Police to target Lincolnshire drivers persisting in using their mobile phone behind the wheel

Lincolnshire Police officers are spending the next month target motorists who continue to endanger themselves and other by using mobile phones while driving.
New mobile phone campaign. EMN-210202-154747001New mobile phone campaign. EMN-210202-154747001
New mobile phone campaign. EMN-210202-154747001

The force is coining the slogan #StandingUpForHangingUP, asking that if you are on a call and realise someone is driving at the same time, decline to speak or engage with them until they stop their car and park or finish their journey.

Drivers using their mobile phone while driving has been the top driver concern in the RAC Report on Motoring for four of the last five years.

Research shows it is a minority of drivers who still continue to use mobile phones, as it risks the lives and safety of others and is now widely seen as a socially unacceptable. in 2015 there were 1,164 tickets handed out in the county for mobile phone use. That decreased to 456 in 2019.

The law banning phone use while driving was introduced after research proved it was affecting drivers’ ability to take in their surroundings and react accordingly.

Drivers are still distracted by the use of hands free phones and may still commit offences of careless or dangerous driving, say police.

Drivers risk a £200 fixed penalty ticket and six penalty points if they use a mobile phone while driving. If the matter is dealt with at court, the penalties can increase with car drivers being fined up to £1,000 and HGV and bus drivers up to £2500, they may also be disqualified from driving.

If you have passed your driving test in the last two years, you will lose your licence.

Lincolnshire Police advice is turn it off and put it out of reach.

If you use a mobile while driving, you are:

○ Four times more likely to be involved in a collision

• Are far less likely to notice and react to hazards

• Take much longer to react to any hazards you do see

• You can look directly at hazards yet fail to see them

• Show poor lane discipline

• Make more variable speed choices

Anyone who is tempted to use their phone should remember the risk of crashing increases four-fold and a driver distracted by a phone can be impaired to the same degree as a drink driver, according to research. This is often a real surprise to people who would never drink then drive but would consider using a phone.

Sergeant Adie Scargill, of Lincolnshire Roads Policing Unit, said:” We know the vast majority of people find it completely unacceptable for drivers to use a mobile phone while driving. The people who do this are in the minority but still they continue to put their own and others lives at risk.

“We use a range of tactics to identify drivers, Operation Bus is one of these, where we used a bus to spot drivers on their phones. They were then stopped by officers shortly afterwards. We have launched Operation Snap today, which is a portal when dashcam footage can be downloaded. This means anyone can record evidence and send it through to us.

“Protecting people from harm is one of our priorities and this includes road safety. We are all responsible for keeping our roads users safe.”

Unless you are safely parked you cannot use your phone while in traffic or queuing at lights or if you are supervising a learner driver.

You can only use your mobile phone in a vehicle to call 999 in response to a genuine emergency where it is unsafe or impracticable to stop.