TEENAGE drivers are being warned to stay safe and not use their mobile phones behind the wheel.
Students at Hills Road Sixth Form College were visited by a juggler to illustrate the potentially deadly costs of doing too many things at once, on the first anniversary of the introduction of tougher penalties.
Entertainer Duncan Bull performed a stunt using a wad of cash, a driving licence and a mobile phone to show learner drivers that not only do they risk killing someone if they use their phones behind the wheel but they could also face a £60 fine and three points on their licence.
The demonstration was organised to mark a new £1.5 million road safety campaign, called Think! which features a new radio advert as well as a hard-hitting television advert launched last year.
Research has shown drivers are four times more likely to have a crash if they are using a mobile, and road safety officers say new drivers and young people are some of the key offenders.
Lorraine O’Gorman, of GO East’s transport team, said: “Mobile phones have become a part of everyday life, and with today’s sense of urgency, they can easily be abused and cause major problems.
“Trying to juggle more than one thing at a time is exceptionally dangerous. Many accidents on our region’s roads are down to people driving while talking on a mobile phone, or even texting. The message of this campaign is simply: ‘Switch off before you drive off’.”
Speaking at the event, Debbie Maith, road safety officer for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Callers also play an important role in keeping the roads safe. If the person you are speaking to is driving, please arrange to speak to them later and end the call.”
Recent research showed a 40 per cent reduction in the number of car drivers seen using hand-held mobiles at the wheel between September 2006 and August 2007 in Cambridgeshire.
Last year saw the fixed penalty fine rise from £30 to £60 and the introduction of penalty points for the offence.
However, if the case goes to court, the driver risks disqualification and a maximum fine of £1,000. This could be increased to £2,500 for drivers of vans, lorries, buses and coaches.
Yet in November the News photographed 10 motorists on their phone or texting in just two hours.
Last month Cambridge magistrates were accused of “misguided compassion” after a lorry driver caught talking on a mobile while driving his vehicle through roadworks in Histon, escaped a ban. Phillip Kerry, 37, was fined £400, but escaped a ban after arguing he would lose his haulage contract and his family would suffer exceptional hardship if he was disqualified.
Source: Cambridge News Online 02/02/08
Any comments from driving instructors who are members of BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) giving driving lessons in Bedford?
