FTA says better enforcement needed to cut mobile phone use

Plans to double fines and penalties for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving send a strong signal to drivers – but better enforcement is essential, says the Freight Transport Association (FTA). The Department for Transport (DfT) has released its response to the consultation on ‘Penalties for use of a Hand Held Mobile Phone Whilst Driving’ to which FTA contributed. DfT proposes that offenders receive:
November 11, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

Plans to double fines and penalties for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving send a strong signal to drivers – but better enforcement is essential, says the 6983 Freight Transport Association (FTA).

The Department for Transport (DfT) has released its response to the consultation on ‘Penalties for use of a Hand Held Mobile Phone Whilst Driving’ to which FTA contributed. DfT proposes that offenders receive:

  • Six penalty points for all drivers (currently three)
  • Fines of £200 (currently £100)
  • No option to take a remedial course

 
FTA’s response to the consultation highlighted concerns that there was a lack of proactive enforcement of this offence, suggesting that more needed to be done in this area. The Association therefore welcomes the Department’s commitment to provide additional guidance or advice and consider new technology where it aids detection and ensure effective prosecution by the police.

Ian Gallagher, FTA head of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Policy, said “These proposed changes should go some way towards making all drivers think about the consequences of their actions. Vocational drivers also risk their livelihood as many of our members already have in place a zero tolerance for employees in breach of these rules.”
 
Mr Gallagher added “FTA agrees that these increased penalties should work to dissuade use, particularly in new drivers who risk losing their licence altogether. However, what is needed is a new effort to ensure the rules are enforced. Without enforcement, increasing the fines and penalties could have little impact on habitual users.”   
 
The consultation, which received 4,347 online, e-mailed and postal responses, concluded that there was overwhelming support for increasing the fixed penalty fine and also for increasing the penalty points for the offence; both showed 94 per cent of online respondents in favour.  Additionally, 65 per cent of online responses were against a proposal for the use of remedial training for first time offenders driving HGVs.

FTA is keen to participate in any work by the Department to use technology to help with enforcement and reducing in-vehicle use.

Related Content

  • July 30, 2014
    Queensland to deploy cameras to detect unregistered vehicles
    Queensland, Australia, is to deploy fixed and mobile automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to catch thousands of unregistered cars on the state’s roads. From October, eight fixed and fifteen mobile cameras will scan about 600,000 registration plates every week. The cameras will record thousands of plates a day and send the information back to a centralised database for cross-referencing with registration records. Owners of unregistered plates will automatically receive fines in the mail. P
    Read More
  • November 18, 2014
    Report calls for extension of point to point cameras
    A report on the role of speed in vehicle crashes in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, makes a number of recommendations to isolate speed as a causal factor in crash rates by improving data collection and conducting specific research to identify the triggers for speeding, particularly in rural and regional areas. The report, by the Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety (Staysafe) also looks at the appropriateness of speed limits and approaches adopted in other jurisdictions and the adequacy of existing
    Read More
  • March 29, 2012
    StarTraq business gains in the UK and South Africa
    StarTraq, a UK-headquartered offence management software specialist has extended the automated adjudication software services it currently provides to Suffolk Constabulary in the UK for the uploading and verification of traffic offences captured on camera. With the latest upgrade to the company’s new cloud-based service, Suffolk Police will be in a position to take advantage of improved efficiencies as well as extend the service to their neighbouring constabulary in Norfolk.
    Read More
  • September 9, 2016
    UK drivers want to be insured against hackers
    According to a new survey of almost 1,200 people by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, 74 per cent of drivers think insurers should provide cover for damage caused by hackers accessing control systems in driverless cars. The results of this survey have been used to guide IAM RoadSmart’s response to the Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles’ consultation, Pathway to Driverless Cars.
    Read More

Highlighted Content