To ask if you, or anyone you know in UK, has been caught using a phone while driving

[GingerBeverage]

…in the last couple of years.

Because I hear about speeding fines/points all the time, and yellow box fines, and LTN fines - but never phone fines.

Have they given it up?

I got caught. My cradle had fallen off a week or two before so I had it in the cup holder. Was sat at a red light and picked it up to put music on for my crying baby. Got waved over down the road as there was an under cover officer by the lights reporting anyone spotted using a phone. Got six points which is the minimum and a £200 fine. Lesson seriously learned…bought my new cradle the same day.

I was a bit cheesed off because I see people using their phones whilst actually driving all the time but the law is the law so I won’t make that mistake again.

Maybe people are less willing to admit it? I told my friends immediately as didn’t want the making the same mistake thinking you’re fine if stationary.

You can always tell if someone is using their phone while driving, because they tend to weave across the road.

My neighbour has been banned for six months after the second offence.

I think it is harder to challenge phone use so you don't see as many people trying to appeal.

I wish I could report people for phone use when driving. Obvs I cannot as I am usually driving at the time and not using my phone!
You can tell if they're behind you, looking at their lap and constantly stop-start driving.

I was a passenger and spotted a transit van on his phone. Took a photo and sent it to the police. The driver then received a summons to court so assume he had other offences too.

Yes my niece got caught looking at her phone while sitting at some lights. She got a telling off but they didn't give her a fine or penalty.

Yep someone I know got photographed using their phone whilst stationary, stuck in a traffic jam. Photo went to the police and he got points and a ban as the points pushed him over the limit.
I think it must be harder to enforce than speeding so you don’t hear so
many cases but I also wish the would enforce it properly. I regularly cycle to work and see drivers using phones whilst driving (not stationary) all the time, weaving all over the road.

It's very dependent on the area you live. We live very close to the border of two police authorities. One is very stringent about prosecuting photographic/video evidence of a driver using their phone, the other seems to often find reasons why the evidence is insubmittable. Shocking that there's so much variance, but here we are.

I'm sure you won't know, but if you're stuck in a traffic jam, parked on the motorway, say, can you not use your phone then? What if you turn your engine off?

I know this answer.

Engine needs to be off and keys removed. Even if in a layby.
Source : my drivers awareness course - I don't know if it was true, but that is what we were told.

No, and no. I don't think I could be friends with someone who drove using their phone.

Loads of drivers still do it. About 1 in 10 as I see them every single day when I'm walking. I understand new cameras are being installed to catch them.

Only ever use Bluetooth- not worth it.
But always see other people driving whilst using phones

I was in a police car and the policewoman driving shouted to the car next to us to put her phone down. I don't know if she wasn't dealing with me whether she would of pulled her over

It's so easy to spot so many of them when driving.

Next time you're sat in a queue at traffic lights or whatever, watch for cars who aren't paying attention and don't set off when the traffic starts moving. It's called the phone gap.

Probably every other week or more I'll see another driver, in the middle of the day, weaving about and driving erratically. I used to assume they were drunk; now I know they're on their phones.

It's appallingly dangerous and I'm pleased it's one of those things we take a harder stance on (a 6-point offence, not a 3-pointer).

What I truly can't believe is how in new cars the displays are basically like large iPads or small TVs! It's completely unnecessary and so distracting.

You can use a phone while driving, you can hold a phone while driving, but you can't hold and use a phone whilst in control of a vehicle.

You can indeed park on the hard shoulder, (in an emergency) and hold and use a phone.

Being stationary in a live lane on a motorway isn't being parked.

I'm not UK, but we have massive fines (approx £500) if caught touching your phone. It doubles on long weekends & holiday periods.

Plenty get caught because we have cameras that pick it up. I know two people who got done with the phone just sitting in their lap. Still, plenty do it. I can't afford it & have bought a car with Bluetooth!!

I agree, those huge screens in cars are terrible. Mine let's me know when I get a text, then gives me the option to read it on the screen, then reply!

I’m sure I heard that you actually aren’t even allowed to touch car screens, same rules apply as if it was a phone, you can look at the sat nav but not touch the screen, think majority use voice commands

All the drivers I see using their phones while driving, speeding etc and no sign of any traffic police anywhere. Except the ones who pulled me over, flashing lights etc, and fined me for having too dark tint on the side windows.

Keys removed? Can't be many cars with an ignition key these days. Car off will suffice.

Well if that's the case they're prosecuting the wrong side. Screens that need/want attention while car is moving should be illegal.

So just touching the phone, even if it's in a cradle or even off?

It does annoy me that Google maps regularly pops up with little messages that you have to respond to in order to see the map underneath.

"There have been reports of an accident in this area, has it cleared yet?"

"Reports of mobile speed camera here, is it still present?"

"I've found a faster route, do you want to take it"

Then you cant see the bloody instructions for the insane spaghetti junction you're rapidly approaching because it insists you tap yes or no to remove the pop up! If you do nothing and wait then it takes ages to disappear.

Why are they allowed to do that? I dare say if the police saw me tapping the phone screen in it's holder to dismiss the message i would be in a world of trouble.

Over 2 years ago more like 10.

Thanks for all the replies. It is harder to catch people, I suppose. But since we all see people doing it daily, I think it has become the norm for many.

I used to watch that youtube cyclist Mikey but the level of abuse he got was scary.

There are some lights I pass regularly where I see maybe 1 in 4 holding their phones. They often have the ‘phone gap’ when the lights change.

As for the big screens in cars, they’re pushing against them now for safety reasons.

https://www.motor1.com/news/787558/europe-china-no-more-touchscreens-in-cars-buttons/