- 20 years: phone use illegal
- 90% witness daily
- AI cameras enforce laws
Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the prohibition on using a mobile phone while driving.
However, despite two decades passing and recent increases in penalties for using a device while driving, over 90% of drivers still report witnessing this almost daily.
As per the survey, an overwhelming majority of AA members (93%) frequently observe fellow drivers using mobile devices while behind the wheel.
Age Disparities in Illegal Phone Use
While only 8% admit to using their phone illegally while driving, this figure rises to 14% among those aged 35 to 44.
Introduced on December 1, 2003, legislation prohibited using handheld mobile devices while driving.
In 2017, penalties for the offence were significantly increased, from six penalty points to a £200 fine.
However, almost half of the surveyed individuals (49%) believe law enforcement has minimal chances of apprehending offenders.
This practice continues despite recent government legislation explicitly prohibiting drivers from using mobile devices while in motion.
A legislative change in March last year closed a loophole granting drivers an exemption from using handheld devices while taking photos or playing games.
Annually, this breach category results in many road-related injuries and fatalities.
Department for Transport statistics for 2022 indicate that crashes involving a motorist using a mobile phone contributed to 22 deaths and 148 serious injuries on British roads.
The use of mobile phones by motorists has raised concerns due to prominent cases, like the 2016 sentencing of lorry driver Tomasz Kroker for a fatal collision caused by his phone use.
Aimee Goldsmith, a supporter of the cause, lost her daughter to a distracted driver and advocates for increased awareness and harsher penalties for phone use while driving.
Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, sadly acknowledges that phone use while driving continues to cause deaths or serious injuries.
He states, “Despite campaigns, phone use remains less socially unacceptable than driving under the influence.”
The nationwide implementation of cutting-edge camera technology is increasing enforcement against the illegal act of using a phone while driving.
An example is the Aecom, a specialized speed camera van nicknamed “Big Brother,” designed by National Highways.
Equipped with AI technology, it identifies portable mobile phone usage by drivers.
AI Technology and Speed Cameras
Successfully trialled by Warwickshire Police in 2022, the VECTOR-SR ‘ultra’ speed camera is also being used by Greater Manchester Police to collect evidence of drivers using mobile devices.
