Herts Police highlight dangers of using phone while driving

Hertfordshire Constabulary is highlighting the dangers of using a phone while driving this month as part of a national road safety campaign, warning that doing so is “incredibly dangerous”.

The force says that using a mobile phone behind the wheel is a leading cause of collisions and that many of those result in serious injury or death.

In 2020, over a quarter of all collisions in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire that involved a motorist using their mobile phone ended in fatality or serious injury, the county’s police force said.

As a result, the force is urging all motorists to put their mobile phones away and avoid unnecessary distractions.

Chief Inspector Stephen O’Keeffe, Head of the tri-force Roads Policing Unit, said: “You might think glancing down at your phone is ok but not looking where you are driving is incredibly dangerous. At that moment you are not aware of what is happening around you. It only takes a second for circumstances to change and for you to be involved in a collision, either with another road user or a pedestrian.

“At a time when emergency services are under unprecedented strain, we must do everything in our power to look after ourselves and those around us. That includes not putting lives at risk by driving dangerously.”

Motorists who use their phone while driving face a minimum £200 fine and six points on their license. These figures can be much higher if a case goes to court.

Offenders who passed their test within two years will be automatically disqualified from driving and will need to take their DVLA test again.

Chief Inspector Simon Tabert said: “There is no excuse for using your phone whilst driving. Even just taking your eyes off the road for a split second, for something as trivial as changing a song or switching radio stations, could have life-changing consequences – not just for you, but for other innocent road users or pedestrians too. It is never, ever worth the risk.”