Leave the phone alone – new technology can tell if you call while driving

No one likes to feel they have missed out – and in the age of technology that often also applies to the latest update, message or meme. In a social media dominated world, many of us feel we ‘need’ to be in the know.

But this shouldn’t endanger lives – and using a phone when driving can do just that.

The penalties for doing so have been made much stricter in recent years. There have also been numerous campaigns highlighting the dangers.

It seems the message is getting through – mostly – and attitudes are changing. A recent study found that 70 per cent of British people now say they are against phones being used at the wheel, according to the British Social Attitudes Survey (BSAS) – which has been gathering data on the subject since 2006.

This is in stark contrast to just 56 per cent in 2007 and represents a year-on-year increase of three percentage points. Could this be a reflection of a more safety conscious society?

Regardless of public opinion, the government are taking more and more steps to ensure that offenders are deterred. Road signs fitted with technology that indicates when a driver is on their mobile phone is being implemented in Norfolk. Although the technology isn’t currently capable of recording cars’ registration plates or fining the drivers, the information will be shared with Norfolk police to prevent further offences.

The first of three £6,000 electric signs were introduced onto the streets of Norwich in July 2018. If the trials are successful, this could lead to mainstream implementation.

The overall cost might seem pricey, but to prevent car accidents like one that took place in Northampton last year – when a driver was too fixated on his phone to stop him from ploughing into a family’s car, no cost is too high.