Mobile Phone Ban Consultation Ends: Yes or No?

Fleet managers and employers are waiting to hear if the Government will move to ban the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving, after an in-depth consultation on the proposals ended this week.

Department for Transport (DfT) executives are now sifting through submissions from a range of companies and organisations on the proposals, which gauged support for measures which would could even make it illegal to use a hand-held phone with the car's engine switched on.

The DfT consultation document, called Mobile Phones and Driving – proposal for an offence of using a hand-held mobile phone when driving, produced earlier this year, suggests a £30 on-the-spot fine for drivers caught making a call.

Some sources say the fine could be as much as £200, but no final decision will be made until next month. Any new law is likely to be introduced early next year.

Transport Minister David Jamieson earlier warned companies that they would be liable to prosecution under the new rules if they cause or permit the use of a mobile phone by a driver.
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