Over 900 caught using their mobile phone whilst driving

More than 900 motorists were caught using their mobile phones whilst behind the wheel during the 2014 All-Wales Anti-Mobile Phone While Driving Campaign last month.

The two-week enforcement campaign, which ran between 9th and 17th October, involved road safety partners and urged 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.

Officers from all four Welsh police forces carried out proactive patrols to target motorists who endangered other road users through this behaviour and educated drivers on the penalties they faced if caught.

Go Safe safety camera vans, that can also enforce mobile phone offences, were used during the campaign and in North Wales the Roads Policing Unit used a HGV cab to try and catch offenders.

During the campaign, officers detected a total of 914 mobile phone driving offences throughout Wales.

North Wales Police issued 53 TORs (Traffic Offence Reports) while in the Gwent area a total of 72 fixed penalty notices were issued to law-breakers.

In the Dyfed Powys force area 447 notices were given, while in South Wales 342 offenders were caught and apprehended.

Since March this year drivers caught in North Wales have been issued with TORs. These have now replaced all endorsable fixed penalty notices which means the driver will be contacted with details of how their case will be dealt with – be it an offer of an educational course, a conditional offer of a fixed penalty and/or driving licence penalty points or an appearance at a Magistrates Court.

Those caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel in North Wales may be offered an educational course – similar to the Speed Awareness course. The driver improvement course, which addresses all manners of careless driving, is classroom-based and is offered at various locations across North Wales. Following an eligibility check the driver must pay for the course. The course can only be offered once every three years.

Chief Inspector Darren Wareing from North Wales Police’ Roads Policing Unit said; “It is disappointing that so many drivers chose to ignore our warnings. Even the most experienced or competent of drivers can be easily distracted and a slight lapse in concentration can have serious consequences.

“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.

“With the increased use of smart phones we are seeing drivers being distracted whilst accessing their apps, reading their emails or accessing the internet. Drivers need to be aware that these actions carry the same danger and the same penalty.”

“This campaign is just one part of our continuing 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. This is not a seasonal effort – officers will continue to clamp down on drivers who risk their lives and the lives of others.”

Susan Storch, Chair of Road Safety Wales added: “Driving while using a mobile phone is not only illegal but dangerous. It doesn’t just put your own life at risk but also the lives of your passengers and other road users who may not have a say in your actions behind the wheel.

“While it’s saddening to see that so many motorists got caught using a mobile phone whilst driving it has also demonstrated 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.”

During the two-week campaign officers also detected other offences whilst carrying out checks – including 113 offences of speeding, 64 offences of failing to wear a seatbelt, five offences of no insurance, four disqualified drivers and 31 arrests were made for drink/drug driving offences.

Notes:

During the 2013 campaign officers detected a total of 1,095 mobile phone driving offences. North Wales Police issued 95 fixed penalty notices, Gwent issued 47 notices, Dyfed Powys Police issued 862 notices and South Wales Police issued 91.

Advice:

• Don’t make or answer calls when you’re driving. All phone calls distract drivers’ attention from the road. You can pick up any missed calls or texts when it is safe and convenient to do so. If you need to use the phone when driving, then stop at the first safe opportunity
• It’s illegal to use a hand-held mobile when driving on the road even if you’ve stopped at traffic lights or are stuck in a traffic jam or are in a car park. All these situations are covered by the legal definition of ‘driving on the road’.
• Park safely before using your mobile phone. Do not park on the hard shoulder of the motorway.
• Don’t call other people when they’re driving. If you call someone and they tell you they are driving, ask them to call you back when they have parked up safely

Further information regarding the Go Safe partnership is available via their website www.gosafe.org