Using a Mobile Phone Whilst on the Roads

In today's society mobile phones have become incredibly popular, with the large majority of people owning and using one. Whilst there is no doubt that mobile phones have made our lives easier they can also prove to be a danger if used irresponsibly.

In December 2003 a law was passed making it illegal to use hand held mobile phones whilst driving. The reason behind the law was data that showed the use of a mobile phone while driving made it difficult to control the vehicle and proved to be a distraction.

Now if you are caught using a mobile phone whilst in charge of a motor vehicle you can be fined up to sixty pounds and receive three penalty points on your license. If the police deem your actions to have posed a serious risk to yourself or other road users, then you could be taken to court and face a fine up to one thousand pounds and possible disqualification from driving.

If you cause an accident due to talking on a hand held phone, or if your driving is particularly negligent you could get charged with careless or dangerous driving. Depending on the severity of the accident you could even face a prison sentence. The repercussions of breaking this law can be high. Even if you only receive a small fine and a few points, this can have a knock on effect on the price of your motor insurance and the validity of your policy.

If you need to make a call when you are out on the roads, you should find a safe place to stop. When you have found a suitable place you should apply the handbrake, turn off the engine and remove the key from the ignition before making the call. If you find that you need to make calls quite often then you should invest in a hands free kit for your phone.

This will enable you to talk on your phone whilst driving, as your hands will be free to control the car. However you should be aware that while it is legal to use a hands free kit to make calls whilst driving, you can still be prosecuted if you are considered to be driving recklessly or are not in control of your vehicle. In this situation the penalties are the same as those for driving with a hand held phone.

These laws also apply to other devices such as Personal Digital Assistants, which can be used to send and receive data. Only in extreme cases is it permissible to use a hand held phone whilst driving and that is when you need to contact the emergency services and there is no safe place to stop and do so. At all other times it is essential that you stop the car safely to make a call, in order to protect yourself and other road users.

Rochelle Martinez, Freelance Web Content Article Writer for three years. Some of her articles are about http://www.quinn-direct.com.