Government Announces Mobile Phone Driving Ban

Using a hand-held mobile while driving is to be banned in a long-awaited clamp down on phone use in cars. The new offence, it was announced this morning, will take effect from 1 December 2003 with offenders facing fines ranging from £30 to £1,000 if the case goes to court.

Those caught breaking the ban would also get three penalty points on their driving licences for each offence.

Under current laws motorists can only be prosecuted for using mobiles if they fail to keep proper control of their vehicle. The Government announced it was considering the law change last August and has carried out a public consultation on its proposals which, it said, demonstrated overwhelming support for a ban.

The planned new law will have to be approved by Parliament and be added to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations.

In the new law the definition of driving includes using a phone while the car is stationary with the engine running. Hands-free mobile phones are not included in the law because the Government concluded, a ban would be difficult to enforce.

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