Quote:
Motorists using hands-free phones could receive three points on their licences and a £60 fine from next month if they are considered by police not to be in control of their vehicle.
I think you’re missing the point of the new law.
If you’re not in control of your vehicle then you can already get up to 9 points for driving without due care and attention or driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.
The new law makes it an endorsable offence (ie points on your licence) to use a hand-held mobile while in control of your vehicle – whether or not it causes you to make any driving errors. Previously it was a non-endorsable offence UNLESS they could show that you were not in proper control of the vehicle and prosecute you for without due care etc.
Posted under Legal Issues, Mobile Phones
Posted by Alec at 4:19 pm, January 23, 2007
As far as I can see the rules haven’t changed at all – it’s “just” the fine and the obligatory points and discretionary ban that have been added.
The actual ‘crime’ was introduced in the “The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2003” and nothing’s been changed since, apart from the increased fine and the points being introduced by the Road Safety Act 2006.
Two-way radios are exempt, subject to:
You can use a hand held mobile to call the police subject to:
And the rule about not using a mobile while supervising a provisional licence holder was also brought in with the 2003 rules:
Maybe I’ve missed something and there’s another Amendment been passed. If there has I can’t find any mention of it anywhere.