Police in Scotland crack down on drivers using mobile phones
Thursday 25 February 2010 Back to Blog
Contract hire van customers have been warned not to use their mobile phones while driving, or risk a fine and three points on their license.
Police in Scotland have today (February 25th) launched a 24-hour crackdown on the practice.
Ch Supt Charlie Common, of Lothian and Borders Police cited research by the Association of Police Chief Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) which shows drivers who use their phones are four times more likely to be in an accident.
He said: "Research shows that reaction times are significantly impaired if driving and phoning simultaneously.
"Even when using hands-free equipment, concentration levels can be detrimentally affected."
A similar initiative last year led to 171 drivers being caught using their mobile phones illegally.
This, said Ch Supt Common, showed that many were still choosing to flout the law.
A study by the Transport Research Laboratory released in December last year revealed that the number of van drivers using mobile phones while behind the wheel had increased since harsher penalties were introduced.