mobile phone driving ban, according to The Independent. 

“We know that the use of handheld mobile phones at the wheel continues to represent a very real road safety risk, so it’s clear more needs to be done to make this as socially unacceptable as drink-driving,” RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said.

“It’s important that alongside this change to the law, the government looks seriously at other options that can help enforce the law, which should include new camera technology that can detect different types of handheld mobile phone use,” he told The Independent.

What is your opinion on the new mobile phone driving ban? Do you think the penalties are fair? Share how you feel in the comments section below.

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