Transport Secretary, has urged drivers to put their mobile phones into their glove box before starting the engine. Chris Grayling called for a change of attitude and warned that using a mobile device while driving was as irresponsible as drink-driving.
He spoke ahead of government crackdown, warning that offenders face automatic bans starting Wednesday, when penalties for using a mobile phone while driving will double.
Drivers will be required to pay a £200 fine and six points on their licence when found guilty, and a driving ban upon hitting 12 points.
Speaking to Daily Mail, Mr. Grayling said: ‘We are trying to change the culture; it is a widespread problem. There is still a block of motorists who do this without thinking and it has got to stop.
‘We need people to start being a lot more disapproving – if you’re in a car and the driver starts using their phone then tell them to stop.
‘If you have got a handheld phone then stick it in the glove compartment. If it’s on the seat beside you, then turning it off is not a bad idea.’
A study by motoring group RAC found that a third of drivers had used a mobile phone while driving and half admitted to having used their phones while stuck in traffic, which is equally illegal.
Mr. Grayling added: ‘It is still the case if you drive around, time and again to see people with a mobile phone clamped to their ear. We need to get people thinking it is as unacceptable as drink-driving”
He also hinted at the possibility of an immediate ban against offenders in the future, if drivers do not heed to the call for a change of attitude.
Critics are quite sceptical of the effectiveness of the strict regulation, citing the reduced traffic police numbers as a major stumbling block in dealing with the menace.
