Tougher mobile phone laws in force from today (25 March 2022)

[BTB 500]

I've not seen this mentioned here so far? UK law changed today to close many 'loopholes' in terms of mobile phones etc. being used in cars for purposes other than 'communication':

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Mobile loophole for gaming drivers is closed

Drivers in Great Britain can now be fined for taking a photo or browsing playlists on their phone.

www.bbc.co.uk

Using a phone, sat nav or other device when driving

It’s illegal to hold a phone or a sat nav while driving - you'll get penalty points, a fine and can be banned from driving.

www.gov.uk

 

[Germgh0st]

Because that's going to make a difference. How are the police going to know what you were doing? People aren't going to care, it will change nothing. Personally I think if you're caught using your phone while driving then your phone should be seized and destroyed - people care far more about their phones than they do about fines in general.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Because that's going to make a difference. How are the police going to know what you were doing? People aren't going to care, it will change nothing. Personally I think if you're caught using your phone while driving then your phone should be seized and destroyed - people care far more about their phones than they do about fines in general.

That is the entire point of these changes. Now if you have a phone in your hand, or are activitely using it then you can be prosecuted.

Prior to this, you could get away with it by saying you are Gaming or taking a photo etc.

 

[roviw1]

a helpful link thank you

 

[Petrol Pete]

Basically having a phone switched on and in the cabin with you is just about legal. Hold it and you are breaking the law.




The device must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead.

I would love to see this one being policed properly (but will not be holding my breath ) . The amount of numskulls I see on the road with bloody great phones stuck right in front of their faces causing a massive blind spot , even worse when the do it at night completely destroying any night vision they might have.

As said . Actual there and then instant (confiscation) of phone would be a massive deterrent , come and pick it up at the local nick at 9 a.m tomorrow (weekdays only) . Just imagine someone who lives in London getting their phone confiscated in Birmingham and having to go get it the next day ! That would concentrate their minds a bit.

Alas it would never happen . The lawyers would be all over it .

Rant over.

 

[BTB 500]

You need to be careful now if (like most people) you have all your music on the phone and your ICE setup doesn't let you access this solely via the car controls/screen.

 

[clk320x]

Pretty simple really, want to use your phone… pull over. Annoying but some people are so stupid there’s no choice but to implement rules like this.

 

[Germgh0st]

That is the entire point of these changes. Now if you have a phone in your hand, or are activitely using it then you can be prosecuted.

Prior to this, you could get away with it by saying you are Gaming or taking a photo etc.

You could get away with it by saying you were using the phone for something else? I was under the impression that simply having it in your hands was the offence, i.e. not being hands free. If that's not the case then it seems the wording of the law wasn't thought about particularly well if they now have to make it more specific.

I still don't think it's going to cause a change of attitude, people who do anything on their phones while driving will just continue to do so because that's who they are. In order for this to have any effect it needs to be enforced better, and the police just don't have the resources to make it that much of a threat unfortunately.

 

[sgregory124]

As others have said, this will have more or less zero effect. Given I was once in slow traffic going through tunnels under central Birmingham on the A38 (Paradise Circus) a few years ago and watched, for a good 1000m a girl using her phone, first as a mirror, doing her hair, then her make-up and finally, filming herself singing into the camera. When I drew alongside and politely told her she was being an idiot, I got the usual mouthful of abuse.

Unfortunately the only way people like that understand, is when they (or worse) an innocent third party is smeared across the tarmac after they've crashed.

 

[Helsinki]

I purchased a hands free kit called Supertooth buddy from Curry's about £30 a few years ago for my Renault Clio which clips to the sun visor my 2010 b class only works with the phone so use the buddy to play my music. There are cheaper versions that work just as well.

 

[Germgh0st]

I purchased a hands free kit called Supertooth buddy from Curry's about £30 a few years ago for my Renault Clio which clips to the sun visor my 2010 b class only works with the phone so use the buddy to play my music. There are cheaper versions that work just as well.

Problem is people use their phones for pretty much everything EXCEPT making calls these days. Some people simply can't survive without their phone in their hand for more than ten minutes and would rather choose to put themselves and other road users at risk.

 

[PeterLanky]

On the subject of policing, I think the problem is that far too much resource has been put into catching people speeding and people encroaching into bus lanes, both which can be done accidentally especially in a strange place. It is impossible however to accidentally be using a phone. Those bus lane cameras could catch a pair of fleas mating on your number plate, so why not use the same technology to identify phone users.

On motorways, the first thing that happens when road works are announced is erection of speed cameras, quite often completely unnecessary for most of the time, yet nothing to catch phone users, and nothing whatsoever done to stop middle lane cruising despite it almost certainly being more dangerous than driving at 80mph for example.

There needs to be an acceptance, that in the list of dangerous things to do while driving, moderate speeding is probably quite low on the list, and resources should reflect this, and no, I have never been done for speeding, so it's not a personal crusade.

 

[KennyN]

It has been mentioned a few time but the only real deterrent is to confiscate the device , end of.

The prospect of getting a fine or points is only a deterrent if there are police around to catch the offender.

On another note , i was behind a cyclist today and not only was on his phone , he was wearing headphones and went through five red lights in a row , obviously immune and exempt to everything and every law on the road , maybe being run over by a Transit would focus his priorities somewhat.

K

 

[Phil1968]

There are far fewer police patrolling the roads these days, that's why it's become as acceptable as it has in current culture, as hardly anyone is getting caught. So from that standpoint I don't think it'll make much of a difference, as there just isn't the number of coppers out there witnessing it. I personally think it should be deemed as anti-social as drink driving, as it pretty much has the same effects, with the corresponding loss of driving licence.

 

[SW18]

So adjusting satnav whilst the phone is in a holder is OK? I guess there's the excuse for offenders to use if caught gaming / checking email / etc... It'll surely be very difficult to make a clear-cut case to the contrary.

 

[BTB 500]

So adjusting satnav whilst the phone is in a holder is OK? I guess there's the excuse for offenders to use if caught gaming / checking email / etc... It'll surely be very difficult to make a clear-cut case to the contrary.

In the video I posted it mentions there will be an official 'clarification' on satnav usage. Personally I'll pull over if I'm using my phone for navigation and need to change something ... I don't use it that often so I'm not super-familiar with the interface and menus, and the relatively small screen doesn't help.

 

[Alfie]

Pretty simple really, want to use your phone… pull over. Annoying but some people are so stupid there’s no choice but to implement rules like this.

Stationary, using the phone with engine running is still an offence.

 

[neilrr]

Judging by the number of people I saw today blatantly flouting the law (i.e. with the handset held up to their ear) let alone the people reading/texting with the phone in their lap (head bobbing up & down every few seconds is the give away) there might as well be no phone use laws.

 

[Dickster]

My wife’s friend was adjusting her satnav a night or two ago near the M2, and when she looked back at the road a lorry had stopped in front of her. She’s recovering in hospital with every bone in her chest broken.

She was very lucky.

 

[Dickster]

I've not seen this mentioned here so far? UK law changed today to close many 'loopholes' in terms of mobile phones etc. being used in cars for purposes other than 'communication':

View attachment 125186

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For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Mobile loophole for gaming drivers is closed

Drivers in Great Britain can now be fined for taking a photo or browsing playlists on their phone.

www.bbc.co.uk

Using a phone, sat nav or other device when driving

It’s illegal to hold a phone or a sat nav while driving - you'll get penalty points, a fine and can be banned from driving.

www.gov.uk

That suggest that even built in satnav must only be used handsfree, which makes sense.

That begs the question, a lot of controls (heating ventilation etc) have gone electronic and are adjusted via touch screens - are they illegal?