Crackdown catches 200 drivers a day using mobile phones behind the wheel
7 years, 10 months ago

Crackdown catches 200 drivers a day using mobile phones behind the wheel

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Police forces in Britain penalised almost 6,000 motorists for the offence in the four weeks after tougher punishments took effect, equivalent to one every seven minutes, figures obtained by the Press Association reveal. Incidents reported by police after the tougher penalties were introduced include: A man was spotted doing his online banking while driving along the M5 motorway near Birmingham Norfolk Police stopped a woman who was responding to a message about her lost puppy being found A lorry driver was fined for texting on a bright pink mobile phone while travelling along the M2 in Kent A 7.5-tonne lorry was driven around a roundabout in Bournemouth by a man using his phone A driver was on his phone while behind the wheel of a school minibus with 10 children on board in Manchester The RAC Foundation described the increased penalties as “a start”, but warned the figures for March suggested “the key message still isn't sinking in”. Brake spokesman Jack Kushner described the number of drivers “selfishly using their mobile phones behind the wheel” as concerning. National Police Chiefs' Council lead for roads policing Anthony Bangham said: “Drivers need to understand that this is not a minor offence and you will be prosecuted under new, tougher penalties.” He said forces are committed to tackling the behaviour, adding: “Encouraging results from recent campaigns show how effective new tactics and innovative approaches can be.”

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History of this topic

Shocking scale of phone thefts revealed as police battle surge in e-bike mobile snatchers
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Shocking scale of phone thefts revealed as police battle surge in e-bike mobile snatchers

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Police say organised crime gangs are behind the mobile …

Shocking reason driver was slugged with almost $30,000 worth of fines
3 months ago

Shocking reason driver was slugged with almost $30,000 worth of fines

Daily Mail  

A driver has been slugged with almost $30,000 in traffic fines for repeatedly performing the same illegal act dozens of times. The unidentified South Australian has been caught using a mobile phone while behind the wheel 41 times, racking up $27,000 in fines. They said 16 drivers in the state had been fined at least ten times, and 165 drivers …

Mobile phone detections decline but one driver caught 41 times and fined $27,000, police say
3 months ago

Mobile phone detections decline but one driver caught 41 times and fined $27,000, police say

ABC  

Fewer mobile phone detection camera expiation notices are being issued in South Australia but thousands of drivers are still being caught — including a man whom police say was snapped using his phone at the wheel 41 times in three months. "The initial three-month trial saw a total of over 68,000 detections," SA Police's officer in charge of traffic services, …

Texting behind the wheel may end in personal bankruptcy
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Texting behind the wheel may end in personal bankruptcy

Dutch News  

Four big insurance companies have included an explicit warning to drivers who cause an accident while holding their phone, telling them they will not be covered for any damages. The condition change by Interpolis, Centraal Beheer, FBTO and Inshared has been effective since December 1 and, according to insurance comparison site Independer, the damage for offenders could run into millions …

Adelaide drivers fined for resting phones on laps after being caught by mobile detection cameras
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Adelaide drivers fined for resting phones on laps after being caught by mobile detection cameras

ABC  

When handyman Shane jumped into his van and rested his phone against his thigh to make a trip to a hardware store, he had no idea he was breaking the law. "Holding the phone or having the phone touch any part of your body is use and you will get a fine and three demerit points," she told ABC Radio …

The streets where YOU could fall victim to the phone muggers of Mayfair: How thieves on e-bikes roam in loops around one of London's most affluent districts hunting for targets
5 months, 2 weeks ago

The streets where YOU could fall victim to the phone muggers of Mayfair: How thieves on e-bikes roam in loops around one of London's most affluent districts hunting for targets

Daily Mail  

Phone muggers on e-bikes are increasingly targeting one of London's most affluent areas - as MailOnline plots out the hotspot streets where they have struck several times in recent months. Email katherine.lawton@mailonline.co.uk MailOnline's new map shows the apparent routes young crooks are taking on a regular basis in and around Hyde Park A worker was walking opposite Hyde Park with …

