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More Drivers Using A Mobile While On The Road
Mon, 10 May 2010

An increasing number of UK motorists are putting their safety at risk by using a mobile phone whilst at the wheel, new research has revealed.

A study carried out by Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) found that the percentage of drivers using a mobile phone whilst driving has increased from 1.1 per cent to 1.4 per cent since 2008.

The research shows that the percentage of motorists using a mobile has risen from 2.6 per cent to 2.8 per cent over the last 16 months, while for van drivers the figure has jumped from 1.8 per cent to 4.5 per cent.

The number of cab drivers using a mobile whilst driving as also more than doubled from 0.7 per cent to 1.6 per cent.

The figures are set to raise questions over a recent Home Office report which claims that the number of fines issued by the police for driving while on the phone has fallen by five per cent since 2008.

Using a mobile phone whilst driving is illegal in the UK and can result in a fine of £60 and three penalty points on a person’s driving licence .

But Sarah Fatica, from road safety charity Brake, said that the survey is a clear indication that these laws are not taken seriously by British motorists, and that police officers are letting too many offenders off with just a verbal warning.

According to the Transport Research Laboratory, people who talk or text on their mobile while driving are four times more likely to be involved in an accident than those who abide the law.
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