Over the next two weeks, South Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Team and Safer Roads South Yorkshire will be raising awareness surrounding the danger of using your mobile phone behind the wheel as part of the National Police Chiefsโ Council campaign to create safer roads.
Studies shown that drivers who use their phone behind the wheel are slower to identify and react to hazards, which could be the few secondsโ difference between life and death.
South Yorkshire Police Roadโs Policing Inspector Jason Booth explained about the law and dangers advising โthe law states that it is illegal to use a handheld mobile phone while driving or riding a motorcycle.โ
โIf you are caught using your mobile phone you could be given six penalty points and a ยฃ200 fine. If you have passed your driving test in the last two years, you will automatically lose your licence.โ
โIf points and a fine are not enough of a deterrent, we are urging drivers to think of the innocent pedestrians and passengers that have lost their lives and the drivers who have never returned home to their families for the sake of making a call, sending a text, or checking social media.โ
โWe will continue our efforts to ensure that drivers are not putting themselves and other road users at risk and as part of the on-going campaign we will be upping our efforts to catch those who think it is acceptable. The message is clear, donโt use your mobile phone while driving.โ
In a recent roads policing survey, communities expressed that they want officers to tackle drivers who use their phones while driving.
Police have a dedicated pro-active patrol car across South Yorkshire as part of Operational Illuminate focussing on education and enforcement.
Throughout the two-week campaign officers will see the dedicated car focus heavily on mobile phone use, a police spokesperson said.