Mobile phone detection cameras catch drivers breaking the law 68,000 times in three months
6 months, 1 week ago

Mobile phone detection cameras catch drivers breaking the law 68,000 times in three months

ABC  

Four motorists have been caught on camera using a mobile phone while driving more than 30 times during a three-month grace period — racking up potential fines of more than $20,000 each. SA Police have issued 68,252 warning letters to motorists illegally using a mobile phone while driving during a three-month expiation grace period for five new detection cameras. "These …

Delhi: 149 per cent surge in cases of mobile use while driving
11 months ago

Delhi: 149 per cent surge in cases of mobile use while driving

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Traffic Police, in a bid to prevent road accidents, has prosecuted thousands of individuals in the past four months for driving vehicles while using mobile phones. As per the data shared by the traffic police, there has been a staggering surge of nearly 149% in the number of prosecutions related to “mobile phone usage while driving” …

Mobile phone usage while driving sees a sharp rise in city
11 months ago

Mobile phone usage while driving sees a sharp rise in city

The Hindu  

The Delhi police noted a 149% surge in prosecutions related to mobile phone usage while driving in the city from January 1 to April 15 this year, as compared to the numbers in the corresponding period of 2023. Statistics shared by the Delhi Traffic Police reveals that from January 1, 2024 to April 15, 2024, a total of 15,846 motorists …

75 percent of motorists, cyclists use their phones while on the road
11 months, 4 weeks ago

75 percent of motorists, cyclists use their phones while on the road

NL Times  

Fines and public awareness campaigns are not having any effect on Netherlands residents' tendency to use their smartphones in traffic. Around 75 percent of motorists and cyclists sometimes use their phones while driving or cycling, almost 10 percent more than six years ago, AD reports based on a new report from SWOV, the national scientific institute for road safety research. …

600,000 drivers one touch of phone from a ban
1 year, 5 months ago

600,000 drivers one touch of phone from a ban

The Telegraph  

The number of drivers with six and nine points on their licence was 6 per cent and 8 per cent higher than a year earlier, respectively. A loophole allowing drivers to escape punishment for hand-held phone use if they were taking a photograph or playing a game was closed by new legislation in March last year. ‘Distraction’ Nicholas Lyes, IAM …

Distraction, speeding, alcohol drive up 2021 traffic deaths
1 year, 11 months ago

Distraction, speeding, alcohol drive up 2021 traffic deaths

Associated Press  

DETROIT — Nearly 43,000 people died in U.S. traffic crashes in 2021, the highest number in 16 years with deaths due to speeding and impaired or distracted driving on the rise. Steve Kiefer, a retired General Motors executive whose son, Mitchel, was killed in a 2016 distracted driving crash, said cell phones are a primary cause of distraction. Distracted driving …

Mounted police chase down driver using phone at wheel
2 years ago

Mounted police chase down driver using phone at wheel

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Mounted police have chased down a driver using his phone …

Road accidents due to use of mobile phones claimed over 1k deaths: Report
2 years, 2 months ago

Road accidents due to use of mobile phones claimed over 1k deaths: Report

Live Mint  

A total of 1,997 road accidents occurred in 2021 due to the use of mobile phones while driving, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways report titled ‘Road accidents in India--2021’. The data further stated that 555 road accidents took place due to jumping red lights while claimed 222 lives in 2021. According to the data release by …

Four driving laws motorists should look out for
2 years, 4 months ago

Four driving laws motorists should look out for

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Motorists have been urged to be familiar with new driving …

Unsafe drivers detected every six minutes
2 years, 5 months ago

Unsafe drivers detected every six minutes

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Unsafe drivers are being detected every six minutes on average …

New Highway Code rules for phone usage come into force - everything you need to know
3 years ago

New Highway Code rules for phone usage come into force - everything you need to know

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Drivers could face a fine for just touching a mobile …

Driver caught distracted behind wheel nine times in four years
3 years, 2 months ago

Driver caught distracted behind wheel nine times in four years

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A driver was caught distracted behind the wheel nine times …

