Motorists not getting hands-free message11 April 2006
Earlier this month The Times revealed that the number of motorists being issued fines for using their mobile phone while driving had almost doubled during the last year.
The newspaper claimed that during 2005, 140,000 people were stopped by the police for driving and talking at the same time, compared to 80,000 during the previous year, with the Treasury pocketing over £7 million in fines in the process.
Since December 2003 it has been illegal to drive and talk on a mobile phone at the same time, with research suggesting that using a mobile device increased the risk of road accidents fourfold.
Police forces have admitted that during the early days of the new legislation, they took a softly-softly approach to drivers, with warnings usually being issued instead of fines. However, drivers caught using their mobile phones now can expect a £30 fine - set to double in 2007 - and a three-point penalty on their driving licence.
Drive-talking
Luckily for motorists there are a range of products to help them stay in touch while on the road, with hands-free kits enabling car users to talk on their mobile phones without breaking any laws. The options available can be loosely divided into four categories.
- Headsets
- Transferable hands-free
- In-built systems
Given the popularity of wireless communication in the UK, headsets are perhaps the most popular form of hands-free and typically utilise wireless Bluetooth technology, which allows connectivity between compatible devices over a limited range. People wishing to use Bluetooth headsets must also possess a mobile phone enabled with the same technology. The principal advantage with headsets is that they are not exclusive for in-car use and be utilised wherever the individual is. Headsets are therefore recommended for people that use their phone outside their car as well as when driving. A cheaper option is available in the form of wired headsets, which are slightly ungainly and inconvenient for use while driving, let alone unfashionable.
Transferable hands-free kits are also very popular among businesspeople that spend a large proportion of their working day in a car. These systems will normally plug into car cigarette lighters for power and can be useful for people that change company cars often or frequently use rental cars while on business trips.
In-built systems are the most expensive choice for drivers, with a professional usually required to install the kit into the car in question. The benefits of in-built systems may outweigh the costs as the streamlined design means wires are hidden from view and sophisticated models use the car speakers to divert audio from calls and automatically mute speakers when a call is received. In-built kits can be also be used in conjunction with wireless Bluetooth headsets.
Safe over sorry
The underlying message for hands-free kits is one of safety - the law is there for a reason. Sheila Rainger of breakdown provider RAC told The Times that "driving while using a mobile phone is a hazard and we support the law being enforced".
Ms Rainger added that the rise in drivers being fined does not reflect "more people breaking the law but rather the result of a high-profile campaign by the police to enforce the law".
Despite phone companies being criticised for initially cashing in on drivers being required to use hands-free kits to talk while driving, using suitable hands-free systems safely can allow gadget-friendly motorists to stay in touch wherever they go.
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Comments:
From my own experience I believe the use of hand-held mobiles while driving is rising, not falling. As a mortorcyclist as well as a car driver, I see into people's cars and vans better and the number of people using phones while driving in built-up areas is definitely rising. I even saw an Arriva bus driver using one with a bus-full of passengers in Guildford. Yesterday I watched a driver juggle a cigarette, a mobile phone, the wheel, the indicators and the gears of a pick-up weaving in and out overtaking on the A3 in busy traffic. These are people whose jobs depend on their ability to drive! I have a bluetooth in the car and Eurocom on the 'bike. It is cheap at the price compared to 3 penalty points. - Michael Ney
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Should the government not be looking at banning all mobile calls within a car? You still get distracted even if its on hands free. - Martin Cahill
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what about smokers, when i was pulled for mobile use whilst driving, the policeman told me that the are lot of accidents caused through smokers. They also litter the roads and streets. - francisco de matos
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I think more should be done to stop people using their mobile phones while driving. Surely the mobile phone companies can put a micro chip in each phone that cuts out when a car engine is started so that it will not work . Emergency calls can still be made as long as the engine is off. I have had too many near misses with poeple who cannot control their car with one hand. - A Hollamby
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I too see many drivers still using their mobile phones whilst driving. In particular lorry drivers trying to negotiate entry onto a busy motorway whilst talking on their mobile ! I was nearly run into by a white van - the driver was trying to go round a corner whilst using his mobile and almost ran into the side of my car, when I pointed to his phone I got the '2 finger' response ! The fines should be at least £100. I know the police have better things to do but I believe that using a phone whilst driving is a hige hazard to safety on the roads. - Janine Jackson
