Tough new penalties for drivers using mobile phones whilst driving come into force today, March 1st. The fixed penalty notice for using a handheld mobile phone while driving doubles from £100 to £200 and the penalty points that will go on your licence has risen from 3 points to 6.
For many, using a mobile when behind the wheel is seen as more socially acceptable than drink driving. This has led to AA making a YouTube video. It is part on their on-going campaign to change people's attitudes to this modern scourge and lower fatalities.
According to the AA, if you are texting while driving, you are twice as likely to crash than if you were drink driving. But, although the use of mobiles by drivers is well known, it still continues at a high rate. This is in spite of high profile court cases of drivers causing death and serious injuries due to texting, calling or searching for music while driving.
The Government is backing the AA's campaign and want to make driving while using a mobile phone as socially unacceptable as drink driving now is. The video can be found at this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPy-QSz8Nkk
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