Drivers to be banned from searching playlists in fresh crackdown on mobile phones
3 years, 4 months ago

Drivers to be banned from searching playlists in fresh crackdown on mobile phones

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Drivers will be banned from using hand-held mobile phones as …

Two-thirds of Dutch drivers check phone while at the wheel
3 years, 6 months ago

Two-thirds of Dutch drivers check phone while at the wheel

NL Times  

Almost two thirds of road users in the Netherlands at least occasionally check their phones while driving, the Ministry of Infrastructure concluded from a survey of 1,200 people. Motorists, cyclists, and scooter riders kept a diary of the messages they received and sent and how important they were for four days and then submitted it to the Ministry, NOS reports. …

New cameras catch 100 drivers a day on mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts
4 years, 5 months ago

New cameras catch 100 drivers a day on mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts

ABC  

High-tech cameras being trialled by Queensland's Transport Department have picked up almost 1,000 Queensland drivers or their passengers without a seatbelt, a result described as "alarming". Key points: The high-tech cameras are being trialled for the first time in Australia Almost 1,000 drivers or passengers were caught not wearing seatbelts The cameras take several photos of the front of a …

WA introduces new $1,000 fine for using mobile phones while driving, the equal highest in Australia
5 years, 1 month ago

WA introduces new $1,000 fine for using mobile phones while driving, the equal highest in Australia

ABC  

The West Australian Government has announced harsh new penalties for using mobile phones while driving, introducing a maximum $1,000 on-the-spot fine for motorists. Key points: The penalty is the equal-harshest in Australia along with Queensland's Almost 12,000 WA motorists were caught using their mobiles last year The WA Police Minister says it's about changing the culture of drivers From July …

Hyderabad: Cops take cellphone driving easy, no one arrested in 2019
5 years, 4 months ago

Hyderabad: Cops take cellphone driving easy, no one arrested in 2019

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Driving while on the cell phone has increased three-fold in the city but no one is jailed. With the increasing number of accidents on the roads, traffic violations in the form of sudden turns, no use of indicator when going left or right, driving while on the cell phone is another factor resulting in a major risk for people …

Smart traffic cams to catch smartphone use while driving
5 years, 5 months ago

Smart traffic cams to catch smartphone use while driving

NL Times  

From today the police will use so-called smart traffic cameras to catch drivers using their phones and other electronic devices while driving. The intention is to reduce distractions behind the wheel and thereby increase road safety, the police said in a statement. Through artificial intelligence, these smart cameras can recognize if a driver is holding a mobile electronic device - …

Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones
5 years, 6 months ago

Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — An Australian state is attempting to persuade people to put down their smartphones while driving by rolling out cameras to prosecute distracted motorists. New South Wales Roads Minister Andrew Constance said Monday that Australia’s most populous state is the first jurisdiction in the world to use such technology to punish drivers distracted by social media, text messages …

Electric scooters cause 74 accidents and hundreds of traffic offences in three months since legalisation in Berlin
5 years, 6 months ago

Electric scooters cause 74 accidents and hundreds of traffic offences in three months since legalisation in Berlin

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Electric scooters have caused 74 …

Police device to automatically detect when drivers are using mobile phones
5 years, 11 months ago

Police device to automatically detect when drivers are using mobile phones

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two UK police forces are …

Cyclists face €95 fine for using their phone while cycling
6 years, 2 months ago

Cyclists face €95 fine for using their phone while cycling

Dutch News  

Cyclists caught using their mobile phone without a hands-free kit face a fine of €95 from July 1, the Parool said on Thursday, quoting sources in The Hague. The ban on using a mobile phone while cycling is due to be discussed at Friday’s cabinet meeting and ministers are expected to vote in favour of the fine, the paper said. …

Cyclists face €95 fine for using their phone while cycling
6 years, 2 months ago

Cyclists face €95 fine for using their phone while cycling

Dutch News  

Cyclists caught using their mobile phone without a hands-free kit face a fine of €95 from July 1, the Parool said on Thursday, quoting sources in The Hague. The ban on using a mobile phone while cycling is due to be discussed at Friday’s cabinet meeting and ministers are expected to vote in favour of the fine, the paper said. …

