60% of drivers confess to using hand-held mobiles
It has been discovered that the majority of drivers are using their mobile phone behind the wheel to make phone calls, send texts messages and even browse the internet, believing that they will not be caught by the police.
An anonymous poll of drivers carried out on behalf of British car leasing firm Flexed.co.uk found:
The key reason given is the falling number of convictions and fixed penalty notices, giving drivers the impression that they’re more likely not to get caught. In fact, of over 400 drivers interviewed, only two knew of somebody who had received a fixed penalty notices for using a phone at the wheel.
Flexed.co.uk worker, Johnny Ratcliffe, said: ‘In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Convictions and fixed penalty notices for phone use are at half the level they were in 2006; even then they weren’t terribly high.’
More concerning is the rise of motorists who use their devices to browse the internet while on the road.
‘Nearly 10% said they’re on the net while behind the wheel. In most cases, it’s searching for information on their destination, but there are some-and I won’t be kind here-thickheads who can’t help posting on Facebook when their eyes ought to be on the road.’
Ratcliffe went on to add that the only way for some people to avoid the temptation-and the danger- of using their phone on the road is to remove it entirely from the equation. ‘Switch it off. Put it out of reach. Lock it in the boot. Motorists managed without phones for decades before the mobile came along. It’s not that difficult.’
An anonymous poll of drivers carried out on behalf of British car leasing firm Flexed.co.uk found:
- 60% of all road users would answer the phone or send a text in traffic
- 45% of car drivers have used their phones illegally
- 78% of van drivers have used their phones illegally
- 31% of lorry drivers have used their phones illegally
- 2% of public service drivers admitted to using phones when driving
- 18% had a road-legal hands-free kit, which they used regularly
The key reason given is the falling number of convictions and fixed penalty notices, giving drivers the impression that they’re more likely not to get caught. In fact, of over 400 drivers interviewed, only two knew of somebody who had received a fixed penalty notices for using a phone at the wheel.
Flexed.co.uk worker, Johnny Ratcliffe, said: ‘In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Convictions and fixed penalty notices for phone use are at half the level they were in 2006; even then they weren’t terribly high.’
More concerning is the rise of motorists who use their devices to browse the internet while on the road.
‘Nearly 10% said they’re on the net while behind the wheel. In most cases, it’s searching for information on their destination, but there are some-and I won’t be kind here-thickheads who can’t help posting on Facebook when their eyes ought to be on the road.’
Ratcliffe went on to add that the only way for some people to avoid the temptation-and the danger- of using their phone on the road is to remove it entirely from the equation. ‘Switch it off. Put it out of reach. Lock it in the boot. Motorists managed without phones for decades before the mobile came along. It’s not that difficult.’
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