New Drivers In The UK Can Lose Their License If Caught Using A Smartphone While Driving

[DroidModderX]

We all know it is dangerous but many of us if not most of us have been guilty of taking at least a glance at a notification while driving. Some actually feel that they are good at playing on their phone while driving while not knowing that in reality they are swerving and causing chaos on the road. Some people equate choosing a song on spotify or launching a podcast on stitcher to changing the station on their car's radio. No matter what you decide to use your phone for while driving in the UK the penalties for doing so just got a bit stricter.

The law used to be that you could receive a £100 fine and 3 points on your license if caught using a smartphone while driving. The new penalty is £200 fine and 6 points on your license. The law only allows you to receive up to 6 points on your license within the first 2 years which means that young drivers who are caught on their cell phones while driving could possibly have their license revoked all together. That's a high price for checking a notification. Do you think the US should institute similar laws?

via AndroidAuthority

 

[cerisecons]

Should be a law here, not just for new drivers

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[Sajo]

Hands free Bluetooth calling should be a law in every state.

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[lloydstrans]

Oh, you had to ask for my opinion. First offense, hefty fine, not this mamby pamby 40 plus fees, which totals about $170 here. I'd personally think 500-1000 plus fees, doesn't bother me a bit, never take my phone out of my pocket, never. Second offense, 5K or 30 days and a scrambler installed in all your vehicles. Third offense, life without the possibility of parole.

As soon as a senators family gets killed by a texter it'll happen. Texting while driving is stupid. How do I know? I've been rear ended 4 times; eater, impatient Subaru driver with a loud exhaust living GTA, and two texters. The first two may have been texting too.

 

[xeene]

Using the phone how? You can't use it as a navigation while driving? I understand no texting or talking but today phones provide in car entertainment and navigation. Might as well outlaw in car radios and nav systems as well.
I'm all for restricted phone use as I hate phone talkers who aren't paying attention to the road but law makers need to think first before painting everyone evil.

 

[kixfan]

They just need to hurry up and make those self driving cars available so I can play Pokemon Go in the car again. LOL

 

[cerisecons]

Kali laws call for the phone to be in a holder of some type, not simply free floating. If the cops catch you with it in your hand, a fine can be imposed. If it's in a stand / holder and you're pushing buttons to answer calls etc it's OK, unless you're type texting. It's up to the discretion of the officer.
I agree with Lloyd, there should be a much higher fine...

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[lloydstrans]

California requires it be to the lower left hand corner of the windshield of below the dash out of the field of view of the windshield. As for as controlling music and Navi I don't have too much of a problem with that. A tap here a tap there, must of us can accomplish that blind folded. The texting I can't tolerate. Period. Talking, most can handle that, some not so much as it seems they float off to another dimension. The problem lies into the fact that we don't know who can multitask until it's too late. So if legislation saves one life it is worth it. As far as the new interactive screens in today's modern vehicles I'm not a fan either. BMW's Idrive 1st gen is a total joke. It shouldn't take 45 seconds of tap tap swipe tap tap click tap tap to adjust the heater.

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[jkaod]

Nevada bans handheld phone use while driving, but like everyone else, I see people all the time talking and even texting while driving. You can almost always tell when driving behind them...driving slow, not maintaining a lane very well. It's still interesting that studies have shown that its not just that you're holding a phone. Just the fact that you are talking on a phone, even hands free with bluetooth, studies show that it impairs driving attention as much as holding the phone or driving under the influence. I have a very good friend who is a traffic cop and tells me that the majority of auto accidents are distracted driving related to cell phone use.

 

[RyanPm40]

Using the phone how? You can't use it as a navigation while driving? I understand no texting or talking but today phones provide in car entertainment and navigation. Might as well outlaw in car radios and nav systems as well.
I'm all for restricted phone use as I hate phone talkers who aren't paying attention to the road but law makers need to think first before painting everyone evil.

I don't think anyone wants phones outright banned, just hands-free only. My state recently enacted a hands-free law in the last year or two, and it hasn't been an issue for me. I just use "OK Google" to play music in Google Play or Spotify, and for navigation, and always have my stereo's auxiliary cord plugged in.