South Wales Police launch campaign targeting motorists who use phones while driving

South Wales Police, has collaborated with colleagues from the other Welsh Police Forces and Road Safety Wales and launch a major crackdown on motorists who use mobile phones while driving.

The two-week all-Wales enforcement campaign is urging all road users to ‘keep their eyes on the road’ and not be distracted by answering their mobile phone, reading a text or going online.

Police patrols will increase across Wales for the duration of the enforcement campaign, which runs from 6th until 19th October, to promote the safety message and raise awareness of the dangers and penalties amongst motorists.

Go Safe safety camera vans will also be used for the duration of the campaign as they also enforce mobile phone offences.

Chief Inspector Martyn Stone, South Wales Police’ Specialist Operations said:

“The consequences of a lapse in concentration when driving can be devastating to road users and pedestrians. As soon as a driver answers a call, looks at their phone to text or read a message, their concentration is affected and as a result, they cannot give their full attention to the road and risk becoming involved in a collision. In real terms, talking on your phone while driving increases your risk of collision by four times and texting makes you 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision.

“This campaign is just one part of our ongoing collective effort to target and reduce the number of drivers who risk becoming involved in a serious or fatal collision due to using a mobile phone while driving.

“Along with drink driving, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and driving carelessly, using a mobile phone behind the wheel, whether it be texting, using an app, or making a phone call is classed as one of the “Fatal 5″; the 5 most common causes of fatal road traffic collisions.

“We would encourage drivers to switch off their phones while driving; no phone call is so urgent that it requires you to answer it and put yourself and others at risk.

Chair of Road Safety Wales Susan Storch said:

“Driving a vehicle requires us to multi-task so anything above and beyond that needs to wait until we are safely parked up or until our journey has finished.

“Campaigns such as this demonstrate the resolve of all the Road Safety Wales partners in tackling this issue and we will continue to work together to drive home the message that you need to switch off before you drive off.”

Throughout the campaign police and their partners will be using social media to highlight the campaign messages using the hash tag #fatal5 and #eyesontheroad