Most UK motorists would welcome tougher sentences for drivers who cause accidents by using their mobile phone at the wheel according to new research.
Nine-out-of-ten respondents to a survey conducted by IAM RoadSmart said they felt the dangers caused by drivers using their mobile phone devices had increased over the past three years. The road safety group’s Safety Culture Survey found that UK drivers feel that the threat posed by the use of mobile phones and technology at the wheel is greater than any other factor, even more so than the perceived threat from drink and drug driving. There was overwhelming support for even tougher legislation against drivers who use technology at the wheel.
Some 94% of the 2,000 people surveyed said drivers checking or updating social media posed a threat to their personal safety, 93% said likewise for drivers texting or e-mailing, while for 91% the concern was for drivers talking on mobile phones. Of those surveyed, 91% said they had never used the internet whilst driving in the past 30 days, 88% had not sent a text or email whilst driving, 82% had not read a text message or email whilst driving and 79% had not talked on a mobile phone.
Sarah Sillars, IAM RoadSmart chief executive officer, said: “More than 90% say checking social media, texting and talking on mobile phones whilst driving scares them – these are figures that cannot be ignored. It is important that Government, road safety bodies and car makers work together to allay the fear caused by distracted drivers. Recent tragic high profile cases underline the need for a combination of education, safe design and enforcement to make sure that the high-tech benefits of our modern cars do not prove a threat to safety of all road users.”
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