Four in five drivers put themselves and others in danger by being distracted at wheel, study claims
6 years, 7 months ago

Four in five drivers put themselves and others in danger by being distracted at wheel, study claims

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Another 8 per cent of drivers have tried to operate the pedals using different …

Uttar Pradesh tops in mishaps caused due to people using phone while driving
6 years, 11 months ago

Uttar Pradesh tops in mishaps caused due to people using phone while driving

Hindustan Times  

Uttar Pradesh accounted for the highest number of road accidents in India due to people using mobile phone while driving, government data for 2016 show, highlighting a menace that led to the death of 13 students in Kushinagar. A government report ‘Road Accidents in India-2016’ shows at least 2,138 persons were killed in 4,976 accidents identified to have been caused …

Police hand out more fines for phoning while driving, few appeals succeed
7 years ago

Police hand out more fines for phoning while driving, few appeals succeed

Dutch News  

The number of fines handed out to motorists who were using their mobile phones while driving rose by almost 25% last year, the Telegraaf reported on Tuesday. In total, 74,561 people were stopped by police for driving and phoning at the same time and fined the standard €239. Earlier this month it emerged that Dutch police are planning to use …

Young workers most likely to use phones while driving
7 years, 3 months ago

Young workers most likely to use phones while driving

ABC  

Distracted driving is a significant contributor to road accidents and fatalities. Both popular media and academic studies have portrayed young adults as being particularly prone to mobile phone use while driving. Road safety campaigns targeting mobile phone use among these people should emphasise how perceived social pressure is not an acceptable excuse for engaging in the behaviour. Our findings are …

Investigate smartphone use after all traffic accidents: Dutch politicians
7 years, 4 months ago

Investigate smartphone use after all traffic accidents: Dutch politicians

NL Times  

Dutch politicians want to intensify the fight against texting while driving. The VVD wants the police to always check a smartphone's history after a traffic accident, to see if it was being used during the accident, parliamentarian Remco Dijkstra said to the Telegraaf. The VVD also wants stricter punishments for smartphone use while driving. The number of fatal car accidents …

Smartphone use behind the wheel could lead to immediate jail time
7 years, 5 months ago

Smartphone use behind the wheel could lead to immediate jail time

NL Times  

The Ministry of Security and Justice is planning harsher punishments for using your smartphone while driving. A legislative proposal is being prepared that will put smartphone usage behind the wheel under reckless driving. This could mean immediate jail time if you're caught, NU.nl reports. "Drivers who cause an accident by using their mobile phone, deserve the same punishment as people …

Older drivers 'worst offenders' as NSW Police target mobile phone use while driving
7 years, 10 months ago

Older drivers 'worst offenders' as NSW Police target mobile phone use while driving

ABC  

It's morning peak hour on Sydney's M5 motorway — traffic is crawling and police are watching. Six officers from the New South Wales Traffic and Highway Patrol are set up between the motorway and an on-ramp at Beverly Hills in Sydney's south-west, for an operation to target drivers using mobile phones illegally. "Normally police officers would see people using their …

Police use double decker buses to spy on motorists using mobiles
8 years ago

Police use double decker buses to spy on motorists using mobiles

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Police have started spying on motorists from the top decks …

Police crackdown on using mobiles in cars begins
8 years ago

Police crackdown on using mobiles in cars begins

Daily Mail  

Tougher penalties for drivers who use their mobile phones at the wheel come into force today. Motorists face higher penalties today for using their mobile phones while driving Transport secretary Chris Grayling said the increased penalties will be a 'strong deterrent' The crackdown is a victory for the Mail’s End the Mobile Madness campaign. Truck driver Tomasz Kroker, pictured killed …

Phone blockers, breathalysers and speed limiters: police call for driver-proof cars
8 years, 1 month ago

Phone blockers, breathalysers and speed limiters: police call for driver-proof cars

Dutch News  

Devices to block the use of mobile phones in cars, speed limiters and breathalysers equipped as standard are among the suggestions in a new police campaign to force drivers to change their habits. Egbert-Jan van Hasselt, national project team leader for infrastructure, said drastic measures were needed to cut the number of accidents on the road. I’m calling on politicians …

Bicycle smartphone ban is unenforceable, senseless: Bike assoc.
8 years, 3 months ago

Bicycle smartphone ban is unenforceable, senseless: Bike assoc.

