According to motoring study commissioned by the car manufacturer Ford surveying young drivers aged 17 to 24, over 50% admitted using their mobile phone be texting, checking social media alerts and viewing. The survey which was conducted by Ford’s Driving Skills for Life scheme also discovered over 27% of those who took part illegally made a call by holding the mobile device to their ear instead of using the hands-free option.
Does Using My Mobile Phone Invalidate Car Insurance?
If a car accident occurred as the result of the driver illegally using their mobile phone, the subsequent claim could be rejected by the Insurer. This is not clear cut as some young driver insurance companies are more lenient than others and therefore, it pays to read your policy terms and conditions. In addition, there is the prospect of the driver being convicted as a result of the car accident and having to declare this at renewal which in most cases will increase renewal premiums considerably.
Hands Free Mobile Phone Use and the Law
As the law currently stands (July 2020), it is illegal to touch the phone whilst driving. It is permitted, if the vehicle is safely parked, however, this does apply if you are driving in traffic or stopped whilst waiting at traffic lights. In respect of hands free use, you are allowed to answer calls whilst driving so long as you are not touching the mobile phone device. The caveat to this is that the Police can still stop you if they believe you have been distracted whilst driving. Given the seriousness of this offence and several high profile cases involving motorists killing pedestrians because they were using illegally using their mobile phones, the Government increases the penalty in March 2017 to 6 points and a £200 fine.
Future Hands Free Law Changes
There is considerable unease among many road safety campaign groups and the Commons Transport Committee in respect of allowing the continuing use of hands-free mobile phones in vehicles as their view is this represents the same risk of accidents as using a hand held mobile device. In addition, some other campaigners are requesting that the law should be changed to force drivers to switch off their mobile phones completely meaning there is no distractions from text alerts, social media alerts and phone calls.
Road Safety Public Pressure
Cyclists often bear the brunt of collisions caused by reckless motorists with vigilantes such as Mike van Erp in London who claims to have caught over 358 drivers using their mobile devices illegally in one year. His most famous scalp included the celebrity Guy Ritchie as reported in this Daily Mail article complete with video of Guy Ritchie texting whilst driving in heavy traffic in London. For young drivers, they are at a slight disadvantage in that they are a generation who have grown up this technology which is second nature, however, road safety is paramount, hence is not inconceivable that the Law will be changing again in the future to prohibit further restrictions on the use of hands free mobile devices in the car.
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source https://www.coolyoungdrivers.com/too-many-young-drivers-using-mobile-phone-behind-the-wheel/
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