Police and ambulance services target Shropshire drivers using mobile phones
Emergency services have teamed up in a bid to cut down on motorists being distracted at the wheel.
West Mercia Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service said today marks the launch of a mobile phone enforcement and education campaign which is running throughout November to crack down on people who continue to flout the law.
Studies show that drivers using a mobile, which has been outlawed since 2003, are slower at recognising and reacting to hazards. Even careful drivers can be distracted by a call or a text – and a split-second lapse in concentration could result in a collision.
The penalty for using a mobile phone while driving has increased over the years and is now a £100 fine and three penalty points on the offender's licence.
However, the government plans to increase this to six penalty points and a £200 fine and these changes are expected to take effect in the first half of 2017.
With this in mind, officers from West Mercia Police will be out on the roads over the coming weeks, carrying out targeted enforcement and cracking down on any motorists who are using their phones at the wheel.
As well as enforcement, they will be working with West Midlands Ambulance Service to explain some of the implications of doing so, whether that is a criminal conviction or causing the death of another road user because they weren't paying attention to the road.
Superintendent Daryn Elton for West Mercia Police said: "Improving the safety of our roads is a year-round commitment for our officers. Although mobile phone enforcement is already part of our daily operational activity, we will be stepping up our efforts over the coming weeks to crack down on motorists who are blatantly ignoring both the law and the dangers involved.
"Many motorists are already aware that using a mobile phone while driving is illegal. This includes using your phone to follow a map, read a text or check social media, and applies even if you're stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic. With smartphones becoming more and more embedded into our daily routines, we are all aware of how useful they can be. However, it is unacceptable to allow yourself to be distracted by them while driving, and officers will ensure any motorists doing so face the penalties involved."
West Midlands Ambulance Service Warwick Area Manager, Martyn Scott, said: "Sadly our staff are all too familiar with the consequences of people using mobile phones while driving. We have seen horrific injuries caused for example by a driver not seeing a pedestrian and being involved in a collision. Tragically, lives have been lost through this sort of action while other people have been left with injuries that will affect them for the rest of their lives."
Drivers who use a mobile phone, whether hand-held or hands-free are much less aware of what's happening on the road around them, fail to see road signs, fail to maintain proper lane position and steady speed, are more likely to 'tailgate' the vehicle in front, react more slowly and take longer to brake, are more likely to enter unsafe gaps in traffic and feel more stressed and frustrated.