NL Times  

Cyclist association Fietsersbond sees very little merit in banning the use of smartphones while cycling. Such a ban is unenforceable and instead of creating this senseless law, the government would do better to make a mobility mode mandatory on all smartphones, Saskia Kluit, director of the Fietsersbond, said to newspaper AD. "One in three car drivers still use their mobile …

Government wants to ban or block mobile phones while driving
8 years, 4 months ago

Government wants to ban or block mobile phones while driving

Dutch News  

Mobile phone manufacturers could be legally required to fit devices that stop people using their handsets while driving, transport minister Melanie Schultz has told the AD. Around 600 fatal or serious incidents a year are linked to people making calls or using social media behind the wheel. At the moment motorists only break the law if they pick up their …

Moment lorry driver scrolling through music on mobile phone kills mother and three children
8 years, 5 months ago

Moment lorry driver scrolling through music on mobile phone kills mother and three children

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Family and police have released a video of the moment …

One in five people use mobile phones while driving, new research finds
8 years, 6 months ago

One in five people use mobile phones while driving, new research finds

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. One in five people has admitted using their phones over the past twelve months, …

New Device Could Help Cops Catch People Who Text And Drive
8 years, 11 months ago

New Device Could Help Cops Catch People Who Text And Drive

Huff Post  

Jordan Siemens via Getty Images A new device could help cops crack down on distracted driving. Cops would use this so-called "textalyzer" at the scene of a crash to check a phone's activity logs and determine whether the driver's eyes were on his phone instead of the road, according to a press release from New York-based advocacy group Distracted Operators …

Road safety groups hail plan to allow learner drivers on motorways
9 years, 3 months ago

Road safety groups hail plan to allow learner drivers on motorways

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Today we are delivering common sense proposals that balance tougher penalties for dangerous drivers …

Using a mobile phone in the car does NOT make driving more dangerous, claims study
11 years, 7 months ago

Using a mobile phone in the car does NOT make driving more dangerous, claims study

Daily Mail  

Using a mobile phone in the car does NOT make driving more dangerous, claims study Number of phone calls made while driving was compared to crash rates Researchers found there was no direct link between the two The dangers of texting and web browsing were not included in the study For almost 20 years it has been a wide-held belief …

Tips for driving responsibly while using your mobile phone
11 years, 10 months ago

Tips for driving responsibly while using your mobile phone

India TV News  

New Delhi, May 19: Distracted driving is a serious and growing threat to road safety. Unrestricted mobile phone use while driving can be lethal. Studies further suggest that cell phone use while driving can be risky especially for young and inexperienced drivers—who are already extremely vulnerable to crashes. Mobile phone use also often involves associated tasks that may further distract …

Americans More Distracted Behind The Wheel Than Europeans
12 years ago

Americans More Distracted Behind The Wheel Than Europeans

NPR  

Americans More Distracted Behind The Wheel Than Europeans Enlarge this image toggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP Damian Dovarganes/AP U.S. drivers are much more likely than Europeans to drive while distracted, federal health officials report Thursday. Sponsor Message Health officials say that's a big problem because driving while distracted causes fatal car accidents. "The cell phone can be a fatal distraction for …

Anticipating SMSes, calls too contributes to car crashes
12 years, 11 months ago

Anticipating SMSes, calls too contributes to car crashes

Firstpost  

A study conducted suggests that thinking about future cell phone calls and messages may be an additional source of distraction that could contribute to crashes. Washington: Anticipating calls or text messages too while driving may contribute to car crashes, says a new study which explores how cell phone use is responsible for distracted driving. Jennifer M. Whitehill, post-doctoral fellow at …

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