Trakm8 : 23rd January 2017 Thousands of drivers caught after police clamp down

23th January 2017
Nearly 8,000 motorists were caught using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel during a week-long operation by police.

Officers from 36 forces across the UK took part in the crackdown which saw more than 7,800 drivers issued with fixed penalty notices in addition to hundreds of verbal warnings, 68 court summons and 117 other distraction offences.

It is illegal to use a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel and last year, the government announced that the punishment for the offence would increase to six penalty points and a £200 fine as of March 1st 2017.

The first planned mobile phone enforcement campaign of the year takes place this week.

The plans include targeted patrols using unmarked vehicles and helmet cams to catch offenders, partnerships with local authorities and emergency services to educate people of the risks, and innovative digital campaigns which outline the severity of the risks associated with the offence.

Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, National Police Chiefs' Council lead for roads policing, said: 'This week forces will be working to make driving distracted as socially unacceptable as drink-driving through enforcing strong deterrents and powerful messages to make people think twice about their driving habits.

'Encouraging results from last year's campaign against mobile phone use show how effective new tactics and innovative approaches can be.'

In November last year, Trakm8 discovered that 12% of drivers admit to using a handheld phone at the wheel.

For businesses, it is vital that drivers of company-owned vehicles do not fall into this category. Every company has a legal obligation and duty of care to their drivers and it is the job of the company to ensure that drivers are as safe as possible on the roads. Although many company car policies will state that employees should not use a handheld device at the wheel, many struggle to implement the policy at an operational level.

Technology such as CellControl's DriveID ensures that drivers do not use their mobile phone while driving and puts mobile phone policies into action.

Through a combination of a discreet in-cab device and intuitive software, DriveID allows businesses to put restrictions on a phone's specific features. For example, apps such as music, social media and phone calls can be locked down while a sat nav application can be left available. Alternatively, use every feature can be prohibited when the vehicle is moving. Business can also receive statistics and notifications each time a driver attempts to access a restricted app.

For more information about implementing your company mobile phone policy with DriveID, simply fill in the form below.

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