In a bid to crackdown on offences in the Plymouth area after the strict punishments were introduced, Devon and Cornwall Police utilised privately hired double decker buses to spot drivers using their mobile phones behind the wheel.
Once officers seated in the bus spotted a distracted driver, they radioed to officers stationed in patrol cars, unmarked cars and on motorbikes who would then pull over the offending drivers. The crackdown caught 39 drivers using their mobile phone, as well as 36 motorists not wearing seatbelts.
Not only does getting caught using your mobile phone behind the wheel result in six points and a £200 fine, it will mean your insurance premium will go up as a result, and you might find that you will need to take out specialist
Convicted Driver insurance.
Drivers can still use their phones as satnav, but it must be kept in a holder and not in the 45-degree angle view of the driver. In addition, any changes to the directions or function of the satnav must be done when pulled over and safely parked. Drivers cannot use their mobile devices whilst stationary in traffic.
You must still be careful with how you interact with your device when hands free, as you could still be prosecuted for distracted driving if you're not paying attention to the road whilst interacting with your device using voice commands for example.
It's recommended that you don't interact with your phone in any manner whilst operating a vehicle to avoid being distracted. Store it safely out of sight in the arm rest or the glove compartment.
Promoted by Josh Smith - 9 May 2017