The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) responded to the Department for Transport consultation on expanding the offence of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving to include non-connected mobile application actions.
Rachel Cairnes, policy and public affairs adviser at ACSO, highlighted how driving while distracted is one of the often-called “fatal 4” behavioural offences, along with drink and drug driving, the non-wearing of seat belts and excessive speed.
Cairnes said, “mobile phones have long been associated with an increased risk of collision while driving. Studies have shown that driving performance suffers when the driver is performing a simultaneous task, whether this is sending a text message, browsing through photos stored on a mobile phone or changing a song. This distraction reduces a driver’s ability to detect hazards and the speed with which they react to them, meaning they pose a danger to themselves and others on the road. Vulnerable road users (VRUs), who are not afforded the same protection as a driver sitting inside a vehicle, are at a greater risk of harm from a distracted motorist as even relatively minor contact can cause them serious injury.
“For this reason, we welcome the proposal to widen the offence of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving to include ‘standalone functions’ which do not require the internet and do not involve communicating with another person or device. This will ensure legislation reflects society’s increased reliance upon mobile telephony and the associated risks, not least as people in the UK not check their smartphones, on average, every 12 minutes of the waking day.”
ACSO members can read the submission in full on the members’ area of the website.