This I don't agree with.



Drivers caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving will be offered an opportunity to attend a ‘Call Divert’ workshop instead of being fined and getting points on their licence.

Since 27 February the penalty for being caught driving or supervising a learner while using a hand-held mobile phone or failing to have proper control of a vehicle increased from a £30 fine, to an endorsable offence, carrying three penalty points and a fine of £60.

Any cases that go to court could also lead to the driver being disqualified and receiving a fine of up to £1,000 for car drivers and £2,500 for bus, coach or goods vehicle drivers. People who cause or allow the driver to commit this offence, including employers, could face the same penalties. Company officials could also face imprisonment if an employee is driving a vehicle while using a hand-held mobile phone and is involved in a fatal collision.

Thames Valley Police are offering a new education workshop called ‘Call Divert’ for motorists who are caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving. The first Call Divert workshops will take place in April 2007.

Malcolm Collis, Manager of the Specialist Units, Roads Policing, said: “We hope to change drivers’ attitudes and make the roads safer by offering education as an alternative to punishment. Motorists can expect to see police officers and road safety officers from local councils working together to run roadside checks to enforce the law on the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving.”

The new penalties extend to not having proper control of a vehicle, an offence that could also apply to the driver being distracted by using a hands-free mobile phone kit.

Liz Aldred, Road Safety Officer from Reading Borough Council, said: “There are many people out on our roads, still using their hand-held mobile phones. Just think; missing a call won’t kill you, taking a call just might.”

Nicole Targett, Communications Manager for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We deal with far too many serious injury and fatal road traffic collisions caused by lack of concentration due to mobile phone use. Our fire crews and community safety teams carry out driver education programmes aimed at motorists of all age groups and we wholeheartedly support Thames Valley Police’s efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone.”

The aim of the Thames Valley Police ‘Call Divert’ workshop is to educate drivers about the real dangers of making a mobile phone call when driving and raise awareness among drivers that this is not only illegal, but is a significant cause of accidents.

The new workshop will focus on the effects of holding a mobile phone when driving. It will also emphasise how in-car distractions can lead to potentially fatal consequences for the driver and their passengers, as well as other road users.

The use of mobile phones is a danger because they are a distraction which will increase the driver’s reaction time:

- An average alert driver’s reaction time is 0.98 of a second and at 70mph, for example, the vehicle will travel 31 metres in that time before the driver even begins to hit the brakes.

- When using a hands-free mobile that reaction time increases to 1.25 seconds and 39 metres; when using a hand-held mobile this jumps to 1.46 seconds. This is half as slow again as normal, and a total distance of 45 metres, some 9 car lengths, 3 more that had the driver been concentrating; this quite literally could mean the difference between life and death.

Using any mobile phone slows one’s reactions even more than alcohol at the legal limit.

The interactive workshop will cost £74 including VAT to attend and will last two and a half hours. It will focus on providing relevant statistics, clarify the law on the use of mobile phones and provide practical in-class role-play to demonstrate the importance of focused concentration while driving. In addition, the group will discuss the circumstances and consequences of a real life collision where mobile phone use was a major contributing factor.

The new scheme will complement the current Thames Valley Police diversionary schemes including the Driver Improvement, Rider Improvement, Speed Awareness and Seatbelt Awareness workshops, managed by DriveTech (UK).